Here is a great Jose Bautista video with many takeaways.
Bautista speaks mostly about approach in this video. Notice
that his mechanics are elaborate and must take thousands of hours of repetition
and honing. There is, no doubt, something both awesome and sexy about his
swing; he has something that makes young hitters emulate him.
So what can we take away, mechanically, from Baustista?
Things that “Joey Bats” does that we should teach young hitters:
1.)
Start the swing slow and early. Tempo is best
under control. Only the swing, beginning at front heel plant, should be fast.
2.)
Maintain tension in the legs and resist drifting
forward as long as possible (see Uncle Charlie)
3.)
Slot the back elbow, immediately after heel
plant, flattening the barrel prior to hitting zone
Things that “Joey Bats”does that we should avoid teaching young hitters:
1.)
Allowing the rear knee to align over the back
ankle, creating huge momentum.
2.)
Start with your hands above your ear, requiring
more movement pre-slotting.
3.)
Have a leg kick that transfers large amounts of
energy.
None of these mechanics are
hindrances to a swing IF a hitter maintains proper sequencing, or in other
words, maintains proper balance, positioning and tempo. “Well that’s a lot,”
you say? Exactly. This is a professional athlete: statically and functionally
strong, flexible and dynamic.
When youthful hitters mimic these mechanics, they
quickly and consistently can come out of sequence. They lack the strength and
low center of gravity to maintain proper sequencing in the swing. At heel
plant, most young hitters are already spinning on their back leg or trying to
stay standing up because of a loss of a low center of gravity.
On the contrary, each of these
items could help create improved timing and tempo IF the hitter is athletic and
disciplined (Bryce Harper, Gary Sheffield, Juan Gonzalez, Andres Galarraga,
Prince Fielder, Carlos Gonzalez, Adrian Gonzalez, etc.).
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