Flicking the wrists to contact

[Kenny_77]

I've been reading through the Six steps to a sweet swing on beabetterhitter.com and on step 4 it says to flick the wrists to contact. How exactly is this done?

[Ohfor]

It's not.

Another site to avoid.

[hiddengem]

I've been reading through the Six steps to a sweet swing on beabetterhitter.com and on step 4 it says to flick the wrists to contact. How exactly is this done?

I wouldn't describe it as a flick, but rather the wrists unhinging the moment before contact. This is the last part of the Kinetic chain. If you don't time this right, its like cracking a whip wrong..it doesn't snap.

[Mark H]

I wouldn't describe it as a flick, but rather the wrists unhinging the moment before contact. This is the last part of the Kinetic chain. If you don't time this right, its like cracking a whip wrong..it doesn't snap.

Exactly. The "wrist flick"/quick wrists/unhinging is the result of what went before, not something the tiny muscles controlling wrist angle do on their own.

And yes, beabetterhitter's advice is NOT what I see when I study video of MLB hitters.

[fungo22]

HG: What is the name of the thread in this forum where you asked a similar question and I jumped in with an answer? My answer would be the same to this gentleman's question.

In short, the wrists are not strong enough to do enough bat flicking to do much good. As Mark pointed out, it must be momentum created previously that is efficiently tranferred at the right time and in the right way to give an appearance and feeling that the wrists are snapping or flicking into contact.

[hiddengem]

In short, the wrists are not strong enough to do enough bat flicking to do much good. As Mark pointed out, it must be momentum created previously that is efficiently tranferred at the right time and in the right way to give an appearance and feeling that the wrists are snapping or flicking into contact.

I'm not sure...but if I take a swing and don't consiously think about unhinging or getting that last bit of snap with my hands through the ball, I get a crappy "thud" sound off the bat rather than a good "crack".

[Mark H]

I'm not sure...but if I take a swing and don't consiously think about unhinging or getting that last bit of snap with my hands through the ball, I get a crappy "thud" sound off the bat rather than a good "crack".

Nyman was talking about this right before it all fell apart. Something about intent and focusing on expending all the energy focused on one point in space. What you describe here is how I interpreted him.

[fungo22]

Nyman was talking about this right before it all fell apart. Something about intent and focusing on expending all the energy focused on one point in space. What you describe here is how I interpreted him.

Steve talked about it before Paul. He got excited (Copenhagen running down his chin) when someone at one of his clinics made the observation that this is what Steve did when he swung. My cue for my eldest son - who tends to spin around more of a central axis - is to "slam the gate shut into the ball." This produces a better "hook" - which is the key to good "wrist snap." Or so it seems to me.

[swingbuster]

I'm not sure...but if I take a swing and don't consiously think about unhinging or getting that last bit of snap with my hands through the ball, I get a crappy "thud" sound off the bat rather than a good "crack

HG..agreed. In many of these swing models I think that is what is missing for the kids. What is the end goal of this thing I am learning ...then how do I pop the whip on that ball to all locations.

For me personally it was missing for too long as well. I changed my thinking to what you said to go back up stream in the swing in the chain and emphasize the things that allow you to do that.

That is when I saw kids do some amazing things with the bat. People teaching dead hands hitting to kids saddens me. You know more about the MLB thoughts than me but I cannot believe they think like that

You can tug on the knob of the bat or throw/ snap that barrel . The difference for me is the loading of the hands with the objective of getting whole body envolved in releasing the barrel. They are two distinctly different feels.

Don Mattingly had a great total body swing but said " it is in the hands". I would like to think I know something about what he meant for the first time

All this about bat drag is a kid with the wrong mental objective. That is why so few get better...the objective must change before the mechanics can change

OBTW...your a good person to ask. As you unhinge you wrist to get the snap do you feel your lead leg extension is assisting the power? Are you aware of it? Does it happen in your mind as it appears on clips? Is it just natural and you don't know it? Do you feel your hips drive your leg in extension that far around or do you feel a powerful fron leg boost?

[fungo22]

Steve talked about it before Paul. He got excited (Copenhagen running down his chin) when someone at one of his clinics made the observation that this is what Steve did when he swung. My cue for my eldest son - who tends to spin around more of a central axis - is to "slam the gate shut into the ball." This produces a better "hook" - which is the key to good "wrist snap." Or so it seems to me.

But let me not be dogmatic. If this is not the key to getting good wrist snap, what is that key?

[swingbuster]

what is that key?

To have the goal and intent of the swing to get a good wrist snap not just a good rotation. A good rotation will not get a good wrist snap necessarily. Since your group withholds your vital information to protect the integrity of the DVD that you feel you have benefited from then I do not know how you get this point across or even if is in the bag.

Priming the forearms , cocking the bat, getting inside out, keeping the bat behind the mechanism, and rotating with the goal to pop/ whip that barrel on the ball ( see sheffield) is important

[Ohfor]

I don't believe the "snap" comes from the wrists. You may feel it there. But I don't believe it is created there.

If there is a "whip" effect to the swing (Buster, have you cleard this with Mankin) the body is the handle.

I can't imagine the end of a whip having some extra added to it. Not so in the swing also.

The snap is the cusp IMHO.

[swingbuster]

An x- Auburn ss in the early Al bat days that was a great contact hitter had a vertical bat when he was 8..now 51. He told me years ago that he felt like he was throwing the top hand through the center of the ball. You can see a little of that in Bonds and he speaks about the Bonds' top hand. I think Bonds speaks about what he does with the top hand at contact. He is popping the whip mentally with the top hand IMO. Everything else is about getting in position to do that with the most power

I like hearing what successful people's description of what they were thinking about really was.

[fungo22]

Priming the forearms , cocking the bat, getting inside out, keeping the bat behind the mechanism, and rotating with the goal to pop/ whip that barrel on the ball ( see sheffield) is important

All of this explains "flail." It would happen if you cut the tendons/muscles in the wrists and let them function as a hinge - which is basically what I think the function of the wrists is in the ideal swing. My question is this: Are the wrists really themselves actively "snapping" and contributing anything to the swing? I don't see how they possibly can.

Grab a bat Assume a stance and stick your hands out in front of your front shoulder with the bat barrel still cocked as much as you want. Now snap your wrists and see how efficiently they move the bat barrel. Something about like that is what the hands/wrists contribute to batspeed. Unless there is something I'm not understanding.

[swingbuster]

Your right it is not the wrist...it is the preswing pattern that give many the ability to throw the barrel/ unhinge the wrist . Sheffield extends the rear elbow on that lsat swing posted. To think you can keep the elbow tucked and have good posture keep rotating and that it will take you to all pitch locations and not throw the bat at times is an optimistic plan

The flat bat tug doesn't do it for me. The posture, higher bat, shoulder rotation and keeping the barrel in the momentum plane can do it for some.

I can feel that in one plane in golf better that baseball. I feel like I lose ability for late adjustment in baseball staying it one plane and I cannot feel the barrel