Baseball Hitting Mechanics | Perfect Swing Plane (Pro Speed Baseball)

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Click Here for FREE VIDEO: www.prospeedbas... Baseball Hitting Mechanics | Perfect Swing Plane (Pro Speed Baseball)
What is the proper swing plane? You hear coaches and instructors say: Swing Down, Swing Level and there's even a new instructional fad where they say to swing slightly up in order to mimic the swing paths of Big League-rs in slow motion.
Which is right? Well we answer this question in the latest video by Pro Speed Baseball and we also share with you the One "Simple" Swing Thought Secret that will you your bat on plane every single time, no matter where the pitch.
The swing plane can be defined as tracing the tip of the bat from the end of the load stride position.
If the hands are relaxed and take a direct path to the ball, the bat will fall on plane every single time. This means that swing down, swing level and swing slightly up are all completely irrelevant.
Proper Swing Plane is a byproduct created by proper hand path and body movement. It is not created by attempting to control or manipulate the bat through the zone.
If we understand two simple terms: Force and Mass; we can understand exactly why the proper swing plane is a byproduct rather a manipulation.
When swinging a baseball bat, the FORCE is the simply the forward momentum of our hands and the MASS is the sweet spot of the bat.
If we imagine a path directly from our hands to the ball, the MASS (sweet spot) is above that path. When speed is applied to the FORCE (hands) along that path, the MASS will begin to fall in order to follow the FORCE. Because of the speed created, the falling MASS will gain momentum downwards and will then dip below the hand path line and fall right on plane. This will happen every single time and you will never have to force or manipulate this position again.
So now that we understand that Swing Plane is created naturally, the One "Simple" Swing Thought Secret is: Take Relaxed Hands Straight To The Ball. It is that SIMPLE.
If we take relaxed hands, with speed, straight to the ball, the bat will fall on the proper swing plane every single time no matter where the pitch is located.
We will then go over a great drill to train you conscious and subconscious mind to be aware of the positioning of your hands in relationship to the ball. This drill will help you start to understand where your hands are so that you can take them on the most efficient path to the ball.
Keep working hard!!
I look forward to helping you improve your baseball in the future!
Pro Speed Baseball,
Michael Derr
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/ prospeedbaseball
"Baseball Swing Plane Swing Path"
• Baseball Hitting Mecha...

[@Quasimoto44]

Nicholas D. I saw you posted one month ago. First I must say I agree 100% with what is in this video. I would prefer that Michael answer your question but just in case I can add a couple of points. 1) Hitting the ball too far out in front of the front foot. The bat goes from shoulder to shoulder. If contact is made too far out in front, the bat is already climbing out of the swing plane. Contact on the inner half is made from even with the front foot, to perhaps 6" out in front of the front foot on the inner edge. Hitting the ball on outside pitches too far out in front guarantees a premature wrist roll and bat climb. On outside pitches, everything, including full extension (arms in a "V" directed at RF), the back knee, the belly button, points to RF. Otherwise you get the common weak ground-ball to SS by rolling over and topping the ball. 2) Early wrist roll. An early wrist roll can be caused by over-rotating the grip, casting the hands out away from the shoulder into the strike zone, or, releasing the bat head too deep by not maintaining connection to the shoulder. Look for net drills to discourage these habits. 3) A deep "V" in the swing. Forcing the bat head down, or swinging down causes a deep "V" shape in the swing. Even when the ball is hit at the proper orientation to the front foot, the bat head never achieves the proper swing plane, and almost instantly starts to climb from the bottom of the "V" to the back shoulder or above. It is on plane for a instant, then gone! As a result the ball is "topped" like an early wrist roll, and you have a weak ground ball.

[@jakebardenhagen1733]

u know your stuff. that's why on slower pitching I pop it up more.

[@jefferymlamont]

Even though I've taught and coached baseball for over 25 years, I've never had a tremendous rebuttal for when people say that taking your hands directly to the ball creates too much of a downward swing plane. I appreciate your comments on this.Love the videos! Keep 'em coming!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Jeffery Lamont Thanks for the awesome comment Jeffery! It is truly well received, especially coming from a fellow instructor. Very glad to hear you like the videos and I will most definitely keep them coming! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@brianopielski7474]

This video is awesome! I seems that in baseball there is always a deeper level of technique or understanding behind the scenes that can’t be seen by the naked eye but separates the great from the average. Whether it be hitting, throwing, fielding or mental approach… there is always something more to it that no one ever explained to you. This is the best baseball instruction channel out there. You get the how, why and what you need to practice to make it automatic.

[@ran71681]

I had only hit a couple of homers in my life before watching your videos. Last season alone I hit 3 and had a bunch of doubles and triples. I became one of the best hitters in my league. YOU sir, taught me how to HIT! And I thank you very much :)

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Awesome man! Glad we could help out! Keep up the great work! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@jesuspena2857]

I am an old softball player who have seen most of your videos but now I feel happy to find the solution to my hitting problem. I am from Venezuela but I enjoy your videos a lot . Thanks

[@tps55555]

My first time subscribing to a channel in 15 years.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Tony Saiz Made my day Tony! Really glad you like the instruction! Thanks for taking the time to drop some awesome comments, truly appreciated! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@jdwadleigh6194]

I agree with the barrel below the hands, but Ted Williams, the greatest hitter possibly ever, states and enacted a slight 7 degree upswing, granted hand path was very important too, an incorrect swing path, such as down, can destroy a hitters chances at playing in the next level

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Missionary Disciple Thanks for the comment! This is where things can get a little confusing. The point of this video was to show that the ideal swing plane can be achieved without trying to manipulate the bat and that the "slight upswing" is created by the physics explained in this video. The problem is, there are so many applications and explanations for the physics demonstrated in the video, that it would be very difficult to get every detail in one timely video. I would highly recommend checking out the new Swing Plane Secret video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiae2OGi7OKas0 This goes into a little more detail of taking the hands to the ball. Was getting a lot of similar misinterpretations about "swinging down" at the ball. The facts are (considering a relatively normal baseball stance) the hands start above the strike zone and therefore if we were to hit a ball in the strike zone, the hands will have to have to down as they are going forward to get to the ball. Yet, because of the momentum in the barrel created by the speed and force of the hands, our hand path will begin to level out and start to work back up to the fulcrum (shoulders) which will give us our slightly ascending angle on the ball, if we time the pitch up well! Hope all this makes sense! If you have any questions on this or anything else, just let me know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@jdwadleigh6194]

Yes That was VERY helpful! Thank you.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Missionary Disciple Anytime!

[@trey4811]

Hey Mike thanks so much for helping me understand that you don't need to have a level swing plane I was dropping my shoulder to create a level swing and that was really weakening my swing you have helped me get a lot of power in my swing. This is my first year playing school ball in middle school and your videos have helped a lot thank you very much!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Tman Rocks (Tman) You are most welcome Tman! Glad to hear your putting the instruction to good use and that you're building and understanding for the mechanics! Nice work on taking the time to research and improve your game! If you have any questions just let us know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@geovanyhenriquez9477]

These videos really helped me out. This year was my first year in college and my coaches were looking toward to what I can do. The fall didn't go so great for me, but after seeing this videos and doing the drill in the offseason I was able to do great this season hitting .316. These videos really helped and I plan to keep doing these drills in the future.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Geovany Henriquez Awesome to hear Geovany! Nice job on taking the initiative to research the proper mechaincs and apply them to your game. If you ever have any questions, just let us know! Thanks for the amazing comment, glad to hear you're doing great! Nice work! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@TheRoadLessChosen]

Are you still playing baseball?

[@jakebardenhagen1733]

this was the best video I've ever seen on this topic argument whatever you want to call it. it makes sense now. thank you!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Thanks Jake. Really glad you understood it as well, took a lot of work to explain it thoroughly! Thanks for commenting! ~Michael Pro Speed baseball

[@Iceplays11]

Ty my coaches have always told me to swing level

[@mtubon]

Great video and explanation of the how the swing and contact works! You mention leading the hands to the ball, is this similar to when other say leading the knob to the ball? What's your opinion on that - "knob to the ball" ?

[@andrewstone4227]

This is brutal

[@seans155]

No elite player swings like he shows. The greats turn the barrel rearward down through up by supinating their top hand. They coil their hip around their rear leg, pull back with their back muscles to increase stretch,, and tilt back as they supinate top hand. This action pulls their rear leg forward in sync with their hand pivot creating whip of barrel. Look no further than Bonds, Pujols, Trout, Yelich, Ramirez, etc.

