Alex Rodriguez Hitting Thoughts...Right or Wrong???

[@AntonelliBaseball]

If you enjoyed our hitting talk and want to learn more, click the link below to check out our new course explaining our step-by-step system to building an elite swing and over 25 drills! antonellibaseball.mykajabi.com/buildingtheeliteswing-lp

[@pingi223]

“There once was a .400 hitter named Krantz, Who had a most unusual stance, But with the coach’s correction, His form is now perfection, But he can’t hit the seat of his pants.”

[@AntonelliBaseball]

pingi223 his coach stinks lol. Thanks for watching and commenting!!!

[@richlovell-thebaseballbarn1008]

Nice rhyme, but we all know stance has nothing to do with the swing itself.

[@pingi223]

@@richlovell-thebaseballbarn1008 I think its more on the lines of trying to cookie cut a hitter.

[@calamarbronx83]

There was once a hitter named Anotnelli who hit one home run and his batting average was less .200 and he was only active for 27 days. Great career!!!

[@bettercoaching3055]

@@calamarbronx83 Dude, this is off on so many levels. Clearly, you don't understand the difference between a player and a coach. Neither does A-Rod. There are 2 main concepts you seem to be missing: real vs feel and a good player does not always equal a good coach. Antonelli has this right, as the research is consistently showing (and A-Rod shows himself with his swings during his career).

[@jerhatfield1]

Aside from the actual swing he’s showing us, the thought behind the video is fine, so many people these days obsess with launch angle because that’s a trendy new metric, and he’s talking about just make contact to all fields. Which is fine. But then he starts this swing and shows a perfect example of why great players aren’t necessarily the best coaches.

[@jeremy745]

I dont think you understood AROD.. He was talking about how to get the ball up and out not how to get hits and adjust.. The old school video youre playing is a completely different scenario.. Its a high pitch that doesnt need to go up so the motion is different... In ARODs video hes talking about how to get the ball up without the launch angle motion..

[@allacesbaseball]

Can you tell me what a "launch angle motion" is?

[@DAatDA]

Here's a homerun swing of Alex in slow-mo: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m363oXl7f6hkmsU He doesn't hit down and create backspin, no one does. You get the barrel behind the ball and swing slightly upward. Don't listen to great players, watch what they did. Feel vs real.

[@brandonyankees1]

I think when he meant straight to ball , he meant more of a mental queue then physical

[@jaketaylor8240]

Exactly

[@richlovell-thebaseballbarn1008]

I would agree, except that he actually demonstrates a straight line down type swing; A-C "V" type swing. Not a shallow "U:: type swing promoted by TW.

[@kevinoconnell8708]

So great players in all different sports don’t know how they did something and they just do it and sometimes they just don’t make good coaches.

[@trutwijd]

this might be my favorite video you've made. One of my son's coaches is trying to teach this kind of swing to get topspin etc.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Thanks!! Thanks for watching and commenting!!

[@danstiemann2480]

I was so close to comment on ARODS video, because it's so different from his actual swing. But I didn't, but I'm very glad you made this video. Kids need to know the right way to swing, and you teach that perfectly.

[@mickeymelendez1605]

I agree with A-Rod because in your mind you have to think that you doing the swing down. Otherwise the batter way thinking he playing Golf pulling the ball up.

[@danstiemann2480]

@@mickeymelendez1605 the thing about golf is the club is bringing the ball up, not the swing. But that's only with irons. With a driver, you still want to swing up on the ball otherwise you're going to get a ton of spin, so it's not going to travel very far. It you want to hit it 300 plus yards, you need to swing up on it with a ton of lag and slightly inside to out swing. With a positive attack angle as they say in golf. Google Jamie sadlowski, he has prefect driver swing, tons of lag. He does not swing down at all, and neither does any professional golfer.

[@joseanthompson9069]

3k pro hitts or a guy on KZbin.

[@JasonStrope]

@@joseanthompson9069 The YT dude is a 1st round draft pick. He is a great travel coach who has built a great baseball program for kids. He is proving, the entire, video A-Rod wasn't ever actually doing what he was saying he did though. That is a literal verifiable fact.

[@lockejr]

Facts. Arod needs to erase that shit. He’s gonna have kids grounding out to 6 & 4 all day. My coach did that to me when I was 12

[@jakem7]

I was always so confused when A-Rod would always talk on broad cast about swinging down and with one on one interviews. Like I know when he was playing he was watching tons of film, it just makes no sense

[@freddycalipari4242]

A lot of players don’t hit like like they say they do. Josh Donaldson was on mlb network taking about getting on top of the ball..but he doesn’t hit like that 😂

[@mickeymelendez1605]

I agree with A-Rod because in your mind you have to think that you doing the swing down. Otherwise the batter way thinking he playing Golf pulling the ball up.

