The Box, The Triangle & Connection

12/21/2007

Maintaining connection is a key to preventing bat drag and ensuring that you swing is short enough to hit a good fastball. Many people illustrate connection using the concept of "The Box". The problem is that it can often be hard to see The Box in a hitter's swing, and the shape of The Box will often change during the course of a hitter's swing. I think a better way of explaining the concept of connection is with a concept that I call "The Triangle".

Pete Rose Demonstrating The Triangle

The Triangle is a right triangle (a triangle with one 90 degree or right angle) that is formed by the hitter's front wrist and shoulders. You can clearly see The Triangle in the photo above of Pete Rose.

Pete Rose Maintaining The Triangle

Notice how as Pete Rose swings he maintains The Triangle; his hands rotate with, and ahead of, his back shoulder rather than dragging behind the shoulders. Also notice that, rather than taking or throwing his hands at the ball, Pete Rose's hands stay roughly the same distance from his shoulder. You can monitor this by looking at the length of line segment E-H as his shoulders turn. It stays the same length during the swing and, close to the point of contact, if shortens rather than lengthening.
     In hitters with bat drag, The Triangle breaks down.
     In particular, they lose the 90 degree angle that is formed at point E. Instead, this angle increases, sometimes to close to 180 degrees.

Bat Drag

You can see this clearly in the photo above. Notice how this young hitter's back elbow has slid forward and his hands are almost in line with his shoulders. This will lengthen his swing to the point where it will not scale as he gets older.