[@miyoungmbenson]

So happy I found your videos!!!

[@billjohnson2630]

I've been searching the Web for a good video to use to teach my son how to make good contact. Whenever he makes contact with the ball it is normally a grounder to the infield. Unfortunately for my son, my baseball experience stopped at Little League for me. Private lessons are very costly. I am going to have him watch this and try it out. Thanks for the great video. I will update if he starts putting them in the outfield.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Hey Bill, thanks for the comment! I You guys are most welcome, glad you liked the instruction! I would highly recommend checking out the other 2 videos that were followed up to this one. Unfortunately hitting would be very tough to teach in 1 video. All we can do is learn the proper/efficient mechanics and then learn how to implement them in our own swings. Here are the links: Swing Plane Revisited: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiae2OGi7OKas0 Take your hands to the ball: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imKal5qpZrKKaKs I would also recommend checking out our free member videos at ProSpeedBaseball.com The videos go over the entire swing, step-by-step. Hope this helps out! If you ever have any questions, just let us know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@raiderman28]

incredible description. awesome video!!!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Raul Romo Thanks Raul! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@tdbaseball4733]

Very good stuff as usual from PSB, however I would add that before you can take your hands to the ball you have to slot your elbow in order to turn your hand over so that the knob is facing forward as opposed to the catcher. Your hands will move in relation to the height of the pitch. If it is a high pitch your elbow will slot more before hands move and if it is a low pitch your hands will move sooner in the elbow slot motion

[@povertygarage705]

This is true for 90% of hitters. They have loose hands/wrists and the barrel kinda whips into place. People that hit even harder try to maximize this whip and they add to this idea of "hands to the ball" by turning the barrel earlier than just letting it naturally fall. Watch Gary Sheffield enough and you'll understand why he was pumping his bat the way he did.

[@alleycat822]

great video ! Sample to understand . Bravo my friend.

[@andrewgrignon826]

Fantastic video coach! Thanks for the helpful tips

[@tps55555]

Absolutely love this guy's philosophies.

[@kevingoodman4077]

I just looked at your swing in slow motion from behind. I’d say your barrel is about 30-35 degrees below your hands. I don’t think 30+ degrees is considered “slightly below my hands”. I’m pretty sure that was a comment you made earlier in this video. At some point, with all of capabilities to record and slow down video that we can’t move past 60 year old cues that need to put on a scrap pile. Nobody takes their hands to ball. Nobody. Great hitters don’t hit the ball with their arms fully extended. The only swing in which your arms are extended at Point of Contact is golf.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Hey Kevin, thanks for the comment! You should check out our new bonus video on the release. It has a few big lead hitter examples of where they're bat and arms are through impact. There, you'll be able to see what ideal impact looks like with the lead arm and the bat fully released into a straight line. We will look into doing a video specifically on this in the near future!

[@JediFight]

Awesome. Really appreciate this explanation.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+JediFight Thanks JediFight! Glad you liked the video. And thanks for the awesome comment! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@Quasimoto44]

He is 100% correct in this video, and more correct than most hitting gurus on youtube!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Quasimoto44 Hey Quasimoto44! Thanks for the awesome comment! Made my day :) ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@Quasimoto44]

Pro Speed Baseball You are welcome. I actually coach fastpitch softball, formerly Division I but now a traveling coach in Europe and Asia. I know the facts about hitting.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Quasimoto44 Got a chance to check out your videos. Good stuff! Always appreciate fellow coaches checking out the instruction. Best wishes moving forward! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@Quasimoto44]

Pro Speed Baseball Thanks, but I need to redo "connection". I was over-rotating to the camera and connection and release were not as clear as it should be. There are a few differences w/baseball, but not many. I try to keep my hitters as linear as long as possible, keeping the front shoulder on the plate, never emphasize or allow them to focus on pulling the ball.

[@beastlybombers]

+Quasimoto44 Sorry, He is very wrong.

[@edurbina8481]

great tips. I'm trying to get my son from golfing his swing. he is only 11 but with power. I thinks this video will help. thanks. Coach Eddie

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Ed Urbina You are most welcome, and thanks for the awesome comment! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@businessplatypus2463]

NO THIS IS WRONG

[@REal_Machiavelli]

This is pretty insightful. I've fallen victim to that swinging up, first dropping my back elbow and bring the bat down to the ball's plane. Feeling like it's a really hard habit to break now. As I watch mu slow-motion videos, can see I'm really just lagging behind. Though I really don't want to feel like I'm slapping at the ball. Tough balance to get.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Machiavelli09 Any bad habit is going to be work to fix. Using a camera helps out tremendously and speeds up the process immensely. It helps with the "Feel vs Real" conundrum :) Struggle is your best friend when it comes to making a change because it shows you are telling your brain to do something different. Just make sure it's the right different! Thanks for the awesome comment and good luck! If you have any questions, just let me know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@robnewman7952]

Taking your hands straight (and down) to the ball promotes swinging down. Not ideal.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

G. Robert Newman Hey Robert thanks for the comment! I could have been a little more clear in the video about taking "relaxed" hands to the ball. You are right that this could promote swinging down yet only of the bat is being manipulated with an overpowering grip. The hands will always start above the strike zone (excluding crazy stances) therefore they will always have to move downwards, in relationship to the body, in the baseball swing. By taking relaxed hands in a direct path to the ball we can then control the inevitable downward momentum of the hands and the bat will naturally drop on the plane created by the hands easily avoiding "swinging down."So if you look at the hands and the bat independently in good baseball swings, the hands will initially move in a downward angle towards the ball and the barrel of the bat will drop below the hands through contact. (In an ideal swing) And the momentum of the barrel dropping will then, essentially, flatten out the and path.Tough to get all of the specifics in one video, yet I hope this helps clear up the idea. If you have any other questions or if there's anything else I can help with don't hesitate to let me know!Thanks for watching and the comment!~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@robnewman7952]

Pro Speed Baseball Yes the hands do and will go down. However, usually (especially with younger hitters) they drop too much. So, instructing them to take take the hands down to the ball will most likely (and in my experience does) cause chopping. The hands should go down as part of the tilt. The lower the pitch, the more the tilt, the lower the hands go. Tilt is not necessarily taught, but more a byproduct of 'rockin the U', 'see saw', 'turning the barrel', 'elbow slot', 'maintaining the box' or however you teach that aspect of the swing. Instructing hands to the ball will also cause a sequencing issue where the hands get ahead of the hips and shoulders thus creating an out front push swing. Similar to throwing you want to create resistance by keeping the hands back and initially resisting against the rotation of the hips allowing for greater whip of the barrel through the zone. I also prefer more active hands, but not in the sense of taking them to the ball, but rather turning the barrel into the hitting zone, releasing the hinge angle and "hammering' or 'whipping' the barrel through contact.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

G. Robert Newman G. Robert Newman Hey Robert, I understand where you are coming from yet the situation here is that hitting is much more dynamic than throwing. When we throw there is one intentional direction in which we are trying to achieve. This makes sense that the body would create resistance in a proper throwing motion in effort to maximize speed in one, predetermined direction. In hitting, there is the dynamic of hitting different pitches in different locations. One of the most common problems among younger and more experienced hitters is that they open up too soon regardless of the location of the pitch. Taking the hands to the ball will actually help sequencing seeing as we don't want our hands to "drag" through the hitting area. Proper peed/power, when hitting dynamically, is created by bat lag release through loose hands, proper weight transfer and getting proper hip shoulder separation. If we were attempting to hit one pitch in one spot this would be different and more similar to throwing where we have all of our energy going in a predetermined direction. Also, the "tilt" in the baseball swing, I'm assuming you are referring to spine angle, should remain relatively constant in an ideal swing. If the hitter decides to swing at a lower pitch, this "tilt" will happen naturally more times then not. As far as taking the hands to the ball, if it is explained in a sense of hands versus bat, it's never resulted in a chopping motion. Younger hitters commonly attempt to upper cut the ball, so if there is a chopping motion involved it is usually a result of someone telling them to swing down in which they interpret literally and attempt to manipulate the bat to swing in a downward motion. This video, however, is just one piece of the equation, it isn't an attempt to teach the entire swing with one swing thought. (That would take a very long video!) I have other videos on the channel that might clear up your concerns such as bat lag and hip shoulder separation which are very important parts of the swing. If you have any other questions or anything to add don't hesitate to let me know. I'm always open to critique because it makes me think and makes me a better instructor in the long run! Thanks for the comments! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@ultimatekungfu]

Swing up a new fad? Ted Williams was talking about this in the 1940's dude.

