HLP Hand Pivot Basics

[@paulbowman1442]

Dont lets anyone tell you what you and Rich are teaching is incorrect. Keep up the work. Its always better for different voices to explain the same things. Excellent job.

[@jayadams5444]

Starting showing my son Richards video about 3 years ago. He was 10. He was always a good hitter in the sense of he made hard contact but rarely got much elevation on ball. Lots of hard ground balls through infield with occasional line drives that never went any higher than fielders head level. Because he didn't have a long experience hitting with the old school approach i was taught he caught on quicker than i did. His 10 year old spring season he hit his first over the fence homer. By the fall season he started having either a deep drive to outfield gap or homer each week but i still only taught him the HLP and let the other players on team continue to bat how their fathers were teaching them. After 1st full year the other players were asking to be taught HLP even though many parents were still very negative about it. Gradually more and more kids became interested because they were seeing the success the guys who were learning HLP were having. Now 3 years in whole team has started learning. They are at different levels of understanding because of the difference in time each individual player has been learning HLP. I found your videos about 6 months ago and the way you break down the concept and your drills has helped many of the kids who had trouble understanding Richard. I cant say thank you enough for putting out this information and doing so in a way young players can understand. Thank you again and please continue your mission of spreading the information that otherwise most players wouldnt have opportunity to learn.

[@dman2140]

Hands down best HLP teacher.

[@caseystengel3120]

I agree. Teacher Man is awesome, but he pretty quickly maxes out on his ability to explain and demonstrate the concepts.

[@aaronvenar6217]

or hands up

[@alexm977]

Superb, always said hitting is an art. You are locked in.

[@kloecknermetals9551]

Great video. One of the best explanation breakdowns I've seen on this hitting approach.

[@daveb8795]

Great video! This is HLP gold.

[@DAatDA]

Great video. The important thing I think many misinterpret is WHERE the barrel is snapped. You described it a bit. I tell my hitters, snap it toward the catcher, not behind you. When you snap behind you, you add unnecessary length to the swing and lose the barrel in the turn. When you snap it toward the catcher, simultaneously tilting the rear shoulder, then your back leg turns you into the ball. If you've lost the barrel behind you, then tilt, you have to spin your hips open quickly to get the barrel back where it needs to be. This tends to cut across the zone and slice balls.

[@optimalpowerperformance]

Snapping the barrel behind you is the goal. If the rear leg does what it should, there shouldn’t be an issue of losing the barrel. This is a rear leg issue. Not a hand pivot issue

[@DAatDA]

​@@optimalpowerperformancebehind you, or towards the catcher?

[@beniciofuentes204]

@DAatDA Can you clear it up please??? I mean your concept about "snap it toward the catcher, not behind you"... Thanks in advance...

[@gapshot5065]

Watch the video and you get the answer😂🤦🏻‍♂️

[@America2gether]

Awesome content. I'm trying to incorporate this into slow pitch senior softball. I'm getting there...

[@cosmos8830]

I don't know who you are, but your saying is definitely right!!!

[@Smi77y1]

Great video! Thank you sir.

[@xrossfader]

damn. this is awesome. I'm gonna use to improve as a solo guy just learning the mechanics at 40yo :D

[@anthonyalexander3158]

Great video, did you ever think about adding some slow motion. It’s impossible to see your fast swings.

[@craigkb7745]

Great video and explainations! Thank you

[@CadeFord_4]

I have been trying to learn this swing for a couple of weeks, and I'm having 2 troubles. One keeping my head on the ball and two thinking about swinging down and tilting at the same time. Some tips would be much appreciated!!!

[@danmarx3861]

Great video

[@danielortiz3522]

Excellent work per usual. AJ, what are your thoughts on front elbow positioning? I’ve noticed that I personally have issues getting long even when I snap behind the back leg of my front elbow isn’t down or feeling like it’s against my chest.

[@good2epic]

This is so so good

[@brookslandry3990]

Hey AJ. Great video. My son is starting 11U this fall. He struggled a bit with the bat this past spring/summer and he is lacking confidence in his ability to hit. I want to get him on the right path with his swing. I’ve been watching your and Richard’s content for a while now. I was looking into buying your hitting program, but I was wondering if it includes pointers on how to best tailor this approach to a younger player?

[@optimalpowerperformance]

Hello! Yes we made the hitting course to help all ages of athletes. Several 9-14 year old youth athletes have purchased it as well.

[@sweatpants235]

I’m just wondering about attack angle and how this approach views that. Most would say an attack angle of 0-14 is good, but my son regularly gets over 20 when swinging this way (as measured with a Blast knob device) because there seems to be a lot of uppercut built into the swing. Am I off base on that?

