How short should a swing be vs. how long it should be.

Does a short swing, mean a quick swing? If so, why are you giving up power?

I always thought that the longer the swing, the more power you can put into it. Swinging from the heels versus trying to make contact kind of thing.

Was I wrong?

Plus scouts love kids that can drive it out. Why draft a singles guy in HS when you can get a HR guy?

I can def be mistaken. But doesn't everybody love the long ball guys? And if this is even close to being right, why teach a short swing? Who does it help in HS? Isn't it better to hit 10 out and hit 350 than hit 500 and only hit out 1 or 2?

When I hear stay short I think of keeping the hands inside the ball and not let the hands start to wrap around the ball, but once the bat gets into the strike zone then you want to extend the arms and keep the bat in the zone as long as possible, driving the ball and making backspin.

backspin+solid bat speed=POWER

Doughnutman;

When I hear a H.S. Coach preach "short swing" he, in our case, is describing a quick "hands to the ball approach." It seems many of them like to see that very quiet approach, not much "load" but just take the "knob to the ball."

Is that what they want? Applied across their line-up it seems to be a linear style, stay inside and just make good contact with your metal missle launcher.

We spent years "re-tooling" my sons's approach from that to a swing where he could really drive the baseball with a wood bat .... which is as you say, absolutely desirable if he wants to be a College position player or aspire to pro ball. His H.S. coach spent one full year trying to change him and one other hitter that uses the same (attack with the lower half) Pro Hitting Coach. He finally, do to their success, decided not to mess with what worked. The result, they will likely win their 2nd consecutive State High School Championship with pretty much the same line-up, and will set school Individual and Team records in most all power categories!

NOw back to the short swing, you still want a short but powerful path to ball. A truly long swing (we will get into semantics again, here) is not desirable no matter if you have linear or rotational mechanics.

I agree with you in your observations and premise though.

It is my understanding that you want a swing that is quick and efficient, combined with power being generated from the core and legs.

A quick swing, as Prime9 stated, does not require a linear singles/doubles approach.

You can be/and want to be quick with the hands, yet powerful with your lower half.

The key is to have a short and long swing.You want to be short to the zone but long through it.

The best power hitters are extrememly short to the zone but are able to keep the bat in the zone.

Do you consider Pujols swing short?

These terms can't be defined by anyone, therefore they can't be taught.

quote:

These terms can't be defined by anyone, therefore they can't be taught.

I understand what you mean by your former statement but can't agree with the latter. But to the essence of what you are saying, I'm not convinced that you can teach the mechanics of a great swing to all (I certainly haven't been able to) ...... if so, I guess they all would have one!

So, touche' Misure Sultan..

If you have the ability to work with an instructor long enough, you will learn the instructors language. Then you will be able to define terms and they can be taught.

Just this year my son's hitting instructor remarked that he and my son were able to have detailed, in depth discussions on hitting after 4 years of working together, as PEERS. He (my son) learned well. This allows him to talk hitting with his instructor and analyze at bats over the phone.

Your point is a good one Sultan, but can be overcome with a seasoned instructor with a plan and a student with a long term commitment.

Sultan, we're thinking alike on this one. Can anyway show examples of a pro "short" swing vs a pro "long" swing. Makes my head spin a little bit haha

Hmmmm. Short and long swings probably can't be exactly defined. But I do know that long swings can be recognized by all. Think video. Think frames. Most videos record at 30 frames a second. A lot of software out there that can break those frames down even further. Great hitters, both male and female, will swing within a very specific, and very common, frame count.

Prime,
What was your son being taught(the correct way), if you do not mind sharing

quote:

These terms can't be defined by anyone, therefore they can't be taught.

Words of wisdom.....An oasis in the desert....

Just like rotational and linear...No such things....

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:

quote:

These terms can't be defined by anyone, therefore they can't be taught.

Words of wisdom.....

Just like rotational and linear...No such things....

You never watch fastpitch softball, I take it.

quote:

You never watch fastpitch softball, I take it.

More then you could ever know...

I shall expand a bit....

A rotational swing and a linear swing do not exist...

Or, shall I say, MLB hitters don't swing with either....

This is something I have always agreed with BlueDog 100%