[@NACHOMAN_SAVAGE]

Its simply, don't try to manipulate or exadurate the dropping of the barrel into the strike zone, your barrel will do this on its own (taking your hands to the ball), I have been a victim of watching to much slow motion videos on MLB players, specially those who are good hitters, and I've tried to mimic their swing, or even get into the same position before attacking the ball. This video does simply things, seems to me that a lot of MLB players don't like to share their success or secrets on hitting a baseball, kinda like they don't want to give away certain key points, thanks for sharing! Cheers!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Jose Zepeda Hey Jose, thanks for the comment! And you are more than welcome for the video. This is one of the most important things hitters should understand! I was totally in your same boat early on in my career where I would try to re-create the positions I saw in slo-mo video. Sometimes we forget that there is actually speed going on when where watching in slow motion. Excited to hear the video was clear to understand and glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and again for the great comment! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@iknowthatdude]

How can you compare the swing and path you are showing by you to the one you are showing for Cabrera? They look nothing alike.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Brad Gellman Challenge Accepted!! Haha, Side-By-Side comparison of positions and angles of Mine and Cabrera's swing COMING SOON! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@flameofanor8252]

Mechanics and stance of each batter is slightly different. So of course they won't look the same.

[@Gbpsfitness]

Awesome video. I have a lot respect and admiration for you. My only concern is that some folks might get lost because of the philosophy and verbose explanation. I love the drill at he end

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Hey DS, thanks so much for the comment! Really appreciate the understanding too... You're completely right with the majority not understanding the principles laid out in this video... I'm working hard on ways to explain this as simply as possible, but it's an uphill challenge with so much "un-tested" instruction out there... Really glad you liked the video! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@Gbpsfitness]

Pro Speed Baseball Thank you. I've played a bit of pro ball out of the Dominican before. Now I try to help kids while I try to expose them to the fundamentals of the game (I live in Canada now), which I do on a volunteer basis, because I find that a good chunk of coaches don't teach kids the skills they need to master since a young age. I use your videos, show them to the kids and then we do the drills and practice. Thank you for your valuable and priceless mentorship.

[@arismichaels6154]

And again the examples of the bat path of the mlb players, their hands will somewhat drop but their hands aren't even pushing through they rotate and sort of cork. Mike trout dropped his hands cause it's a low pitch. When you are getting on top of the ball, on a low pitch like that, most likely the ball is going to be a ground ball. He made that ball a line drive and was hit pretty hard, by keeping his hands close to his chest and rotating around yet using somewhat of his hands

[@barsE1]

thanks this made a lot of sense and it was really helpful

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

You are most welcome, glad it helped out! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@43chang123]

This is awesome! Never thought of this before! Thank you so much!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

You are more than welcome! Thank you for the awesome comment! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@raygivler]

Hey, Michael. I've watched a lot of your videos. Thanks for making all of them. I still don't quite get what you mean by moving the hands "straight to the ball". In the above video, at about 7:45.5 (if you run on .25 speed you can see), your hands are about a foot above the ball, and they are not in a line between your eye and ball, so I don't understand in what manner they are moving "to the ball". The hands start along the red line, and then level off and move up. So how do you define when to start leveling out and up with the hands?

[@richlovell-thebaseballbarn1008]

+Ray Givler Bingo! Ray, you are absolutely correct! This is the problem with using old terminology like 'taking the hands directly to the ball', 'knob to the ball', throw your hands at the ball' etc. The swing doesn't work like that. Slightly pulling the hands towards the pitcher once you have reached the Approach position is more accurate. Michael has some good thoughts int his video, especially on the mass/force demonstration, but he misses it on other points. I think he is still young at instructing, but he is getting there. Also, a term called 'vertical angle' explains the reasons he hands are positioned above the ball as you observed. 'Vertical Angle' is the relationship, measured in degrees from the barrel to the knob as it makes contact with the ball. It's the tilt, or angle of the bat...a negative number is good and a positive number is bad. A positive number would mean that your bat head is coming down onto the ball from above. In other words, the barrel is below the hands at contact. The optimal vertical angle at which you can hit a line drive is -25. This is where the barrel is slightly below the hands at impact. On a low pitch, or if you are trying to stay inside the ball on an inside pitch, it is common to be closer to -30. Most amateurs either have a barrel angle where the barrel is too far below the hands -50 degrees or they are close to having their barrel above the hands at impact 0 degrees or more. Good luck on your pursuit to your 'perfect' swing

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Ray Givler Hey Ray, not sure if I messaged you on this comment or not, but I'm usually pretty good at getting to questions and what not... So if I haven't gotten back to you yet, apologies! I would highly recommend watching the Swing Plane Secret Revisited Video : kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiae2OGi7OKas0 This will answer quite a few popular questions that we've gotten on this video. The thing you have to realize is that the instructional videos from Pro Speed Baseball are not "all-inclusive" to every factual point. Reason being, that would be the longest video ever made to get every particular detail it would take to explain everything perfectly. What happens in the swing when the hands start to level out, is exactly what is explained in this video, unfortunately not into much detail, {That will be for another video!} The hands will begin going directly towards the ball with speed and because of the momentum of the barrel {mass} following the hands {force}, will counter balance the direction of the hands, therefore "leveling them out." Hope this answers your question! If you have any other questions on this or anything else, just let me know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+The Baseball Barn Hey there Baseball Barn! Thanks for commenting! I actually got a chance to reply to one of your other comments, I'll go ahead and paste a copy of it below considering it answers most of the questions in your recent comments. If you have any other questions, just let me know! Copy of Response: I understand how biomechanics and physics can be slightly difficult to understand. However, I would be happy to address some of you inquiries. When speed is applied to a lever (bat) with only one fulcrum (hands)(Considering looking at the swing from a 2 dimensional point of view) there is simply one way to control the direction of the mass (barrel) which is the direction of the force (hands). This is inherently inarguable considering the laws of physics. Therefore, when the force is taken directly towards it's intended target (hands towards the ball) this would be the most efficient and powerful direction to deliver the mass (barrel) to the target (ball). Very similar to racing two identical cars on the same length of track, where one car has a straight shot and the other car has a curved track. The car with the straight track can produce more speed through continuous momentum and get to the finish line faster. Because of the law of the mass having to follow the force, (also considering the length and weight disbursement of the lever(bat)) the position you see high level hitters get into (as far as bat position), is easily attainable by taking the force (hands) towards the target (ball). Considering physics, the idea of manipulating the mass (barrel) to swing along the desired arc is significantly inferior to taking the force (hands) towards the target(ball) simply because we would then be fighting against ideal physics. Example being the car analogy above. In other words, sacrificing force speed and consistency of direction. It is extremely difficult to get all of the detailed information into one instructional video, which is why we come out with more videos to explain things in more detail, versus trying to make up for another video. We have come out with another video recently to explain in more detail how to specifically take the hands to the ball. I would highly recommend checking it out to gain a better understanding: Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiae2OGi7OKas0 This addresses some of your other inquiries, specifically the issue of the hands going towards the ball. If we understand the physics addressed in this video, we will understand that the force(hands) will go towards the target(ball) and because of the momentum of the mass(barrel) caused by the speed of the force(hands) the mass(barrel) will then level out the hand path and get into an ideal position. This also explains why it is thought that hitters swing slightly up at the ball, the hitter isn't swinging(manipulating the bat) up, the bat will (ideally) be on a slightly upward path caused by proper body movements caused by the speed in the force and mass following the force, maximizing the efficiency of physics in the swing. Simply put: the bat will work on the "slightly upward path" without manipulation due again to our friend: Physics! This can also be explained 2 dimensionally with 2 fulcrums, one being again the hands, the other being the shoulders. Because the hands are moving down towards the baseball at the beginning of the swing, the momentum caused by the speed, forces the hands to continue until they stop (follow through). This creates a scenario where the hands will "bottom out" at the end of the fulcrum (extension) and work their way back up towards the fulcrum(shoulders). This means, if ideal timing occurs, the barrel will be on a slightly upward path as it follows the force(hands). Which the force(hands), at this time, is working back up along the arc created by our other fulcrum(shoulders). So the bat would be on a slightly upward path before extension. This could have been explained a little better in the video when it was stated that, "the barrel is below the hands at the contact position." Again if we look at this from a physics perspective, the force(hands) are above the mass(barrel) at this point and because the force(hands) are working upwards and we know the mass follows the force, obviously the barrel will be working on a slightly upward plane because it's following the force, without manipulation! And as far as taking the hands to the ball actually hitting the ball with the hands would be a very extreme and counterintuitive scenario. This would require the hitter to dismiss the goal of hitting the ball with the bat and physically trying to put their hands on the ball. This would be a very literal misinterpretation. Also, if we were to setup to a tee, for example, and setup for a normal pitch at an ideal contact position relative to our setup, the only way to hit the ball with our actual hands or knob of the bat, would be to physically bend over at the waist and reach towards the ball. Therefore, we take that example and move it into a moving pitch, if we are attempting to time that pitch in the ideal contact position, we would have the same issue. This also re-routes back to the physics of the swing and how the speed of the force and momentum of the mass will create an ideal path if taken in the ideal direction. The only exclusion would be if we were to attempt to take the hands to the ball very slowly, however, this would take a very important factor out of the physics of swinging lever, which would be "SPEED." Really hope this gives you a better understanding on how physics and biomechanics work pertaining to the baseball swing. If you ever have any questions on this or anything else, or if there's anything I can ever help with, please don't hesitate to let me know! Thanks again for the comment! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@johngalyean]