[@freddycalipari4242]

Mhaha2derp yes this segment. I’ve heard many of his ex-teammates laughed cause he doesn’t hit like he showed there.

[@ianlaw5104]

Proper swing plane is a bi-product of taking your hands straight to the ball due to physics. The bat is a lever. Mass follows force, and when speed is applied the bat head naturally drops below the hands and on plane. This is not manipulated it is something that happens naturally when you take your hands straight to the ball. That is why in slow motion it looks like Arod isn't winging down, because he isn't. It just happens naturally when you take your hands to the ball. Where Matt and other coaches are wrong is that they are teaching their players to manipulate their swing to recreate the path that is seen in slow motion. Manipulating your swing unnaturally actually creates a double lag in the swing. Just throw your hands at the pitch and you will be on plane!

[@mauriciosantana125]

I think with the way baseball is changing with technology and pitchers pitching differently this would be the ideal way of hitting a baseball back when I was taugh how to swing the term was “hit inside the baseball” either way ur hands are close to the body which is being emphasized to his demonstration…..with that being said A rod is the last of his kind 50 homeruns by a shortstop in a single season 🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️

[@Mulesw2017]

The demonstrated in studio swing is something my old man as a head coach would tell us NOT to do. The Tomahawk swing was not something to aspire to. No tomahawks, no golf swings. Just step into and swing through the ball. It's pretty simple stuff.

[@pohorex6834]

The only time I could see the tomahawk work would be to slap a ground ball for a sac hit. But your coach is exactly right, as it minimizes the contact radius of the ball, meaning you’d need to make a more perfect swing, which is never the goal. Perfect is out of the question, you want the ability to only be good but that be enough

[@jamoe4802]

The best player in the game is Mike Trout and this is how he tells himself to swing. It keeps you on top of the ball and prevents swinging underneath the ball and it keeps your hands on a short path to the ball. Trout and A-Rod aren’t wrong. Now how to coach young kids? That may be a little different because every kid is different and as they age they can understand certain mechanics and concepts better. So I don’t think any big leaguer wants coaches to teach kids to chop wood. They just don’t want you to teach kids to be so concerned about creating an optimum launch angle and play for home runs versus consistently making hard contact.

[@redzone9170]

I coached my son to hit the ball like A-Rod and it work hands down. My son contact and power is off the charts

[@ajjim2822]

Feel vs Real

[@ajjim2822]

For some people they need to think swing down swing up swing level to have a slightly up swing matching pitch plane.

[@marvinramos9942]

I watched that video and it helped alot!! I never used to hit now im smashing the ball wish i had this as a kid. A-Rod is the truth 💯💪🏽

[@Kamrunzdoesfunctionalfitness]

Yup. I think a lot of kids in my generation were taught knob down to the ball including myself. I watched the video with A-rod the other day I don’t think A-Rod is intentionally wanting to teach wrong I’ve seen his pod cast with Gary V and you can tel he really loves the game wants to keep baseball “mainstream” You only have to bat .300 to be great in baseball, maybe this was one of the .700 moments

[@calamarbronx83]

Comparing one hit he did in a game to a demonstration on how to hit home runs is not that great. You should watch the video he did with Barry Bonds.

[@4ever4gotten72]

The chopping motion was def exaggerated by arod but so was the golf or uppercut swing one things for sure contact is king, thats what i took from it

[@oliverfyffe4931]

Of most Major League stars, Ted Williams gives the best advice!

[@patrickgoodman4576]

You talking about advice like this?kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmTQZICVmrScgNU

[@aarond23]

In this video he's just doing a 'theory' movement not really a 'step by step' movement

[@swagobaseball4511]

This is true. The theory behind it is so that in game you're not taking swooping uppercuts at the ball. Getting under the ball. But he should have been more specific about what he was trying to explain and break down. The ferris wheel approach and chopping wood approach are both not great ways to go about it to me.

Why? You're supposed to swing how you swing an axe to chop wood.

[@dfboiler]

Jim Rice says the same thing. And when you look at game film he gets the bat going back but then takes a somewhat steep path to the ball. But I also think this is why when his “eyes” started to go he lost it so quickly. He didn’t have that large hitting window to allow for being just off.

