NOT!!!



Extension happens. They see it happen. They see it happen often on HR swings. They conclude 'getting to extension' is the answer.

The truth is.....extension is merely getting an already speeding barrel to the ball. In a high level swing, the barrel is turned instantly at launch into a rearward arc....while the hands remain at the shouldertip/armpit area. The barrel gets up to speed suddenly....behind the hitter. THEN....as needed....the arms 'let out' to align barrel and ball.

Extension as a power supply is simply pushing the barrel forward. That is not how high level hitters generate their batspeed. No matter how many HR swings you show them, where the hitter DID NOT EXTEND, like Crawford's, they still conclude extension is the key to power.

When your power supply is the same as your adjustor.....you will fail. When extension...the act of extension....is a power production move and also your means of alignment....you are SO vulnerable to the pitcher. When your power production move also has a forward direction element to it....you are limited in your adjustability. Because in order to do both with the same act....you have to first know exactly where contact will be made BEFORE you can launch the barrel. In order to power the bat with extension to a spot....(includes a directional element)....you have to make that decision early. You have to choose 'that spot' early. And when, on the fly, you realize that spot has changed, due to a moving ball, your mechanics will not allow the needed adjustment.

But if your power supply is barrel turn....rearward...and extension is just the hitters way of aligning barrel and ball....not powering the barrel....you can make an adjustment to pitch movement 'on the fly'.....without degrading the barrel's speed. But when extension is both the act of powering your swing AND aligning barrel and ball....your first movement to the ball is also final commitment. You can't adjust direction effectively. It is so easy to prove. Push your barrel, with commitment for max batspeed, to a pitch on the outside half of the plate, do it all in, then try to change it to an inside pitch. Or....push it with max barrel speed to a high pitch and then change it on the fly to a low pitch. Duh. When your effort to power the barrel INCLUDES the direction you chose.....changing that direction dramatically changes the speed of the barrel AND you ability to align barrel and ball. We've all been there....when we made our move to the expected pitch location....by/with extension as the power supply....and then realized we needed to go in a different direction....and couldn't do it. The 'fooled' swing is pitiful....has no chance.

ONLY the rearward barrel turn allows a hitter to get his barrel up to speed instantly, without a full commitment to a spot. Since the effort is rearward...into an arc....no commitment to a spot has been made at launch. The body's rotation, the body's ability to tilt, and most importantly, the availability of the arms....to 'let out' a bit....or....'pull in' a bit....or do nothing......BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE POWERING OF THE SWING.....is why the high level pattern offers adjustability that the amateur swing does not.

Here is an example of very amateur, low level swing mechanics that has zero chance of success.....because the forward push (extension) of the arms is BOTH the power supply and the directional adjustor.



There is no barrel speed until the barrel is pushed forward with the arms. The forward rear arm plunge of this hitter is a low level as it gets.

Here is a swing that includes the rearward barrel turn, instant barrel speed rearward at launch, that offers a high level of adjustability....



The ball is on a tee....but if it moved she could pivot in her rear hip socket, over/around the ball of the rear femur....and/or adjust with her arms by letting out a bit....or pulling in a bit....while never degrading the speed she created instantly by turning the barrel into a rearward arc.

The boy can do NOTHING until he makes a 'spot' determination. And then, he is committed to that spot. He has very limited ability to adjust on the fly. Because his arms BOTH power the swing AND direct it that spot decision must be made perfect....and early. Therefore he is vulverable to pitch movement and speed.

The girl can choose a spot, launch the barrel into a rearward arc that will intersect that spot....yet....adjust that spot on the fly without degradation of her barrel's speed....all because EXTENSION is not her power supply. If the ball was outside....or low....or if she was early.....the video would show extension. She would get extension....as she aligns her already speeding barrel to the ball.

But she would not get extension as her power supply.