@@richlovell-thebaseballbarn1008 To be honest all the have to do and say is make sure u have a slightly flat bat path to the ball. All that calculation and angle of degree with numbers is not at all necessary.

[@richardlovell7316]

@@johngalyean Hmmmm, it may be just semantics, or splitting hairs, but if the bat path is flat, it isn't on path with the ball, no? I don't disagree about al the calculation, etc, but as Ted Williams said so long ago-way ahead of his time, the bat should be in a slightly 'upward' path, not down or flat. Although, he did say flat was better than down.

[@tylermartin7269]

great vid really helped

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Awesome! Thanks for commenting! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@kreatka]

such a wonderful tips for baseball player ! what a explanation !!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Thanks Hong Kim! Really glad you liked the video! Thank you for the great comment! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@businessplatypus2463]

NO DON'T LISTEN TO THIS. You don't swing down. Think about it, if you swing down, timing will be a lot harder as you only have one point of intersect with the pitch. Swinging on plane with the pitch which is slightly up, you have more time to make contact. Also, if you swing down, you can't hit line drives, you can only hit grounders.

[@bad78intentions]

this guys swings with his hands

[@user-qk7wl7qz9t]

Almost Japanese coaches tell us not to use your hands but use your lower body and give power that was generated by lower body to upper body or hands.However, it's unnatural to hit the ball because you have to use bat with your hands. The most important thing in baseball swing is the way to use hands. Japanese coaches should watch this video. They don't know about swing plane and exact meaning of down or upper swing.

[@wgb8210]

Great video. But are you also saying that most hitters need not, or perhaps should not, cultivate the feeling that the swing is initiated by the hips? In other words, in your opinion, in a swing in which the hitter consciously drives his hands directly towards the ball, is the feeling that the hips initiate the momentum of the hands mandatory, possible, unnecessary or harmful?

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+wgb8210 Thanks, and great question! The simple answer is: As a whole, hitters should not think about the hips or using the hips to initiate the swing. (Minus very rare cases) The only work that should ever be done with the hips should involve the positioning of the lead foot and the rotation of the back foot. Feet and hips correlate in movement directly, meaning one cannot turn without the other. Therefore if the back foot is rotating properly, the hips are rotating and being used efficiently. This is infinitely more simple to work on (if it needs to be worked on at all), by simply rotating the back foot into a nice finishing position. So the feeling that the hips initiate momentum is both unnecessary and harmful when you consider being an efficient hitter, for the mere reason is that i's an extra thought/step away from what's truly important, and that is: getting the bat to the ball. This gets more and more prevalent as pitching gets better. One of the big issues I see with "thinking hips" is it tends to work fine on the tee and front toss. But when hitter is seeing a 90 mph fastball and has less than a second to hit, there simply is not enough time to think hips first, and be efficient over a period of time/season. Hope this answered everything ok! Definitely going to do a video on this very subject. Thanks for the great question! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@wgb8210]

Thank you, I have tried so many different time to hit with my hips, and it never seems to work. I guess I should stick with the hands and just drive them to the ball as you described. Thank you very much.

[@ericbaker6232]

Michael. I've always been confused by the hands to the ball teaching, because at some point in the swing the hands must stop traveling toward the ball and must inside the ball or you hit the ball with the knob of the bat. At what in the swing does this occur? At how do you teach this to young hitters?

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+Eric Baker Hey Eric, great question! Wish this was about a week from now, because we have video coming out going over this exact question. To answer simply: It's pure physics. If we were to swing at a ball with nothing in our hands, we could effectively get our hands pretty close to the ball. Taking into consideration, the bat being a weighted object we are swinging, we can then determine the equal and opposite reactions that happen when taking the hands directly to the ball. The head of the bat is the fastest moving part of the swing, therefore the speed creates weight and that weight will naturally affect the hand path. The head and weight of the bat will take over and effectively push our hands inside the ball. It's a very cool concept that we've put a lot of time into studying. Teaching this to your hitters is relatively simple as well. 1. Have them get into a proper tee setup for a down-the-middle pitch. (You can check out the Perfect Tee Setup video on the PSB KZbin Channel) 2. Have them attempt to hit the ball on the handle of the bat very close to the hands without trying to lean over towards the ball. 3. If they truly try to hit the ball close to their hands without manipulating a standard swing, they will catch the ball close to, if not on the mass (sweet spot) of the bat. And that's pretty much the video we'll be putting out soon! :P Hope this answers your question. If you have any other questions on this or anything else, please don't hesitate to let us know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@marieervin4607]

Hey, Eric, I am somewhat late with my comments but here goes, maybe those who read them will acquire some positive feedback from them. You have hit the nail right on the head, I have maintained what you say for many years, obviously you use your basic knowledge and ability to visualize that staying inside the ball does not directly correlate/coin side with taking the hands/knob to the baseball, an excellent read/point, I simply cannot understand why people, especially #1.coaches, #2.teachers and #3.instructors in that order do not study the different aspects of the game enough to become keen students which would enable them to figure out along with many other simple facts as you have that the barrel is what must go to the ball and that the hands are what finally takes the barrel to the ball from bat lag position to barrel to ball contact. During my many years of coaching various age groups and nearly as many years of researching and studying the game I have come to the conclusion that the teaching instructional and learning aspects of our game of baseball is basically based on personal opinion, ask anyone where they received their information, their answer would be, oh, from so and so and so, certainly not from proven scientific tried, practiced and proven methods which is the primary reason that our baseball athletes in particular are and have been receiving wrong messages, I was taught by some very knowledgeable experts that students desperately need to be coached/taught and instructed by those who know they know not by those opinionated people who think they know. Nuff,Said. Great BaseBall-N, Don Ervin [e-mail]

[@bruth52]

Works well to hit a ball off a tee but once that ball is moving at a downward angle the barrel must travel slightly upward along the plane so that perfect timing is not required for solid contact (Ted Williams slightly upward traveling bat is not a new concept). I agree you are great at contact but before and after your barrel is not in a position to make solid contact. You add speed and dynamics to your concept then why do you only consider contact as a single position in space and time? When you say take the hands directly to the ball you assume a hitter is supposed to know exactly where a ball is going to be at the point of contact. When the ball is NOT sitting nicely on a tee for me to look at, where should I take my hands while the ball is still in flight? Once again that assumes perfect timing. Taking your hands directly toward the ball is great but down is simply not a good direction to move (down to the ball then high finish or "V" swing You cannot consistently hit the ball with the bottom of the "V"). Try rotating about a tilted axis instead of trying to keep the shoulders level throughout the swing. Then both your hand path and barrel should be allowed to match the plane of the pitch for much longer. I much prefer the concept of the swing plane presented in the following video because a pitch is moving and swings that require perfect timing simply do not produce high averages . kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y32wlXxoqdp_qqM

