Sanberg and JD Drew

[ShawnB]

I was wondering if anyone has a side view of these two hitters. I don't think I have seen a side view of JD and the only clip of Sandberg I have is a shot from a HR derby that is looking in from left field.

Sanberg seems to be using the legs very well in the clip I have and this can be slightly exaggerated since it's a HR derby swing.

[StraightGrain11]

Here's a side clip of Drew



Obviously, on the right.

[ShawnB]

Thanks,

It's strange that I have never seen his swing from the side. I wonder if he starts the bat slightly back all the time or if this was just something that was working for him at the time. Ichiro and Jeter end up doing something similar.

He must reach with his stride because his weight shift seems to happen later. Hard to tell without the entire swing and this can vary in almost every hitter from time to time.

It seems pretty basic everything working forward. It looks like he uses the legs/hip/torso pretty well.

[StraightGrain11]

Ever since I've watched him, he's always had the "shoulder tap" thing. So I am assuming what you see there, is what he has always done. I consider his swing to be one of the cleanest, and best to copy, in baseball.

He must reach with his stride because his weight shift seems to happen later.

Reach with his stride? As opposed to "lunging" or "jumping" at the ball? He has perfect balance on almost every swing, and rarely is off balance, even when "fooled". His "late weight shift" is correct...

Here's a more isolated shot of it (from the article):

[ShawnB]

I will try to post the Sandberg clip I do have tomorrow. I'm on the lap top and the clip is at home on the PC.

[Erik]

[QUOTE=ShawnB;1189495]Thanks,

It's strange that I have never seen his swing from the side. I wonder if he starts the bat slightly back all the time or if this was just something that was working for him at the time. Ichiro and Jeter end up doing something similar.


ShawnB,

I like this position I find when doing front arm swing drills this is the best position for the front wrist to set to start the swing. I call this barrell setting being in 1st gear out of three gear settings.



EL,

[ShawnB]

Straightgrain,

If a hitter has a later shift, then more then likely they reach with the stride leg/foot. Although the combination of shift/stride can be done in a number of ways, and many times even a single hitter will be different from time to time. This changes more then anything in the swing. Some times we will see a hitter look almost perfect, although if we took that perfect swing and measured it to the same hitter day in and day out they can't even match that perfect swing all the time.

Just going by this single swing, and even though I don't have the entire thing, JD looks almost like a no stride hitter.

[ShawnB]

Straightgrain,

No matter what the hitter does the weight is always back at toe touch.

[StraightGrain11]

Just going by this single swing, and even though I don't have the entire thing, JD looks almost like a no stride hitter.

Looks like he may have a stride, but since it's not from the side, kind of hard to tell (if he's striding forward or simply stepping "in")

[ShawnB]

Straightgrain,

Some people make to much out of the positive move (weight shift). More isn't always better.

The only thing I see different in the side clip is he seems to be back more then what you usually see. At toe touch the back knee usually begins forward right away. In a ML swing it happens pretty fast. In the above side view he seems to be shifting more from toe touch onwards. As a comparison the hitter next to him is just turning at the same point in the swing, if it's a reliable clip/comparison.

Front views a good, and in most front views it doesn't look like the hitter moves forward at all, except for maybe the stride foot.

[StraightGrain11]

Straightgrain,

Some people make to much out of the positive move (weight shift). More isn't always better.

The only thing I see different in the side clip is he seems to be back more then what you usually see. At toe touch the back knee usually begins forward right away. In a ML swing it happens pretty fast. In the above side view he seems to be shifting more from toe touch onwards. As a comparison the hitter next to him is just turning at the same point in the swing, if it's a reliable clip/comparison.

Front views a good, and in most front views it doesn't look like the hitter moves forward at all, except for maybe the stride foot.

That's actually one of the things they were comparing in the article. They were also comparing this:

[ShawnB]

Hi,

We don't know if JD was hitting a breaking ball/off speed pitch in that swing. He might have been "looking" for something off-speed, and therefor he stayed back more then usual.

I don't know because I haven't seen his swing enough.

That is why I said it looked like he was a no-stride hitter. In most swings in hitters who stride from toe touch the back knee starts forward and the front heel drops. Rotation is then instant at heel plant. You usually don't see someone still shifting forward from toe touch to heel plant.

If we look at the front view you posted, you can see that his back knee moves forward instantly at toe touch and then rotates instantly at heel plant.

Shawn

P.S. I will read the article over at swing training.

[StraightGrain11]

Actually, it's not at swingtraining...
but here's the link to the article if you want to read it (it's about half-way down the page).
Article Page