[@historyrepeated4239]

AJ - Some good things in this video.....especially the idea of keeping the weight back and not centered over the front foot. Ideally, the weight should be centered/balanced over the pitch location, which can vary somewhere in between the back foot and the front foot. E.G....Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Griffey Jr. etc. were closer to centered/front foot, where Bonds was closer to the rear foot. Maybe I'm missing the boat, but I am not seeing hitting instructors who are teaching hitters to "chop" down onto the ball. I think this is what you would refer to as a "push" swing, correct? Again, in my limited point of view, I haven't seen a swing this summer in 15 year old AAA baseball where my team (or the opponent) was chopping down or pushing their swing to their front foot. Maybe this is a bigger issue where you are at? If this is being routinely taught, I'm glad you've educated your clients on it's pitfalls. In watching your video, you can see how the hands can impart barrel acceleration with top hand pronation at the 2:17 mark (with a more conventional swing) vs. the swing at the 2:19 mark. If you break down the great hitters, all of them have both arms pointed towards the bat in a tight "V" at impact, with the top hand pronating after that. So, I think the arms are the enemy of the swing point is questionable, as those hitters (including Bonds) have that kinetic link transfer at contact. The arms (long levers) are the key in creating linear barrel lag......whereas I think the HLP method is more rotary barrel lag as it frequently looks like the swing looks like an upward propellor......more like a cricket bat. And in order to create that rotary action, you need to rotate the bat around the top forearm, which seems much weaker than using two long levers to propel the barrel forward like a slightly upward (10 degrees plus or minus) whip. Now, I will agree with you that, two long levers aren't particularly useful if they are swinging at the pitch without any body weight (or kinetic energy transfer up) behind them. Lunging over the front foot certainly creates a weak swing. So, I guess that comes down to a simple question. If we keep our weight back, and head down, aren't we going to have a more level (upward +/- 10 degrees) swing by simply lowering our hands to the pitch location? This can be done without steepening the bat (or snapping) and it's quick and easy. Plus, isn't this what the greats have been doing for decades? Even A-Rod who claimed he chopped down at the ball most certainly had a slightly upward swing (ideal).

[@nesssixteen6106]

Nah there's definitely guys who teach the exact chopping motion he described. I mean I had a game in a local men's league just yesterday and had one guy tell me I need to "chop the tree" and he even wanted the barrel to be above my hands. Unfortunately that type of "advice" is still out there.

[@Slow_Poke_Rodriguez073]

when you say "still working with a small bat" what are you using compared to your normal bat

[@SwitchHittingDaily]

Thanks coach

[@optimalpowerperformance]

Any time!

[@pinstripepimp517]

Got a little soreness in my back. Is that a normal thing? Am i maybe tilting wrong? It’s not pain but soreness for sure. TIA.

[@optimalpowerperformance]

Maybe. Tilt from the hip. Grab a fungo and hit a catcher pop. That tilt is the same feel you’re looking for when you launch normal.

[@MelodyLong-l7t]

@@optimalpowerperformance

[@ericjshipe]

I like the feel of a pulling rear leg

[@SVRHobby]

Does this movement translate into slow-pitch softball?

[@Benrollsover]

I love the idea and feel of this but i feel like im just gonna get under and fly out and not line drives

[@huck344]

Can you recommend anyone in Los Angeles/Southern California that teaches HLP?

[@mscoggin]

Golden

[@optimalpowerperformance]

Thank you!

[@GroteViola]

421 Carmel Falls

[@michaeldyaeger]

Great advertisement for #HavasuSolar! 😅

[@NorrisSigrid]

003 Maxwell Shore

[@JasminMolina-u5t]

Mose Branch

[@HabakkukBetty-r4l]

Lourdes Freeway

[@MondMeroy-r3d]

O'Conner Corner

[@Аристарх-й9с]

Thomas Karen Allen Sandra Garcia Daniel

[@chipjones31]

Where do I get that band?

[@optimalpowerperformance]

Amazon, they are just basic small bands.

[@WattAgnes]

591 Josefa Trace

[@LeandroBonam-c3d]

Bosco Crossing

[@FatihCanak-m2i]

Robinson Larry Garcia Sarah Hernandez Brenda

[@mikemurphy8996]

Good video, however all I can focus on is Havasu Solar. LOL

[@optimalpowerperformance]

@@mikemurphy8996 ya they got some nice free marketing here lol

[@StoweLauren-t1c]

Johnson Lisa Hall Ruth Moore George

[@EsterMumford]

damn i blew my forward load too early last night.. my wife made me sleep on the couch after..

[@jackaero3688]

Who in the mlb does this under 5'10. Who in mlb does this and has an elite contact rate?

[@patrickgreen9747]

I am not associated with these dudes….however, take a look at Jose Altuve for your “sub 5’10”…..and the poster boy for this style of swing is that dude that plays for the Yankees…..ummmmm oh yea……Aaron Judge.

[@dfboiler]

1st this is horrible, teacherman has made a living off judge being desperate and willing to try anything😂, he has since abandoned this entirely. watch these highlights of judge and point out one time he snaps or stays back entirely on his back leg, he strides, transfers weight to front leg unweighting rear leg so he can turn, tilts on turn not before and gets on plane by rotating front arm up to level of pitch and rear elbow down into slot, there is no wrist action... all the video of him doing that is from Teacherman back when judge was willing to try anything...kzbin.info/www/bejne/robSZImIgbmlo6ssi=5WjeL-7m0S-O6Esn

[@optimalpowerperformance]

@@dfboiler can lead a horse to water but can’t make him drink. Judge was at the facility last month. After speaking with him, he would 100% disagree with you. But think what you want 🤦‍♂️

[@EsterMumford]

@@optimalpowerperformance it would be helpful then for you to do an analysis of the Judge video and highlight exactly where he snaps or stays back entirely on this back leg. I also dont see this extreme wrist action so I must be missing something.

[@FatihCanak-m2i]

Williams Patricia Walker Maria Taylor George