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

bruth52 Hey Bruth52! Thanks for the comment. This video is showing exactly what you are trying to explain. The concept in the video is to take the hands "to the ball" not "down to the ball" (although 99% of pitches the hands will go lower than starting position). When the hands do this, the bat will attempt to follow the hands and because of physics it will drop on the plane of the ball if we don't try to manipulate the bat. This will get the bat in the "zone" for the most efficient amount of time. If we attempt to manipulate the bat to swing slightly upwards towards the ball we will lose tons of leverage to create maximum bat speed. Then hands are dynamic in the baseball swing, meaning if the pitch is thrown outside we can take our hands towards the outside pitch and again the bat will fall on the correct plain. If these moves are done with correctly with any kind of speed, the "V" that you mentioned is physically impossible without serious manipulation. All of this is a fancy way of saying your are absolutely right on your thinking of how the bat is delivered to the ball, however attempting to manipulate the bat to swing on this plane is much less than efficient. Letting physics work by using the correct hand path will maximize speed, and drop the bat on the most desirable plane. Thanks for the comment, love comments that make me think and believe this is the best way to get the best information out there by always keeping an open mind! If you ever have any questions on this or anything else, or if there's anything I can help with, don't hesitate to let me know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@elvincortez2111]

would you say this method could break a bad habit created by a kid. I will try to explain. when he loads his top hand is going parallel to ground heading back. so the bat is flat behind creating a long swing.

[@DREDAY717]

Im going by what Ted Williams said.. have a slight swing going up since the ball is coming from a higher position ...

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, the barrel travels slightly upwards... that's exactly what was explained in the video... this is simply the physics behind why this happens and how to apply the proper forces to optimize speed and contact. ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@justintheoreo]

Hey, I know youtube comments are a pain, so is there another way to contact you better if I have more detailed questions? Thanks

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Most definitely, you can reach me through the Contact section at the bottom of the page at ProSpeedBaseball.com. Or you can email me direct at: michael AT prospeedbaseball DOT com Looking forward to hearing from you! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@michaelhladio3042]

With young hitters(6-10), how do you avoid the concept of "casting" the hands out over the plate when teaching the swing thought of taking your hands straight to the ball?

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

***** Great question Michael! Casting is referred to most of the time as two different things. One, where the hands move away from the body before going to the ball and two, early release of bat lag. I'm assuming you are asking about teaching younger hitters to take their hands straight to the ball and it resulting in hitting everything to the pull side. A great way to get younger hitters to use their hands dynamically and properly is to: 1. Get them in a proper tee setup 2. Have them keep they're shoulders relatively square to center line 3. Have the hands in front of the toe line 4. Swing from there and have them hit it to the opposite field. This will force them to work their hands and if they cast they won't be able to hit the ball to the opposite field. Quick note: not all young hitters are created equal, some of them can handle this with ease, others will take some work. This is slightly advanced for younger guys in the 6-8 range. Hope this helps answer your question! Thanks again for the great question and for watching! If you have any other questions on this or anything else, please don't hesitate to let me know! ~Michael Pro Speed Basebal

[@flameofanor8252]

@@ProSpeedBaseball I seen Sean Casey do this drill on mlb net, or ESPN, whatever he is on.

[@seans155]

Run away from this guy

[@seans155]

I'm not buying it. Some of what you say is plausible but that swing of yours is going to smash balls in to the ground. Knob to ball or hands to ball went out of favor a long time ago.

[@cd1davis100]

seans155 what should he do then 😑

[@seans155]

@@cd1davis100 Knob up immediately, deep, get barrel flying back and down to up. Check out Richard Schenck, who worked with Aaron Judge

[@cd1davis100]

@@seans155 that’s fine I’ll check him out because I love listening/watching different philosophies in hitting. I do have to say that what my dude right here is teaching is good stuff and definitely at least not at the opposite end of the spectrum. He said not to swing down on the ball but getting the barrel in plane is the main focus.

[@seans155]

@@cd1davis100 Appreciate the dialog. Do the research and keep open mind and I think you will change your mind on everything you hold sacred with the swing, I did

[@cd1davis100]

@@seans155 Bro! I just checked out about 30-40min of your boy Richard S. He needs to get off KZbin or social media with that my dude. He’s falling over the plate literally after he finished swinging off the tee😂🤣. I’m sorry but my dude from ProSpeedBaseball ideas 💡 are wayyy better than Richard’s. I don’t care if he did work with Judge. He prob was gonna make it with any coach talking about with hitting lol. Much love

[@timfurgiuele6121]

I have heard this concept before and it does make a lot of sense to me. However, my coaches in high school and summer ball have told me to turn my top hand over and get the top hand through the ball and have my top hand up at contact. I have had some success with that but I tend to get a lot of spin on the ball and have a little pop up to the right with a lot of spin if my timing is off. what is different with your technique and the top hand technique?

[@richlovell-thebaseballbarn1008]

+Tim Furgiuele Your coaches are giving you bad advice...your top hand should stay palm up for as long as possible through the hitting zone. Are you getting top spin? That is what it sounds like. The pop ups to the right with a lot of spin typically occur because of improper bat angle at contact because you are not perfectly timing the contact. Never roll the wrists because this will cause topping and a lot of ground balls, or pop ups, depending on where you make contact. You want a swing that will produce line drives and keeps you in the hitting zone as long as possible...palm up/palm down with the bat getting on plane with the pitch and staying on plane for as long as possible. Let me know how you do...I have some great drills that can help you maintain the proper hand position. Good luck.

[@CarolCityCane305]

Hello excellent video its hard getting back to baseball while looking at all the clips on KZbin. What's the differences between u and baseball rebellion?. They have videos of players with like a upward swing bat speed over 90mph and landing with an open front knee and top pointed at the pitcher I would like ur output on that please

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

platanorico86 Thanks for the comment! I am unfamiliar with Baseball Rebellion, however I can tell you that nearly everything I teach is based off of biomechanics, physics and anatomical absolutes. (*I say nearly, because there is room in instruction for feel and athletic oriented moves.) I'm also uncertain to what your specifically asking about the swings that you saw on the other channel and what you are referring to when you say "top?" A pretty ideal stride foot will be open about 45 degrees at landing (pointing about at the second baseman). This gives room for the hips to work without having to fight against the foot. So an open knee would make sense in this respect because the knee cannot open up unless the foot does. I hope this helps, if you'd like a more specific answer you can let me know more specifically what you are trying to find out and I will be more than happy to help out. Thanks again for watching and as always let me know if you have any other questions or if there's anything I can help with! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@CarolCityCane305]

If you can look up baseball rebellion on KZbin here you can get a better understanding of what I'm trying to say... I'm trying to get back into baseball I been out of it for a while.. I enjoy looking at ur videos u explain it well...I was just making sense from both your methods and use them to my advantage. They like to use a str8 stride with the foot knee and foot pointed str8 towards the pitcher. And when your ready to swing your front knee moves back along with the front hip creating the torque and like a uppercut swing.. Just wanted ur input on their and why urs is different.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

platanorico86 I will take a look at it for you to see exactly what they are saying and let you know my take on it. My first impression, however, looks to me like an over complicated/over exaggerated way to attempt to produce more bat speed and looks like it would highly effect consistency. Yet, I don't like to jump to conclusions though so I will study it and get back to you. Just a note, my bat speed when I was playing was in 100's and I had a relatively simple swing, very close to the things I teach on the Pro Speed Baseball Channel. Thanks again for the question, I love stuff like this, helps me learn even more and helps you guys out! Talk to you soon! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@CarolCityCane305]

Pro Speed Baseball I appreciate that... I play for a men's adult league and I'm looking to kill the ball again is there an email that I can contact you with. I have a video of my swing I like to know what you think of it

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

platanorico86 Sure! I have to encrypt the email for spamming purposes. Just change the AT to @ and the DOT to . michael AT prospeedbaseball DOT com ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@dangerousfreedom4965]

Free vid link won’t work.

[@cosasverdes]

I teach my kids to not think about the bat by telling them to pull the knob of the bat to the ball, focusing on their pinkie finger (on lower hand). Also... the best hitters are definitely lowering their hands near(er) the plane of the ball at the end of their load phase, as opposed to pulling from the top of the load to the ball described in this video.