[@mds12643]

I think that you are very accurate in your interpretation of the two swings. It is often said that the great players do not understand exactly how they are doing things. Sometimes other players have the gift of teaching better than maybe an A Rod, MJ, or even a Mike Singletary.

[@cjvaye99]

I think ARod was referring to the FEEL of swinging down not literally, physically swinging down. swing like you're trying to swing down but dont actually swing down, hard to o explain but I think i understand what Arod was trying to say

[@firulay1023]

You make a good point. When you teach a kid to swing down at the ball he literally will swing down. The same goes for teaching to swing up. They literally will do that. Some ppl are teaching LA and they don’t have a clue what they are doing. Correct me if I’m wrong. The hands should drive down at the ball, but your upper body also turns. That’s when you get on plane with the pitch. I don’t think it’s the old school way of hitting. Look at Harper and Vlad jr.

[@Gongshow96]

Hey Matt can you take about service time manipulation like what happened with Vlad Jr and if you experienced or saw that during your career? (If you haven't already). Thanks!

[@boohoo210]

Thank u for the video!!! I saw his video and said WTH u don't swing like that. Obviously he didn't watch his own swing.your dead right that's why I go off feel and not so celebral at the plate. Do damage!!

[@mattnemec5226]

So the swing to the right is a training swing. The swing to to left is a game swing. Lots of factors influence both swings. Training swing is coached. - down through the ball - elbow tight - hip closed All good approaches to the baseball when training. Game swing to the left is covering much more of the plate, including a ball that gets into the strike zone on the deeper outer half. - probably filmed >10 years apart. - Arod's body is much different, most notably flexibility - he's teaching as opposed to reacting to a live pitch. - the true insight in the later video is his focus on the baseball with his eyes, he doesnt have to work as hard in his younger years to keep his head on the ball and get the barrel to the ball.

[@mabyemabyenot]

I think you want to get the bat as parallel to the ball as possible while not comprising your balance and rotational force.

[@SilentNinjaaa]

Bingo! The logic behind it - You maximize bat to ball exposure by maximizing bat to strike zone exposure which increases your chances of a hit. Now how far that ball travels depends on how quickly you can rotate your knees, hips, and wrists on contact. Watch Yelich.

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

@@SilentNinjaaa wrong

[@goldengate8287]

@AntonelliBaseball You are dead on point ... What Alex fails to take into account is that he may "FEEL" doing that as a result of shalllowing that bat in a dynamic fashion ... No different in golf ... David Duval who was once number one, number two also created a lot of controversy and said the same thing ... but he clearly shallows just like Arod above (left) Go to "David Duval Golf Instruction Video | Is He Dead Wrong?" on utube and look at "50 seconds" to about "2:30" He shallows but says his feel is to push down and come over the top ... the same feel as A-rod ... Bottom line is to be careful about feels from Pros becuase their feel maybe complex ... BTW ... not trying to hi jack your thread but as I rebuild my golfswing there are some big similarities with respect to shallowing, lag, and whipping that club around on the right plane ... Great video and thanks for posting!!! Keep preaching the basics!!

[@channelmar15]

Imagine there was a starting player, let’s say a center fielder. This batter consistently gets on base, with a .410 batting average and a 1.200 OPS. Only catch, he NEVER hits home runs, except for, on average, one inside-the-parker per year. He’s also extremely fast. He gets 250 hits a season, with 55 doubles, 25 triples and 60 stolen bases. He also commits just 3 fielding errors in a 162-game season. Is he worthy of the league MVP with those stats despite only hitting one homer (an inside-the-parker)?

[@franc587]

Love Alex and all his talent in the game. BUT I will not teach that style/technique to my kid. Sorry. I dont think you swing like that in a baseball game. Not an "expert" in this subject but I will not teach that to my kid. no way. This idea from Alex is NOT correct kids...dont do that ever!!

[@edwardrice2848]

First, I haven’t watched the video from ARod. Cues though have always been overcorrections that vary depending on the individual and what is needed to get a certain result. If he communicated it otherwise, he’s incorrect. If someone takes cues too literally it’s either because they didn’t need the cue/incorrect cue, the cue wasn’t correctly explained, or the cue was misunderstood but correctly explained. It’s like with squatting and saying/thinking to stay mid foot - it’s not always exactly mid foot because as the weight changes the balance to BW changes and balance isn’t exactly mid foot. Or, more specifically, if a squatter is getting on their toes/forward a little on descent one may tell them to ‘sit back’ - they are not literally sitting back, they are sitting down but because they are getting forward thinking ‘sit back’ will often work to get them to the right balance. If one is not forward then thinking ‘sit back’ may result in someone actually sitting too far back and having balance issues the other way. The coach has to identify this and communicate it on an individual level. Unless a cue is complete trash - the issue is with the communication of the cue and not the cue itself.

