Swing training is a highly specific hitting workout that is designed to improve swing mechanics, bat speed, quickness and power all at the same time. How do we do that?
Here’s a nice video clip of Justin Upton’s swing from the 2011 postseason. He crushes a 3-1 fastball to deep left field and the clip shows a couple replays from the center field and side views for a good look at his hitting mechanics (and bat flipping style!):
One of the things I like about Upton’s swing is that he generates tons of power but doesn’t have a lot of “noise”. Specifically, he doesn’t get far away from a good swing plane. Here is an illustration of what I mean, just before Upton unloads his swing:
Justin Upton swing plane
Lots of bat speed + consistent swing path = power AND consistency!
This is a nice little video from Golf Channel’s Playing Lessons with the Pros where 3-time major golf champion, Padraig Harrington, talks about creating power in his swing. Obviously, the baseball and golf swings are different, but basic principles of movement apply to both – things like stability (on the back leg), rotation, connection (although I typically think or talk about it in the forward swing for baseball rather than the back swing) and the kinetic link.
I previously posted the “Home Run Drill” that Yankees hitting coach, Kevin Long, came up with and used with Robinson Cano, and now here is a look at Cano’s hitting mechanics that were recently on display in the 2011 Home Run Derby. At the :56 mark, there is a good side view in super slo- mo:
A few things that I really like:
1. The way he moves against his back leg
2. The position of his upper body
3. How his bat gets on and stays in a really great swing path
It’s not easy to have a short swing and create bat speed at the same time, but this is a pretty good example of what it looks like.
ESPN.com posted a nice short video today that details Manny Ramirez’s approach to his workout and training this off-season. You’ll see some movement drills, sprinting mechanics and instruction, as well as a number of rotational drills and exercises.
Aside from all of the drills and exercises, here is one quote I found particularly interesting:
Everything in every sport really boils down to rotational power.
Over at the swing away instructional blog, a parent writes in with the question: Is it possible to have too much bat speed?
My short answer is no. Is it possible to run too fast or throw too hard? I don’t think so – it’s not possible to have too much physical ability, or “tools” in the baseball world. But bat speed, foot speed and throwing velocity are measures of just that – physical ability. More raw bat speed doesn’t correlate perfectly with a higher batting average or increased slugging percentage, but it sure gives you more ability to do those things. It’s like adding horsepower to a race car – the car can go faster, but you still need to be a good driver! It’s important to take those raw tools and convert them into on-field performance.
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