[@seans155]

Turn knob up, don't push or pull toward pitcher

[@fdrios41]

Thanks Mike! Great Info and very helpful! Always wondered why when we watched slow motion replay of the pros swinging, the top of the bat would drop, I would tell me son to purposely drop the bat, but now I know not to. But my question is this, if hands are suppose to go to the ball, and the mass of the bat will drop with the speed of the swing, what is keeping the mass of the bat from going under the ball. It almost seems that the hands are higher than the ball.. Thanks again buddy!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

When the momentum of the bat is dropping it will act as a kind of counterbalance to the hands. So hands will go, bat head will be above hands, mass will follow force and drop below hands, this drop will even out the hands kind of pushing them upwards (counterbalance). Not sure if that made sense, but the just is: we can keep it very simple to do all of this! Very sciencey :P But good stuff to have general understanding for so we don't try to force positions that happen with natural physics. We have two more videos that follow this one that you can check out, they answer a lot of common questions as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiae2OGi7OKas0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/imKal5qpZrKKaKs Thanks for commenting! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@fdrios41]

THanks Mike,makes sense, keep up the good work!!!

[@AngelTorres-ld3xf]

Great video!! Thank u!!

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Thanks Angel, glad you liked it! You are most welcome! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@chezeroni]

Take your mass follows the force equation paradigm and substitute "pelvis" for "hands"

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Cesare Angeloni Thanks for the comment Casare! Not quite sure where the force from the pelvis would directly effect the mass of the bat, however I'm always open to learning new things and getting different views on things!In this video I was demonstrating how the force of the hands effects the barrel and why the barrel drops below the hands throughout the swing. Meaning the ideal contact position shouldn't happen due to the manipulation of physically trying to put the barrel below the hands.Thanks again for the comment, and if you have any questions or if there's anything I can do to help don't hesitate to let me know!~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@johnlanksmith4262]

Great video, I have a question though. When I take my hands to the ball it seems like I am doing it too literally and casting my hands out too far to the ball, what can I do to keep my hands in as a drill?

[@theswingmechanic]

John Lanksmith Dont take your hands straight to the ball!

[@theswingmechanic]

DON'T KEEP YOUR HANDS IN!!! Find me a video of ANY of the top 20 hitters in career OPS who took their hands to the ball in this way

[@jeremyblascoe8711]

@@theswingmechanic kzbin.info/www/bejne/rouafminarOhrpY

[@jeremyblascoe8711]

@@theswingmechanic Barry Bonds planely state’s quickest path to ball is down. But believe what u want, hes just one of the greatest hitters to ever live.

[@theswingmechanic]

@@jeremyblascoe8711 steroids! Steroids! Steroids!

[@avisegal5916]

What's the best way to keep my front shoulder closed

[@Dev518]

This guy called swinging slightly up at the pitch a "new fad." Ted Williams, possibly the greatest hitter of all time promoted a swing slightly up through the ball. Considering he played from 1939-1960, I don't think that approach is new. His book "The Science of Hitting" was published in 1970. How can someone who is serious about hitting instruction have never read the foundational book on hitting instruction?

[@94jmaster]

The swing you demonstrate is not even close to the pros you show in this video.

[@xplosionsportstechnology4703]

I wish I saw this when I was 19 years old! Lol went through the worst slump

[@ajvbghj]

Your link is not working for the: Click Here for FREE VIDEO: www.prospeedbaseball.com/prope... Baseball Hitting Mechanics | Perfect Swing Plane (Pro Speed Baseball) I love what you are teaching and am definately going to share this with my boys.

[@King3star]

This swing is what Bryce Harper changed to after an MVP year.... and his BA has dropped 100 points.

[@seans155]

Harper changed to HLP swing this year, the correct way to swing a bat

[@Jball2112]

I have an issue with having a long swing and not maximizing on my hips. How can I fix this

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Jball2112 I have a great video on helping with long swings which you can check out right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imrQYXevbM2KedU As far as the hips go, if you make sure that the back foot is rotating your hips will work very nicely. The foot and the hips are directly related in the baseball swing. Make sure that when you finish that the front of your back foot is facing towards center field. If it is under rotated you will loose out on the hips and if it is overdone you will overuse the hips which is much more helpful. If you have any other questions on this or anything else just let me know! Good Luck! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@Jball2112]

Pro Speed Baseball I have to thank you sir. I used the video and applied it to my game and went 2-3 with a double. Gotta give you some credit.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Jball2112 Haha, thanks for the credit!! Awesome job out there! You deserve the credit though, for taking the initiative to research the swing to make yourself better. Keep working hard! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@NACHOMAN_SAVAGE]

good stuff! eye opener! ;)

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Jose Zepeda Thanks again Jose! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@johngarcia1323]

hello how can I bat more complex swing to destroy a ball

[@sebastianmorales8679]

Hey my problem is one weekend I go 3-3 the next I go 0-3 and I'm never consistent what could be this problem ?

[@bradleyhendry8125]

ey how is it going. I am 40 yrs old and one of my regrets as a kid was not learning the mechanics of baseball in general. luckily I found a men's hard ball league (traveling) and for the past year and a half been trying to keep my hands in..fire from the hips.. get some separation. And some extension track the ball.. etc etc etc.. its been embarrassing and every game I want to quit but instead I return to the batting cages and youtube. I'm making progress.. starting to drive the ball even with some blind spots still in my swing. Right now my hands..top hand specifically ,timing and NOT over swinging.. MY question.. in a live situation , seeing a pitch.. When you "bring your hands to the ball" is that A) following the line to the expected point of contact or B) im overthinking it.. in a static drill such as a tee.. you know where the contact point is there isn't much tracking.. am I making any sense?? This is a good video because it plainly demonstrates the physics of what is going on without all the body movements.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

bradley hendry Hey Bradley, thanks for the comment! Really glad you enjoyed the video too! I totally get what you're asking too. (These are the exact kind of questions we strive to answer at PSB) It's a tough, innate, thing to explain, but I will try best I can over text! Put Simply: Hitting off of a tee, inherently, should be easier. However, the only difference between your tee swing and the game swing is the timing. So to answer your question best I can, you are still taking your hands to the ball and the timing of when they get there determines a good strike or not. If you'd like to shoot me a video of your swing, I'd be happy to take a quick look for you as well. Might be a little easier to explain. Just let me know and I'll reply with an email address you can send it to. Hope this helps in the meantime! If you have any other questions on this or anything else, please don't hesitate to let me know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@bradleyhendry8125]

all your videos help. especially the one on overactive top hand. I ditched the gloves and followed the blisters. my top hand was getting chewed up and nothing on my bottom so that directed my attention to my hands. now after incorporating your drill I can have a productive tee session without re aggravating the now healed top hand and im calloused well on the pads of my bottom hand. I also shortened my stride.. im short legged and was striding out too far so I wasn't getting any weight transfer (backwards K??). and my hips cleared at more of an upward rotation dropping my hands..and was consistently ending with my weight still on the back leg.. now with my short stride (open stance) feels more balanced and I can feel my hips driving parallel with the ground and firing into the ball so to say.. after each batting cage tee session I move to the field and I am driving 1 and 2 hoppers out to the fence off the tee. not airing them out there .. driving them. :)

[@bradleyhendry8125]

also I have been using that "coach's eye" app to replay my swing and check my head for movement and frame by frame seeing the holes..its how I discovered my over striding issue

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

bradley hendry That's some very observant stuff! If the top hand is over-dominant you, and you practice regularly, you will undoubtedly get those blisters in the wrong places. And shortening up a stride when you need to can really loosen up the body and make you much more comfortable at the plate. Reason being is that over-striding can inhibit hip mobility.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

bradley hendry Also, using the camera is by far one of the best things you can do to work on and change things in your game. Staying sharp and mechanically sound is the key to having good games on a consistent basis.

[@nicholasdadson]

Won't swinging directly at the ball give you grounders almost every time? I've tried swinging straight to the ball and I just got grounders. What am I doing wrong?