[@jeremyblascoe8711]

Alex Rodriguez is one of the best right handed hitters of all time, dbag yes, but he could hit. My issue with this real vs feel crap is this. All the greatest hitters even the ones today, soto, trout, vlad jr, yelich all say trying to lift the ball is shit, or create launch angle. Pete rose, barry bonds, alex, hank aaron, frank thomas, albert pujols, gary sheffield, to name a few all say the same thing. Swing down, get level, stay level as long as possible and finish high. Look i never played in the big leagues Matt, but I ask you this as a honest question. You batted .193 in your time there, as a player if 2 guys approached you to help you out, one guy is barry bonds and the other is joey gallo, who you signing up with? My point, success should matter and the training they did to reach that success should matter. Simply saying they are confused about real vs feel is insanely disrespectful in my opinion. I think your a smart dude, i like some of your content, but man all the videos where you try to discredit these gods of the game are a tough sell. But im open minded and im always up for a good debate, ill keep watching, but so far I still am on the side of these gods. 🤷‍♂️

[@adamevans3702]

Great player. Horrendous explanation. “Feel vs real” messes up a lot of kids. I prefer to teach real. The swing is so much simpler than most “hitting coaches” realize if they understand Axes (plural of axis).

[@cameronroberts5461]

The essence of a great coach is being able to recognize feel versus real. A coach that has the right words to get a player into a productive position, regardless of what those words actually mean, is a great coach. I knew logically that some thought patterns I used to key in on, were not what was actually occurring, but thinking in that way made me play better.

[@evertrd6014]

If you supposedly played ball at a high level, then you should know that at some point you have to get on plane with the pitch. ARod is right my friend. It just looks completely different when not in game, but feelings are explained correctly. Stop the hate, maybe if you followed his advice you’d of hit a little bit more than .193 when you had your cup of coffee ☕️

[@nickcaraccilo14]

Lol he’s 100 percent right. Your 100 percent wrong. And your killing the game if your teaching kids to get under baseballs so early. You have to think how a rod does or your going to K 200 times a season. There was a reason he thought the the way he did. Why wouldn’t you want to think of the swing like him? Cmon man

[@keithdiaz8166]

Good vid. I like Matt’s vids. I think he is an honest guy who cares. However, I am skeptical of the “feel vs real” critique. As if to say an “outside” view or a scientific description of a swing is truth. It appears to me that swings are taught using rotational or linear terms. Alex is merely describing the swing using linear terms. He is describing “knob to the ball,” “quick hands,” - all which takes place at extension -which is a point in time when the hip and shoulder have rotated and the hands are at the shoulder waiting to extend into the zone. Alex is emphasizing that the linear path of the hands at extension is up to down and in a straight line. Weight is to the ground which creates an opposing force. Failure to do this will result in scooping or what Gwynn refers to as “chicken winging it.” Puljos and Trout say the same thing. If the top hand stays palm up during extension, the bat path flattens out a bit as the batter extends the bat through the zone. A top down swing with proper linear extension will also go a long way to prevent pulling the bat out of the zone too early. Alex’s approach also aids in squaring up the barrel to an outside pitch.

[@tony2227]

Omg....idk if you guys know....this guys had over 600 HR...!!!!.....u took one video and dissected as if this is arod for 20 years of hitting....as if this is the only swing he ever had.

[@Hardballleather]

Hand go down to the ball, the bat barrel lags (if you're dumb and don't know physics = the hands and knob go to the ball thus dropping the barrel). You are not supposed to exaggerate or drop the barrel on purpose. You pull the knob through the zone and push with every fiber of your body (legs core) "stay behind the ball".

[@alexfernando4681]

Feel vs. Real issue for sure here. Another player who is totally oblivious to what he’s really doing in reality. You never ever swing down on a baseball! The ball is coming at you for the most part on a downward trajectory. To keep your barrel on plane like it should be, you need a slight upswing. But to hear Arod say you need to swing down on the Baseball is just pure stupidity.

