Foot Down When? I re-used this video to show you the foot does not get down when the pitcher releases the ball, it does not get down early, instead, it gets down on time.. More video on this subject coming soon.
Great Angle to Show Miguel Cabrera’s Scap Load, front foot landing open, and the back heel being pulled off the ground due to torque and rotation.
Also, notice the Miggy hits the top half the ball and it goes down. Some people tell you to swing down through the ball (wrong) and hit the top half of the ball to create backspin (also wrong). You create backspin by coming up through the ball and hitting the bottom half of the baseball.
Chase Utley: This is a great angle for showing how Chase uses the Scap Load. Chase also has a closed toe, not the 45 degree or more like other hitters I have shown.
Notice that Chase never reaches extension, and this is something that happens a lot, especially on inside pitches. Teaching extension is bad because extension is a result of numerous other causes, and it happens due to proper rotation and pitch location. Contact should not be made at extension if you want to hit for power and average. If you want to hit a lot of roll over ground balls, then you should extend and roll the wrist early.
Brad Mumma: Know yourself, Question Everything
Another great post from Brad Mumma
Know yourself: Question everything and everyone who is teaching you the game. Learn how to open up a line of communication between you and your coaches. This will allow your coach to teach you better. Let me rephrase, this will allow a good coach to teach you better.
I’m at a training session for a fed team that I train and a young man walks up to me and says, “Coach, I made the JV team.” This was great news as the player who is only a freshman was really raw a year before and he has put in a ton of hard work over the last year and a half. He said, “Coach, it is great news but there is a problem, my JV coach told me my pitching mechanics are horrible and whoever taught me those mechanics must be an idiot.” Not surprised as I hear stories like this often, I asked what in particular did he say was bad. “Well mainly that I finish too close to home plate, and that I should stop my back leg so that I can be in a good position to field.” Oh boy, I thought. I finally got some kids to actually finish properly (with the ball and your body, not necessarily your stride as close to home as possible) and now I have people telling them to stop their motion.
Just because a coach tells you something, doesn’t mean they are right. That is why I say if you know your swing or your mechanics and someone tells you something that is contradictory, question it, politely. If your coach in unapproachable then attempt what he is asking you to do, and then ask yourself, does that make sense compared to what I know about my own swing? A great coach loves to be questioned, and a bad might just say the dreaded because.
A tremendous challenge every player will face is contradicting advice or coaching. This is unavoidable and often not easy to resolve. This is why it is essential to constantly be learning the game and learning about you as a player. The better you get at that the less susceptible you’ll be to information and fads that will not help you as a player.
There are many ways in baseball to stand, where to put your hands, how to do this or that. Find a coach that will show you a way and thoroughly explain why he wants you to try it that way. There are many ways to do things. Many have been successful and equally bad, don’t you want to find what the best way is for you? What is going to put you in the best position to succeed? Find the coach that will help you with that and keep him. Besides in matters that could lead to you being hurt, stay away from a coach that says you must do something a certain way.
Lastly, take what you want from this piece of advice about coaches and training. Be coachable, moldable, and willing to try new things but just stubborn, smart, and confident enough to not do everything that is said to you by everyone.
Questions or comments about my article feel free to contact me at: bradmumma@gmail.com
I could not agree with Brad more, and I think this is a battle that a lot of us private instructors face. More on this topic soon….
Foot Down When? Again, this ball is almost all the way to the plate before the foot comes down.
Please watch video, do not just say things you have heard in the past and assume them to be true. It doesn’t make you a hitting coach, it makes you a parrot.
Pujols video to show when the foot actually gets down. I have heard many theories on this, but most are wrong. I want to clear this up, you do not get your foot down when the pitcher is releasing the ball. The foot gets down, when the pitch is more than half way to the plate. What does this mean?
*The hitter recognizes the pitch with their foot in the air
*The front heel plant allows the hips to pick up speed, and launch the swing quickly.
*When the foot comes down, your body wants to swing or not swing, that is why getting your foot down early is awful advice.
*Getting your foot down early causes hitters to slide their front hip forward, get out in front, and cast their hands.
*The stride creates momentum for the hitter and allows the body to continue moving, (an object in motion tends to stay in motion) is a term I use in almost every lesson. Getting your foot down early kills all momentum, which is why it causes bad habits.
Feel free to look for all the other aspects of a great swing in this clip as well. Also, notice that Pujols does stride, it is a common myth that he does not stride, which make me believe most people never look at video and therefore continue to spread bad info.
Here is another great video. Things to note, not only in this swing, but almost all high level swings.
*The weight stays on the inside of both feet starting with the load and into and through the swing. The hitter never gets over his front foot, but instead he hits into it, that is why he deflects back into his back foot.
*Scap Load
*Front foot is open-not closed at landing (some hitters keep it closed but most do not)
*at :10 seconds look at the jersey and notice how it is being stretched (this is torque)
-What creates torque?
scap load-pulls the hands back and front shoulder closed
landing on an open front foot allows the hips to begin opening before foot strike
if the shoulder is closed and the hips are open, you have torque.
Some hitters create torque and then ruin it, others create it and maximize it.
*Bat is coming up through the ball
*Hits the bottom half of ball
*Notice shoulder tilt-Back Shoulder is lower than front shoulder. This angle changes depending on the pitch location-up or down
*Notice the finish. It is high because the pitch is low, the finish should not be taught, because it is not the cause it is an affect of where the pitch is. Higher pitches actually finish a little lower.
“Scap Load” at :15 seconds. Also, notice the toe is not closed but rather at a 45. Look how closed the shoulder is at foot plant and heel strike, this helps create torque.
Not a great result on this swing, but notice the “Scap Load” Chipper Displays starting at about :13 seconds in the video.
It isn’t easy to see, but you can notice that Chipper’s toe is open. You can’t see the toe, but you can see the angle the heel is pointing, so you can deduce where the heel is pointing.
Chipper was obviously fooled on this pitch.