[@richlovell-thebaseballbarn1008]

+Nicholas D. Bingo! Nicholas, you are absolutely correct! This is the problem with using old terminology like 'taking the hands directly to the ball', 'knob to the ball', throw your hands at the ball' etc. The swing doesn't work like that. Slightly pulling the hands towards the pitcher once you have reached the Approach position is more accurate. Michael has some good thoughts int his video, especially on the mass/force demonstration, but he misses it on other points. I think he is still young at instructing, but he is getting there. I don't troll on other guys videos to gain followers, but check out any Epstein Instructor

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+The Baseball Barn Hey there Baseball Barn! Thanks for commenting! I actually got a chance to reply to one of your other comments, I'll go ahead and paste a copy of it below considering it answers most of the questions in your recent comments. If you have any other questions, just let me know! Copy of Response: I understand how biomechanics and physics can be slightly difficult to understand. However, I would be happy to address some of you inquiries. When speed is applied to a lever (bat) with only one fulcrum (hands)(Considering looking at the swing from a 2 dimensional point of view) there is simply one way to control the direction of the mass (barrel) which is the direction of the force (hands). This is inherently inarguable considering the laws of physics. Therefore, when the force is taken directly towards it's intended target (hands towards the ball) this would be the most efficient and powerful direction to deliver the mass (barrel) to the target (ball). Very similar to racing two identical cars on the same length of track, where one car has a straight shot and the other car has a curved track. The car with the straight track can produce more speed through continuous momentum and get to the finish line faster. Because of the law of the mass having to follow the force, (also considering the length and weight disbursement of the lever(bat)) the position you see high level hitters get into (as far as bat position), is easily attainable by taking the force (hands) towards the target (ball). Considering physics, the idea of manipulating the mass (barrel) to swing along the desired arc is significantly inferior to taking the force (hands) towards the target(ball) simply because we would then be fighting against ideal physics. Example being the car analogy above. In other words, sacrificing force speed and consistency of direction. It is extremely difficult to get all of the detailed information into one instructional video, which is why we come out with more videos to explain things in more detail, versus trying to make up for another video. We have come out with another video recently to explain in more detail how to specifically take the hands to the ball. I would highly recommend checking it out to gain a better understanding: Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiae2OGi7OKas0 This addresses some of your other inquiries, specifically the issue of the hands going towards the ball. If we understand the physics addressed in this video, we will understand that the force(hands) will go towards the target(ball) and because of the momentum of the mass(barrel) caused by the speed of the force(hands) the mass(barrel) will then level out the hand path and get into an ideal position. This also explains why it is thought that hitters swing slightly up at the ball, the hitter isn't swinging(manipulating the bat) up, the bat will (ideally) be on a slightly upward path caused by proper body movements caused by the speed in the force and mass following the force, maximizing the efficiency of physics in the swing. Simply put: the bat will work on the "slightly upward path" without manipulation due again to our friend: Physics! This can also be explained 2 dimensionally with 2 fulcrums, one being again the hands, the other being the shoulders. Because the hands are moving down towards the baseball at the beginning of the swing, the momentum caused by the speed, forces the hands to continue until they stop (follow through). This creates a scenario where the hands will "bottom out" at the end of the fulcrum (extension) and work their way back up towards the fulcrum(shoulders). This means, if ideal timing occurs, the barrel will be on a slightly upward path as it follows the force(hands). Which the force(hands), at this time, is working back up along the arc created by our other fulcrum(shoulders). So the bat would be on a slightly upward path before extension. This could have been explained a little better in the video when it was stated that, "the barrel is below the hands at the contact position." Again if we look at this from a physics perspective, the force(hands) are above the mass(barrel) at this point and because the force(hands) are working upwards and we know the mass follows the force, obviously the barrel will be working on a slightly upward plane because it's following the force, without manipulation! And as far as taking the hands to the ball actually hitting the ball with the hands would be a very extreme and counterintuitive scenario. This would require the hitter to dismiss the goal of hitting the ball with the bat and physically trying to put their hands on the ball. This would be a very literal misinterpretation. Also, if we were to setup to a tee, for example, and setup for a normal pitch at an ideal contact position relative to our setup, the only way to hit the ball with our actual hands or knob of the bat, would be to physically bend over at the waist and reach towards the ball. Therefore, we take that example and move it into a moving pitch, if we are attempting to time that pitch in the ideal contact position, we would have the same issue. This also re-routes back to the physics of the swing and how the speed of the force and momentum of the mass will create an ideal path if taken in the ideal direction. The only exclusion would be if we were to attempt to take the hands to the ball very slowly, however, this would take a very important factor out of the physics of swinging lever, which would be "SPEED." Really hope this gives you a better understanding on how physics and biomechanics work pertaining to the baseball swing. If you ever have any questions on this or anything else, or if there's anything I can ever help with, please don't hesitate to let me know! Thanks again for the comment! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@drewmyrtle15]

That's exactly what you're doing, you wouldn't say it otherwise and try to attack his credibility by saying he's young.

[@richardlovell7316]

@@ProSpeedBaseball A great and lengthy explanation, but not necessary. You missed my point. Let's keep it simple...I would agree if you told men the knob or hands went towards the ball if the ball is in front of the hitter, cut as when pitched, however it is when the ball is placed on a tee is when you really hear this thought/idea of throwing the ands to the ball or knob to the ball. As the hands go out towards the plate/ball. then have to be pulled back "inside" (when the hitter should be thinking keep the 'barrel inside') which 'throws' the barrel out and around the outside of the ball...centrifugal and centripetal I think it is called?

[@mylesjenkins9877]

Just watched Miguel Cabrera explain the same thing. The only difference was he said top hand palm up and bottom hand palm down. But he had the same philosophy and didn't understand this new swing path phenomenon.

[@skydragon3857]

that's deep dude

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Haha, thakns sky dragon! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@cmbforlife5051]

I have this problem, I (unconsciously) swing under the ball to try lift the ball and make it go farther. My coaches constantly teach this method to fix this. They focus on the hand's quickest path to the ball but i still dip my elbow even though i manage to hit the ball square. Do you have any tips or any kind of help?

[@cmbforlife5051]

I dip my back elbow

[@kevingoodman4077]

Explain to me why I would want to take my hands to the ball. Wouldn’t I want to take the barrel of the bat to the ball? That’s what I’m going to do with the barrel of the bat isn’t it? So if I hit the ball with the barrel and not my hands, then explain to all of us why we would want to do something that we don’t actually do? Nobody hits the ball with their hands.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Hey there again Kevin! Hands to the ball is the mechanic... this video shows the physics behind how it works... for the mass of the bat to get to the ball the most efficient way, the hands need a direct path to the ball. Because the hands can't physically reach the ball in the hitting area, we use the extension (bat) guided by the hand path to achieve solid impact. So you are correct, we do want the barrel on the ball, the mechanic to achieve that is direct hand path to the ball. Some players feel this, some players may feel something different, but the mechanic stays constant. Thanks so much for the question!

[@dre0079]

No good hitter takes their hands to the ball. All good hitters take their hands out of the swing.

[@rslwannabe9475]

Barrel to the ball

[@TheRoadLessChosen]

Meh.

[@MrDoorknob74]

Hands to the CONTACT POINT is a better term. Hands to the ball leads to players diving to the ball at home plate. To steep that way. 1st movement needs to be knob of bat to 2nd/1st baseman for a right handed batter. I like most of what you teach but I hate hands to ball. Knob forward with lead elbow gets kids going in right direction.

[@jasminb6950]

So, after watching this video i have come to the conclusion that you are basically saying the same thing that Tony Gwynn talks about in one of his videos where he says to "swing the knob." Well if the force is the "hands" and the mass is "barrel of the bat" which hand would be in control of the bat towards the incoming pitch?

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Thanks for the question Jasmin! "Swinging the know" is a great way to implement taking the hands to the ball. It's simply a "FEEL" oriented move, rather than a technique. Some hitters will respond well to the FEEL of swinging the knob and others won't... To answer your question, both hands are the force, since the hands are together, they act as one unit. The hands are the force since they are the thing that is applying direction to the bat. The knob, wouldn't be the force because it is not the object applying force. Yet, taking knob to the ball is a great feel to accomplish the same thing! If you haven't already, I would reccomend checking out the two follow up videos to this one: Swing Plane Revisited: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiae2OGi7OKas0 and Take Your Hands to the Frickin Ball!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imKal5qpZrKKaKs Hope I answered your question! If you have any other questions on this or anything else, just let us know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@josephbowers3879]

6:40

[@indyvin1622]

You think you get it, but you really don’t.

[@cd1davis100]

Indy Vin boy bye

[@cameronbanks8275]

This really works. In my tournament this week i went 2-2 the first game the second game I went 1-1 and the championship game I went 2-2.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

+cameron banks That's awesome to hear you put the instruction to some good use! Gonna have to pick it up though, a 1000 batting average will only get you so far! Haha! Nice work out there! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@cameronbanks8275]

Lol thanks

[@kevingoodman4077]

Why would I want to take my hands to the ball if I hit the ball with the barrel of the bat?