[@mdot7736]

I love it how all these people are questioning and saying Arods wrong when he has 600+ homers like wtf

[@mickeymelendez1605]

I agree with you... He won more than 400 million dollars playing the game. A lot of comments trying to Say that A-Rod is wrong. You will never see the way he see it,

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

Exactly

[@CARLOSVLA5]

I believe the problem is, the baseball swing is an explosive movement, therefore it is hard to explain in slow motion what you do in your swing. On the right side he has a very armsy swing where in reality your hips make an explosive movement that makes you swing your arms. Also his back foot, it looks awkward on the video on the right because this is the result of making a strong swing with your hips and not like a position to put your back foot before you swing.

[@patrickggg2725]

Because the pitch is high. The right - Because the ball is a lower. I did have success in the minors: you don’t even show the pitch - yes of course you can take this swing in a game. .348 - college and in the minors. The pitch matters where it is - sigh. They don’t think it / sorry you are wrong

[@488ferc4]

Great video Mike! Excellent On breaking that down because that recent video by AROD is popular

[@CriscoNabisc0]

When I saw this originally on insta I thought he was legit trolling, made zero sense. Thanks for doing this

[@DjDobleU809]

I would choose Arod any day over Judge, Stanton, Trout, Ohtani the hitter, i don't care. Best baseball player to ever play.

[@djCaliKev]

My respects to AROD but no way this is accurate. I know better. That's why I only watch yours and Manny Ramirez videos

[@andrewpezzuto7351]

That is Arod's movement pattern. It works because the centripetal force he creates in his game swings are greater then what he is producing when is walking the viewer through his swing. Higher centripetal force speeds will create more bat lag thus completely changing the plane of the bat when he swings faster. Bat speed allows his movement pattern to work. Its the same as John Smoltz explaining how he throws his slider kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpOQopKqqqucrKc versus what it looks like when its live www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/playoffs-atlanta-braves-john-smoltz-in-action-pitching-vs-news-photo/100220420 you arm could not get into this position if you tried to walk through it slowly. The bat is the same thing, I advise you to look up Barry bonds talking about hitting.

[@andrewpezzuto7351]

I have attached two videos to demonstrate this concept 1) a Physics professor talking about the length of a rubber band changing based on force applied 2) a swing ride at a carnival, to visually show how force changes the plane of an object. The same thing happens when you hit. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGGqkGmXrLNpnKM please jump to the 1:20 mark kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5THaoSMYt2koZI Arod's process works because of this concept. BAT SPEED IS WHAT SEPARATES HITTERS. SLOWER BAT SPEED NOT ONLY WILL LEAD TO DIFFERENT RESULTS IN EXIT VELOCITY BUT THE LAUNCH ANGLE AS WELL. I ADVISE ANY HITTER TO HIT OFF A TEE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EXERTION/INTENT WITH THEIR OWN PROCESS AND WATCH THE BALL FLIGHT. THE TRAJECTORY AND EXIT VELOCITY WILL BE DIFFERENT. A compilation of A-ROD swing results Trying to look at the big picture. Not exclusively looking at Homerun Swings. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGWXg2Wbl9OeaK8 -A rod Spring Training Video kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJLEgXifg99jl8U Batting Practice Video kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGGWdJ5jl6d9mqs A-ROD Full at bat AA Trenton Ground out SS kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKfRZ6auipuekJY A-ROD Slow Motion LINE DRIVE kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6Stg4mtj7eUbsU A-ROD First MLB HIT kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4bKhGiAf5drhdE A-ROD 660 Home Run Full at Bat kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioXQiIetoZtloc0 A-ROD Longest Homeruns

[@darkwingduck315]

preach.. i cant understand how people think his swing when he is just standing still coaching will be the exact same swing when he is in a game. That is just silly. He is basically teaching you how to hit and he is right, you dont hit home runs swinging up on the baseball its down and through the ball or keeping the bat level through the hitting zone.

[@logansmith2039]

This guy is in no position to be criticizing Arod. He’s more of a baseball player than you will ever be.

[@MRoss623]

Logan Smith he’s not criticizing a rod

[@stevecaggiano]

This is very disingenuous. Arod isn't saying bring this downward swing in to the game. He is saying a flat bat through the zone is better than an uppercut swing. Can you hit home runs with an uppercut? Yes, but your bat doesn't stay in the zone as long as when you swing flat. To say Arod had an uppercut swing throughout his career is insane.

[@dagruddicker22]

He did not point at the ball with the bat knob. I teach my students that the knob of the bat is where the head of the bat is going to go. You load and point the knob to the catcher, then when you swing you point the knob at the ball where it is going to be... then swing. Alex does it in the game, but when he was teaching with the video he did not do it, and it does not look the same because he does not understand that the knob is the "key". Tony use to say it all the time when he coach, and so did Albert, which are two of the greatest hitters. Ted Williams use to do it if my memory serves me right from the videos I saw. You can find some videos of him on you tube. I do tell my kids to come straight to the ball, not down to the ball. Alex just explained it wrong. Some people do and do not know how they did it. Some people can't do it, even when they know how its done.

