Earlier this week, within the second installment of this ongoing collection, I began selecting aside the language used to explain baseball swings. However given what number of parts make up a participant’s swing, and subsequently how a lot terminology exists to explain the delicate (and never so delicate) variations between them, I might solely match a lot into that put up earlier than I needed to reduce myself off.
I’m skipping the preamble this time, so in the event you’re not fairly positive what you’ve stumbled into with this primer, you may meet up with the first and second editions of this collection, and meet me again right here whenever you’re prepared. I’ll, nonetheless, reiterate that the purpose of this isn’t to establish “good” or “dangerous” parts of baseball mechanics, however quite to outline these phrases as descriptive instruments, versus value-based judgements. And similar to in my final put up, I’m specializing in massive leaguers for this one, due to the supply of aspect views of their swings, that are featured in MLB broadcasts, however lacking from most MiLB sport feeds.
Now, as promised, I’ll decide up precisely the place I left off.
Brief Swing vs. Lengthy Swing
In Hitting, Half One, I dug into gamers’ hundreds, i.e. the place a participant’s fingers come set earlier than he begins his ahead movement towards an incoming pitch. When a swing is described as being both “lengthy” or “brief” to the ball, that’s referring to how rapidly and straight a participant can get the barrel of his bat to the ball. There’s some debate as as to whether the size we’re describing is a measure of time, or of distance, however in both case, a “brief” swing is one the place a participant’s bat strikes on to the ball, whereas a “lengthy” swing is one the place the bat’s path is much less direct.
Sometimes, being brief to the ball is favored, in the identical method {that a} pitcher’s repeatable supply is usually extra favorable than a violent one (see Pitching, Half One, for extra on that). In fact, there are various exceptions to that rule, however typically, being brief to the ball is taken into account a great factor. That is largely resulting from the truth that the simplicity of a brief swing is usually seen as extra dependable and sustainable, significantly as a participant remains to be growing within the minor leagues. A brief swing permits a participant to attend longer earlier than deciding whether or not to swing at a given providing, which will be helpful by means of pitch choice, and for a minor leaguer who hasn’t but confronted superior pitching, that bodes properly for a way he’ll honest as opposing pitchers’ velocities enhance and their command turns into extra exact.
Brief swings are available in many flavors. Listed here are some examples:
Brief to the Ball, With Energy: Yordan Alvarez
Yordan Alvarez’s easy load and brief bat path permit him to assault pitches and get the candy spot of his bat to the ball rapidly. He guides the knob of his bat on to the place the pitch is coming at him, and the barrel of his bat rapidly follows the identical route.
Brief to the Ball, With out Energy: Steven Kwan
Kwan is brief to the ball, however his swing differs from Alvarez’s reduce. Whereas the enchantment of Alvarez’s being brief to the ball permits him to use his higher physique energy to pitches all through the strike zone, Kwan’s swing is extra about merely getting his bat on the ball, even when he’s not attempting to ship it out of the park. As such, a side-by-side have a look at their respective swings exhibits equally brief bat paths, however by the point they’re making contact, their postures are very completely different, illustrating the distinction between an influence swing and a contact swing (extra on that later).
Generally, including size to a swing is efficacious. For instance, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s deep load, and Junior Caminero’s bat wrap (each featured in my earlier entry), create an extended distance for his or her bats to journey, however are additionally contributors to these gamers’ bat pace and energy manufacturing.
Lengthy to the Ball: Davis Schneider
In Schneider’s case, his lengthy swing isn’t resulting from a very deep load or a bat wrap. His bat merely takes an extended path to the strike zone from his load to his level of contact.
A side-by-side comparability with Alvarez’s direct bat path makes this simpler to see. Switching again to a entrance view of their respective swings (the digicam motion in Schneider’s aspect view makes for a nauseating aspect by aspect), keep watch over the heads of their respective bats. You’ll first see the swing all through, then with a number of freeze frames thrown in for instance the moments when their bat paths differ probably the most, with Schneider’s dipping down behind him, quite than making a straight line to the ball.
To this point, Schneider has used his lengthy swing to optimize his launch angle, regardless of his middling common exit velocity. As a result of he raked throughout his first style of the majors final 12 months, albeit in simply 35 video games (141 plate appearances), it’s acceptable for him to keep up his present mechanics (weirdos welcome!), but when he encounters timing points sooner or later, he might have to regulate to shorten his swing.
Shortening Up: Alec Bohm
Adjusting swing size could make a big impact on a participant’s potential to constantly get to his energy in a sport. After a headline-making 2020 season, Bohm’s energy dipped considerably the next 12 months. This may occasionally have been resulting from his swing turning into too lengthy.
Right here’s a have a look at his swing in 2020:
And right here’s what it appeared like in 2021:
And to make it even clearer, right here’s a aspect by aspect, first all through, after which with some helpful freeze frames:
These digicam angles are barely completely different, so I can’t overlay these movies to make my level, however you may see that his 2021 swing begins earlier, and begins together with his again elbow dipping, and his bat head looping again towards the catcher, whereas in 2020, his fingers and bat moved on to the ball. As of 2023, his energy was again, as was his brief swing.
Energy vs. Contact Swing
As I hinted above, within the Alvarez-Kwan comparability, gamers will usually develop swings which can be geared particularly towards both energy or contact. The the explanation why gamers do that are comparatively self explanatory, and primarily based on physique sort, pace, positional profile, or numerous different attributes which will make a participant extra helpful if he focuses on both energy or contact, quite than each.
Energy Swing: Kyle Schwarber
Schwarber generates energy with a secure, balanced decrease half, together with his weight evenly distributed, if not barely shifted towards his again foot. He makes use of his sturdy fingers and arms to generate bat pace with out sacrificing that secure base. Schwarber’s swing has all the time been geared for energy, although he has simplified it in important methods since he got here up with the Cubs.
Schwarber’s outdated swing included a a lot noisier load, an apparent hitch (or set off), and a extra pronounced leg kick. The leg kick, specifically, brought about Schwarber to shift his weight throughout his swing, whereas his present mechanics end together with his weight distributed in roughly the identical method as earlier than he begins his swing, permitting for a fair stronger and extra secure base. In different phrases, whereas it’s all the time been an influence swing, the simplifications he’s made over time have enhanced the power-driven elements of it.
Contact Swing: Luis Arraez
Arraez is MLB’s present king of contact. Courting again to his debut in 2019, he’s by no means completed a season with a contact fee under 90%. He’s brief to the ball, and adjusts the barrel of his bat to pitches all through the strike zone. In distinction to Schwarber, Arraez’s decrease half is much less secure, together with his again foot hardly ever staying planted, and he lets his arms prolong as he makes contact with the ball, basically permitting the load of the bat, mixed with primary physics, to do extra of the heavy lifting, with regards to energy technology (or lack thereof).
He doesn’t hike his again elbow up like Schwarber does, and he’s not clubbing the ball together with his higher physique, so when he makes contact, he doesn’t concentrate on activating the muscle groups in his arms to drive the ball an amazing distance, opting as an alternative to throw his fingers towards the ball, and easily spray line drives to no matter a part of the sphere makes probably the most sense, primarily based on the pitch’s location. (He led the majors in line drive share in 2023.) In sluggish movement, you may see that the affect of the ball on the bat causes his arms to wobble in a noodly form of method, which you’ll hardly ever see from a pure energy hitter like Schwarber, whose arms keep bent and flexing as he makes contact.
That’ll do it for this installment, however I’ll be again quickly with one more batch of hitting terminology, and after that we’ll get again to the pitching aspect of issues. Keep tuned!