[@kevingoodman4077]

Force is mass times acceleration. Your demonstration was not a demonstration of force. I don’t think sir Isaac Newton said mass follows force.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

This is a very common concept in physics, as explained by someone pulling a card. The person pulling the card would be the force and the cart would be the mass.... therefore wherever the force goes, the mass follows. Hope this helps clear things up!

[@jamesgoodwin4116]

Your line on this video is off. You wanna keep your bat in the zone as long as you can, which you do, so why did you put the line going straight down.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Hey James, thanks for the comment! You're spot on, in an ideal swing the bat will stay through the hitting area for as long as possible. The point of this video is to explain the physics of the swing and what hitters need to do in order to attain this... The line in the video is to represent the hand path the hitter should take to the ball. We go further into counterbalancing and such in these follow up videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpiae2OGi7OKas0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/imKal5qpZrKKaKs The hands will attempt to follow the line shown in the video. In short, if the hand path is to the ball (in the mind of the hitter) physics will take over due to how the top heavy lever (aka the bat) work when force and speed are applied towards a target. Hope this helps clear things up! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@vincentmadiraca1761]

Every single time. ?

[@steveeyler]

Swinging up really means to hit the ball on the upstroke so to speak. You can clearly see that being done by the MLB hitters in this video. Secondarily, rolling your arms is incorrect. The best hitters don't do this. This can also be see in this video with the two MLB players.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Steve Eyler Hey Steve, thanks for the comment! You're absolutely right, the point of this video was to show how this can be achieved (and the physics of why this happens) without trying to physically manipulate the bat to attempt to do this. Thanks for the critique, keeps me on my toes! If you ever have any questions or there's anything I can do to help out, just let me know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@flameofanor8252]

Wait, what do you mean rolling your arms? Are you talking about rolling the top wrist over, or am I misunderstanding your statement.

[@seans155]

That's a no for me dog. You're demonstrating a downward path to the ball. Your going to hit grounders and pop ups. This is not how the MLB players swing.

[@josevega7680]

EXACTLY!! If you want to learn to hit like a Major Leaguer, watch Matt Antonelli videos, PERIOD!!

[@seans155]

@@josevega7680 and Richard Schenck

[@ethangreen5463]

How can I stop pulling the ball

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZm6f3ymhdGWnaM Hope this helps! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@arismichaels6154]

this is bs, ur making josh Donaldson look bad. He has inspired all of these hitting coaches with proper techniques. When you we're talking about your hands angled to the ball instead of level, your hands were really far away from your body. that's why you feel no strength and bat speed. You need to keep your hands closer to your body and drive your hips on an angle almost to the pitcher, so the rubber band can come into affect driving the bat up and through the ball. it's been working pretty well for me, and I've been driving the ball.

[@jeremyblascoe8711]

Josh Donaldson is a clown and his selfish approach to hitting and his videos on the swing are a disgrace. Sure he can pull that complicated swing off but little jonny down the street and the other 98% of kids who try will strike out half the time or more and will lose interest in the game. Swing how u want but dont come on here bashing a dude who has a different approach. Barry Bonds, pete rose, tony gwynn, miguel cabrera, mike trout all swing very similar to this and all have videos saying as much. Great video on one of a million ways to swing a bat.

[@kevingoodman4077]

Why would I want to take my hands to the ball? Don’t I want to take the barrel of the bat to the ball?

[@paulkite6383]

Bat plane and bat path is 2 separate things. If you think they are the same you are lost.

[@Bhearn05]

This upward swing stuff is crazy! Its all because baseball is losing out to the new age of the other sports so they need more excitement. Base feels the best way to do this is in the form of runs and the easiest to score with the most impact is by the homerun. That upward swing is BS...Unless you strong as an ox and you were put on this earth to straight mash or you have exceptional human hand eye coordination!...all you avg guys out there good luck with you short weak pop ups to right and you .220 BA see how far that gets you!...Not everyone is built to hit 30-40 mlb Homer's a yr or has elite human hand eye coordination so you better hit those consistent hard line drives get that avg. up show some hustle grit and grind and you make get some looks. Don't follow trends there meant to weed out the avg and weak whie separating the elite! Most of the world are bandwagon followers so this logic will make no sense to most.

[@seans155]

You don't understand an elite bat path. They turn barrel down through up

[@gomets69]

Your "ideal" contact position at 6:00 is terrible. Please study some MLB hitters........

[@beastlybombers]

This is not how major league hitters swing the bat.

[@cartersorensen8]

This is very bad advice...by swinging up to the ball you will stay on plane with the pitch allowing you to be able to hit the ball in many different spots...bringing your hands directly to the ball only allows you to hit the ball if it's in the exact spot you are swinging

[@15babybrother]

Hi, Your explanation will not cause elite level hitters to hit well consistently. Hitting a baseball well and consistently at an elite level is far more dynamic than the philosophy you are presenting. I have been teaching hitting for a very long time and have studied every aspect how some of the greatest hitters of all time control and utilize their main muscle groups and body parts when correctly and consistently driving the baseball. Because of the many years of watching video, breaking down swings to manufacture line drives, correcting bad habits while gaining an understanding how the body works during the baseball swing is why we don't just tell people that certain things in a good baseball swing just happen because of natural causes. That is one of the most ridiculous philosophies I have ever heard when giving instruction on how to hit a baseball. Back in the day we taught certain things that just were incorrect and players still hit successfully on a certain level because of repetition and skill. But today we don't have an excuse to teach incorrectly due to the advanced technology of slow motion video.

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Elis Springback Tee Hi Elis! Thanks for the comment! To clarify, this video isn't on a specific philosophy for hitting, it was made to help simplify what happens in a small part of the baseball swing by understanding how the physics of how the swing plane is created. As a fellow instructor I'm sure you undoubtedly understand there is no one trick to hitting a baseball and the "swing thought secret" in the video is merely another suggestion to help players who might be struggling with that part of their game. If you ever have any questions or if there is anything I can ever help with just let me know! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@colet.griscom937]

awful...hands to the ball?...run away fast from this...MLB swing plane is perpendicular to core rotation..flat to the axis of rotation..which results in slightly up...

[@seans155]

You got the first part right to run away, only time your swing plane is rotating close to around spine is for a high pitch, otherwise the swing is out and away from the body to oppo

[@mfein9478]

This is not at all good swing plane. No MLB players swing like this

[@ProSpeedBaseball]

Thanks for the comment! This is actually how everyone swings the bat! This video is simply an explanation on the physics of what happens when we swing and object. By understanding these physics we can come to the conclusion on the most efficient way to take the bat to the ball! ~Michael Pro Speed Baseball

[@harrisonburns2157]

This is 80s stuff... smh

[@Chuckyolson]

no.no.no.no. I wouldn't teach that to anybody esp young players. Horrible... ground ball all day.

[@oofoof6762]

flare to right field and roll over are the only results of this swing instruction

[@maconpickard6346]

Delete your page this is horrible. If any kid is told to listen to this he will never perform in a game

[@coachingfool1345]

I like your swing but I don't like your explanation. Nobody in your videos, including you, is taking their hands directly to the ball. Instead of your super-wide path analysis line use a thin line. You will see that hands are not going directly to the ball. They move in a rotational fashion. This is especially true with the professional hitters. Think about this from a biometric and geometric perspective. How do you go from taking a direct 45 or degree path down to the ball to then magically being level at contact or something close to it? If you did that you would have a very choppy swing and you would lose all of you power when you essentially changed the direction of the barrel. The issue with overly focusing on getting the barrel of the bat on the plane early in the swing is creating too much bat lag (and often rear shoulder drop). This tends to happen when players begin their swing with the hands, which creates a longer and loopy bat path, instead of with their hips after they plant the front step foot. If you start your swing motion with hip rotation after front foot plant, and then follow with the hands, the bat path will naturally shorten but its still not linear/straight to the ball. This is important because the hitter will get the bat to the ball that much quicker (i.e., more time to adjust and avoid breaking down if you get fooled by velocity or ball movement) but will still maintain the barrel in the hitting zone for a good amount of time and thereby maximize the odds of solid contact.

[@truthbearer8216]

Just hit the damn ball!! Jesus! See the ball, hit the ball, hit the ball hard! Think up the middle and adjust to location and pitch. Don’t over think it.