[@johncerva426]

I agree with your comments 100%. I saw this ARod video and couldnt believe he is teaching something so inaccurate from what he actual did when he hit in a game.

[@skmdc]

Don't apologize for pointing this out! Very generous of Arod to share his baseball thoughts, but they're on a different level than almost everyone. Your translation is valuable!

[@coachprinci]

Great clarification. Very frustrating to hear kids coaches telling kids to do what is on the right vs what he actually does.

[@shawnspeed3093]

A Rod is always trying to protect his legacy and change the publics opinion about him . The fact that he gives out bad information about hitting shows how much of a douchebag he really is especally with all the technology and video evidence out there about the swing

[@victorjrortiz94]

I know the video on the right really wasn’t how he swung before but to be fair, the video on the left is just one video, dude has like a billion at bats, so you can’t pick apart one at bat, and second you need launch angle with breaking pitches especially the ones land in low part of zone because if not obviouly your gonna swing on top of the ball and miss it, so you need to go down and get it and kind of launch angle, the only way you can kind of keep the swing straight without launch angle is a fastball down the middle or at the top of the strike zone

[@francisconunez9874]

If you can , looking for the Albert Pujols interview in MLB with Harold Reynolds Albert said the same thing like Alex

[@caonabocosme4940]

I think ARod is right. In order to get to a baseball that is thrown at the velocity that MLB pitchers throw, you have a better chance to do it thinking down than up. Path, contact point and follow thru will take care of elevating the ball to the desire launch angle.

[@andypena777]

I think it's one of those things where you over exaggerate one way when you practice. So that way when its game time and the ball is doing things it doesn't do on a tea you have a good base to work off of. As opposed to working off of his swing on the left as your base and having bad habits in the game.

[@nickcaraccilo14]

Wow. You have no clue. It’s a more boring game with 25 bombs and 150 and a year. Sucks to see

[@bjr0467]

It's the objective it doesn't always look the same it's lik a tackle it's a way u want to tackle but it doesn't go perfect most times but it still works if u got the right thought

[@danmeier9645]

How can a major leaguer not know how they swing?. They must watch themselves swing.

[@Jackson-ee3uw]

Okay here is the thing. When A-Rod told about the swing, he didn't really show the turning of his leg when he was swinging. I know that lots of people think that those two movements are different. However, doing turning leg and swing down to the ball at the same time looks different between turning leg first and then swing down to the ball. And actually, he did swing down to the ball in both these two videos you showed. Just try swing down to the ball at the same time doing all the spinning, use your full speed. You will look as same as the left video you showed. And of course, you could also try to swing the bat down to up while turning your leg, use your full speed. You will never get the left video's movement.

[@larrypottle4334]

Exactly! Well said

[@carlarnold2767]

I watched this Arod video and i actually loved it. I see the young guys I coach really over emphasizing their swings to try to create launch angle. But at 13-15 years old, is launch angle really what you want? So I see what he's doing here with trying to over-emphasize staying on top of the baseball, because in his mind (i imagine) that thought is going to make him not get long in his swing and allow him to mentally stay through the baseball for a nice line drive swing. I think of this the same way that i think of hitting the opposite field. In your mind, you want to stay middle away and shoot for the opposite field gap, because that will make your swing stay inside the baseball, not around. But if an inside pitch comes, you dont think middle away, you get your hands through the zone and attack the ball. Same thing here. If he thinks "stay on top of the ball" even if his swing doesnt replicate it, its his plan going in to hit the ball hard on a line somewhere. But i love the comment about "feel vs. real" and how kids dont necessarily have the power over their bodies to think something and do something else. But, thats what makes hitting a baseball hard

[@vmart054]

I agree 100% with you. I saw his video last night, and the first thing I did was to go and look at old videos of him swinging, so I could compare. I also wanted to see what others thoughts were. That’s how I came across your video. As you... I was a big ARod fan, and although I agree with the intended premise, that some coaches are showing kids to swing with an uppercut motion, his explanation is just the opposite. I don’t see how one can be an effective hitter swinging either in an uppercut or just straight down to the ball. Thanks for making this video and commenting on it.

[@reliablethreat23]

Matt you hit the nail on the head with the "feel vs real" thing. I feel like A LOT of coaches tend to do this as well! Growing up playing baseball and football, I had coaches sometimes explain certain techniques or methods that just aren't game practical!

