Trout and Harper Baseball Swings

[Standballdad]

Okay all you hitting guys, I went to the Angels game last night and had a chance to watch Mike Trout play (2 for 3). His swing is very much hands straight down and through to the ball and finish high. Don't see him getting on plane early turning the barrel etc... same with Bryce Harper as far as I can tell. Could be wrong here but would like to hear what others think. These are probably the 2 best up and coming players and both have pretty good power especially Harper. Any comments?

[songtitle]

same with Bryce Harper as far as I can tell

He must have changed his swing last night, then.

Do you have any trout videos?

[Chris O'Leary]

Okay all you hitting guys, I went to the Angels game last night and had a chance to watch Mike Trout play (2 for 3). His swing is very much hands straight down and through to the ball and finish high. Don't see him getting on plane early turning the barrel etc... same with Bryce Harper as far as I can tell. Could be wrong here but would like to hear what others think. These are probably the 2 best up and coming players and both have pretty good power especially Harper. Any comments?

If the hands are truly going down and through, then there's no way he's going to finish high.

Instead, they would finish low, down around the front hip.

[Standballdad]

He must have changed his swing last night, then.

Do you have any trout videos?

Here is video of Harper, around 15 seconds into his swing it appears he loads up with the hands and takes a direct path to the ball. No film on Trout, just what I saw last night. Harpers does not seem as downward as Trouts after looking at this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm7EGidMjUM&feature=related

[Standballdad]

If the hands are truly going down and through, then there's no way he's going to finish high.

Instead, they would finish low, down around the front hip.

"Short to the ball and long through" with a high finish

[dominik]

If the hands are truly going down and through, then there's no way he's going to finish high.

Instead, they would finish low, down around the front hip.

well theoretically you could swing down through and then turn up after contact to finish high. but of course this would not be a good swing path.

A lot of kids do have this rollercoaster swing (steep down, steep up) which of course lowers the chance of making solid contact compared to a smooth plane matching.

[Standballdad]

well theoretically you could swing down through and then turn up after contact to finish high. but of course this would not be a good swing path.

A lot of kids do have this rollercoaster swing (steep down, steep up) which of course lowers the chance of making solid contact compared to a smooth plane matching.

Watch his hands, very direct and down to the ball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WnHX3oFWqA&feature=related

[CircleChange11]

well theoretically you could swing down through and then turn up after contact to finish high. but of course this would not be a good swing path.

A lot of kids do have this rollercoaster swing (steep down, steep up) which of course lowers the chance of making solid contact compared to a smooth plane matching.

Is this the whole "jack Clark" swing approach that I saw on the internet, where you "swing down" and sorta "snap up" into a finish high? I know a saw a video of a guy demonstrating it.

My initial reaction was how much fun it had to be to try and teach that method to kids.

As a fast player, I would not be surprised if Trout was taught to swing down on the ball.

[Chris O'Leary]

"Short to the ball and long through" with a high finish...

...is not physically possible.

[Standballdad]

...is not physically possible.

what is not possible? short to the ball finish high? of course it is.

[The Uncoach]

Watch his hands, very direct and down to the ball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WnHX...eature=related

I couldn't care less than I already do about watching MLBers practice swings. You have no idea what he was specifically working on or trying to feel, but you are trying to do your best to find video that supports what you think your eyeballs are telling you. The hands start at the armpit. Now I've never seen a MLBer swing across his neck, so of course the hands come down a bit. That said, your Harper video shows his hands at pectoral height as he's about to make contact at 9 sec mark. Is that really what you are hanging your hat on? Ultimately all that matters is what the barrel is doing at contact. There's a lot to consider. Where are the hands in relationship to how much tilt the hitter has applied, etc. You can't just say, "well the hands were originally 5'1" off the ground and when he hit the ball they were at 4'2" from the ground. Where was his back shoulder? What was the shoulder plane? Was it a smooth swing or did the guy get fooled? Now take away the tilt, put that batter upright and tell me where the hands are in relationship to the chest.

[Standballdad]

I couldn't care less than I already do about watching MLBers practice swings. You have no idea what he was specifically working on or trying to feel, but you are trying to do your best to find video that supports what you think your eyeballs are telling you. The hands start at the armpit. Now I've never seen a MLBer swing across his neck, so of course the hands come down a bit. That said, your Harper video shows his hands at pectoral height as he's about to make contact at 9 sec mark. Is that really what you are hanging your hat on? Ultimately all that matters is what the barrel is doing at contact. There's a lot to consider. Where are the hands in relationship to how much tilt the hitter has applied, etc. You can't just say, "well the hands were originally 5'1" off the ground and when he hit the ball they were at 4'2" from the ground. Where was his back shoulder? What was the shoulder plane? Was it a smooth swing or did the guy get fooled? Now take away the tilt, put that batter upright and tell me where the hands are in relationship to the chest.

Not trying to argue any points, just what I am seeing. There is a lot of talk on these forums about getting the barrel on plane early and turning the barrel. I saw in a Real game last night on what Trout does as well. I do agree with you about the barrel at contact. I am one that believes it all depends on the hitter and that there is not a one fits all type of approach. I started this thread because these are two very successful hitters (I know they are young) but they are already very good. From what I can tell none of these hitters appear to get the barrel of the bat on plane early. If you can find me some clips that prove otherwise, I will consider.

[d-mac]

It's funny that OP posted this, because last night I was watching highlights of Harper on Quick Pitch. I slowed down his swing and for a few frames after contact his hands were driving towards the ground. I've looked at youtube videos of his swing and he never does this, so my only thought is that he was making an adjustment to a certain pitch type on that swing. Upon watching the 13-15 second mark of that youtube video, it is exactly what I saw last night.

[Standballdad]

It's funny that OP posted this, because last night I was watching highlights of Harper on Quick Pitch. I slowed down his swing and for a few frames after contact his hands were driving towards the ground. I've looked at youtube videos of his swing and he never does this, so my only thought is that he was making an adjustment to a certain pitch type on that swing. Upon watching the 13-15 second mark of that youtube video, it is exactly what I saw last night.

When I watched Trout last night while in the on deck circle his practice swings were exaggerated straight down swings. His game swing is very direct to the ball not as exaggerated as his practice swing but definitely down and short to the ball.

[Chris O'Leary]

what is not possible? short to the ball finish high? of course it is.

I've never seen a player, at any level, swing hard and swing/chop down on the ball and then finish high.

It's very easy, and quite possible, to demo in slow motion, but it won't work at game speed.