The Hitting Mechanic
October 2008

The Hitting Mechanic - November 2008

10/14/2008

What Early Looks Like

I just came across the photo below of Russell Martin striking out, which I think is quite interesting.

Russell Martin - Strike Out

The thing to notice is the perfect alignment at what should be the point of contact.
     Notice how his back elbow is in the Power L position, his back knee is bent roughly 90 degrees, and the head of the bat is below his hands and at his front heel.
     Of course, the problem is that Russell Martin is way early on this pitch. That's the ball at the right edge of the picture and 2 1/2 feet from the end of his bat.
     Based on what I saw in this picture, I assumed it was an off-speed pitch. A quick check on Gameday confirmed that it was an 84MPH change-up (see the fourth pitch of Russell Martin's at bat in the first inning).

10/7/2008

Swing Analysis - Manny Ramirez (Low Pitch)

I just put together a quick analysis of the swing of Manny Ramirez from a number of clips of him hitting a Home Run to Left Center Field off of a very low pitch. These clips are perfect examples of the principle of tilt.

The Hitting Mechanic - September 2008