[@ryanpellegrini1023]

Feel vs. Real. Arod isnt the first or last pro to make videos like this.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Without a doubt! Thanks so much for watching our videos and I appreciate you commenting!!

[@Mangini_baseball_instruction]

Great topic, we both know this is the hardest discussion. Tee and practice works tight and steep angles, game time everything will flatten out. I think it all starts from what your taught first as a kid, the battle against your natural “first born” swing tendencies. Ex: maybe arod was a natural bat dragger/dropper early on so he needs to think steep down to ball. But I agree it’s all relative. Feel vs real. There is no one way to think or teach, each kid and player is unique. Good stuff brother!!

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Some great points!!! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@carincos.a.s.5448]

The missing link in the baseball swing is in the back shoulder. That is the key to quick hands.

[@omieg89]

A-Rod on the left: launching 💣 A-Rod on the right: chopping 🪵

[@sifuhart659]

you have to know about hitting to understand what Rodriguez is trying to teach.

[@tonysahatjian3719]

Matt it’s a mentality thing not about mechanics like Barry bonds said

[@JustinWo]

Definitely a feel vs reality thing. It's relative to habit. If you naturally uppercut it may make sense to think to keep your barrel on top of the ball longer. It doesnt mean you'll actually swing down, but you'll swing less up.

[@patrickgoodman4576]

I think that there is an issue of Swinging Up TOO much which is just as bad as Swinging Striaght Down....He Also Spoke up Swinging with his legs too which definitely works as well. Something that sticks out in my mind all the time is what Ted Williams always preached Which was Hips Ahead of Hands, Hips Lead the way. Also coupled with Hands and forearms supply bat direction of the swing (with the hands Leading the Fat part of the bat)

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Yes up too much is just as bad as down too much. Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@calamarbronx83]

Antonelli, please stop comparing home run hitting from just hitting. He specifically talks about hitting home runs. Another thing, I looked you up. Great career!!! Tell Barry Bonds how to hit a homerun. Also watch the video he with Barry Bonds and how Barry agrees with Alex.

[@erichvonmanstein6876]

Called launch angles with Barry Bonds

[@lawrencearchuleta5155]

I love your videos Matt! But be careful, Trevor Bauer is suing a guy for using KZbin videos of him pitching as a teaching tool.

[@Gongshow96]

Lawrence Archuleta Bauer is such a dick

[@averyfabian9936]

I don't think that was very recently, so it has already gotten settled. I think their are very few players that have a problem with videos like this so Matt should be fine.

[@lawrencearchuleta5155]

He is still suing him, no settlement yet.

[@averyfabian9936]

@@lawrencearchuleta5155 which website are you looking at to see this, I tried to google it and couldn't find anything with a date.

[@lawrencearchuleta5155]

Top Velocity

[@steveweaver8909]

Antonelli you are not wrong but there are two types of swing, drop and drive like what you teach and on top straight lining. You actually have used both throughout your career based on your timing and pitch location. What arod, trout, etc teach is what will give you more overall success and solid contact. Your drop and drive will give you more balls to the outfield “new mlb swing”. But that swing only works if you have the power to hit the ball to or over the fence. For 90% of players it is a recipe for sub .200 averages

[@seans155]

Lol

[@CocoPerk]

I believed a rod and I practiced this swing. Good thing you fixed this situation/problem because I think I could have followed through with this and probably not have hit as well.

[@chriscorral6365]

In his demonstration, his mechanics are all off... his trunk should be twisting/rotating as his hands come into the flight path of the ball. I see where he's going with the thought, and it's not WRONG per se, it's incomplete (IMHO)

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Yes good point! Thanks for watching our stuff and commenting!

[@dink0011]

This is one swing from his entire career. Get multiple swings from each season to prove how he swung. I'll stick with what one if the all time best hitters says over this guy...by the way iv coached many kids who swing YOUR way and they strike out or pop the ball up..... now where are we in the debate?

[@dink0011]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJbdi4uogpuNb80 Barry bonds and arod response

[@josephbassil4171]

Sorry… I have to totally disagree with you. There is no feel vs real. The correct phrase should be feel is real. The thinking behind this action is simple. The top hand should move like a quick tap of a hammer. Barry Bonds talked about the catch drill where you would try to catch the ball with your top hand. If you do that drill and hit yourself in the opposite shoulder with the ball you create your swing path. The swing path will look like Arod on the left.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

No worries I like the discussion

[@maxtabak6282]

What Arod is saying doesn’t make sense. When you swing down the margin of error is smaller. Alex says it’s the basically the opposite. He says the way you put the ball in play often is by swinging down. I thought major leaguers watch film and know better then to say they are doing a movement they clearly aren’t.

[@maxtabak6282]

*It’s basically the opposite *

[@mickeymelendez1605]

He won more than 400 million dollars playing the game. A lot of comments trying to Say that A-Rod is wrong. You will never see the way he see it, you will have different results.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

He is great for sure! Thank you for watching and commenting!

ARod is trying to stop kids to develop a high level swing.

[@seniortaco100]

Thanks for the Vid Matt. It is very helpful to explain what is right way to swing using practical ilustrations. All kids around the world should see and learn from this video. They will have better chances to hit the ball well if they learn the right way to do it at early age. And More Fun! Playing thw game. - Cheers!

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Thanks!!! Thank you for watching our stuff and commenting!

[@quandaledingle8190]

I think Arod is just trying to say to keep the nob to the ball

[@mickeymelendez1605]

I agree with A-Rod because in your mind you have to think that you doing the swing down. Otherwise the batter always thinking he playing Golf pulling the ball up.

[@Polymath29]

Miguel Melendez You do have to think that for baseball but, you’re swinging down also through the first half of the swing in golf

[@_shl_6103]

Swing level and finish up

[@josephcox3091]

Other than the slight hitch Josh Hamilton has the best hitting mechanics I've ever seen. It's almost right out of Ted William's science of hitting and I used to try to emulate it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpzTaoeniceIq6M

[@AntonelliBaseball]

I love his swing as well!! Thanks so much for watching our videos and I appreciate you commenting!!

[@-n_hunter8403]

Barry bonds and Miguel Cabrera explain their swing just like A-Rod but swing just like A-Rod on the left..smh

[@Dev518]

Cabrera says he gets palm up and finishes slightly up through the ball, which is a cue I really like for young players.

[@mickeymelendez1605]

I agree with A-Rod because in your mind you have to think that you doing the swing down. Otherwise the batter always thinking he playing Golf pulling the ball up.

[@Nick-NY]

I never understood why people teach the video on the right.

[@joehiggs4349]

Real is they go down and back then come up through the ball. Feel was “swing down”. Lost in translation.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

For sure!

[@KennethStevenson3]

I think you're totally right. A-Rod is thinking this philosophy/technique while he is hitting and it is helping him get back spin, and driving the ball. He isn't actually doing this motion, but rather thinking of this motion which helps him drive the ball. You're totally right.

[@AntonelliBaseball]

Yes definitely! Thanks for watching our vids and commenting! I really appreciate it!

[@MikeHunt-ik3rg]

Yeh this is ridiculous why would he say this rubbish when he obviously doesn’t actually swing that way ,wtf is he thinking .

[@AntonelliBaseball]

It's interesting for sure!! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@BradYzermans]

Most kids I see are dropping far too much under the path of the ball so coaches are teaching them to keep the barrel up and knob more down to the ball. What would you teach a kid who is dipping the shoulder and way under the ball path?

[@CSDonohue11]

Brad Yzermans Hit line drives up the middle. Should always step in the box thinking line drives up the middle and then you can turn on it or go oppo if need be. Home Runs come with that approach of line drives up the middle because it helps you square the ball up, so you hit for avg. and HR’s come.

[@BradYzermans]

@@CSDonohue11 i agree. Kids not trying to moon shot home runs. Just naturally does it. It helps him to think swing down to offset his severe drip and swing up.

[@johndim11]

Dead wrong. What he feels isn’t real. Just because he was a great player doesn’t mean he’s a great coach or can teach what he actually did.

[@gretsky3463]

I literally got taught this bs and messed me up so bad that I got worse.

[@jeriras7501]

Gretsky bruh I got taught this growing up and I’ve worked the past 2 years to try and break 12 years of habits

[@brandon_white2422]

Trout talks down like arod actually he did a video with ESPN with arod that shows them both do this

[@truecrimejungle]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3jUpIGhpsSZpqc 9:30

[@jamoe4802]

Brandon White yeah Mike Trout and A-Rod know what they’re talking about. 2 of the greatest ever. Trout has incredible contact and power and he thinks down to get to his hands through the ball quickly.

[@johndinucci3751]

Kevin Long brainwashed him.

[@thomash.l.9382]

think short to not get toooo long.

[@stephenchang4241]

他或許是怕小球員power及揮棒速度不夠,才這樣教