Chapter3 ~Examples and notes~
(1)Examples
First of all, see the examples of puncher and swinger type in movie1, and try to feel the difference, remembering the experiments (chapter2) for each type.
movie1
(2)This is NOT a right-or-wrong issue.
In terms of mechanics itself, there is no superiority and inferiority between swinger and puncher types. Both of them are equally a perfect entity when they are well done. See figure1. Both ends are correct and the center is poor. There actually are many hitters who are positioned around the center of the figure1, but most great hitters can easily be found out which type they fall into.
Figure1
(3)New and Old
However, there is an obvious trend that puncher type has been occupying overwhelming majority in current MLB ーonly a few swinger-type hitters are now playing in that league, such as Josh Hamilton, Joe Mauer, Hunter Pence, and so on. On the contrary, most great old-time hitters fall into the swinger type. This drastic change, in a sense, can be called a "hitting revolution".
Figure2: chronological table of the revolution
So why did the hitting revolution take place? I think that's because puncher type's compact-and-quick nature was more suitable for today's baseball, though it doesn't mean puncher's mechanical superiority, but just means puncher's adaptability.
There were probably no theories that caused the revolution. Many hitters and instructors' struggles changed the words of hitting tips, which led to the revolution. For example, Charlie Lau's ten absolutes didn't include the word "staying back".
(4)Acquired Difference
Basically, this isn't an innate difference. Hitters choose their own mechanics, unconsciously in most cases, through their early days experiences. Which type a hitter chooses is generally decided by star players who had influences on him, coaches who taught him, and peers in his team. In fact, it needs not much time to change one's own type ー1 month is enough to master another type of mechanics and use it in actual games.
(1)Examples
First of all, see the examples of puncher and swinger type in movie1, and try to feel the difference, remembering the experiments (chapter2) for each type.
movie1
(2)This is NOT a right-or-wrong issue.
In terms of mechanics itself, there is no superiority and inferiority between swinger and puncher types. Both of them are equally a perfect entity when they are well done. See figure1. Both ends are correct and the center is poor. There actually are many hitters who are positioned around the center of the figure1, but most great hitters can easily be found out which type they fall into.
Figure1
(3)New and Old
However, there is an obvious trend that puncher type has been occupying overwhelming majority in current MLB ーonly a few swinger-type hitters are now playing in that league, such as Josh Hamilton, Joe Mauer, Hunter Pence, and so on. On the contrary, most great old-time hitters fall into the swinger type. This drastic change, in a sense, can be called a "hitting revolution".
Figure2: chronological table of the revolution
So why did the hitting revolution take place? I think that's because puncher type's compact-and-quick nature was more suitable for today's baseball, though it doesn't mean puncher's mechanical superiority, but just means puncher's adaptability.
There were probably no theories that caused the revolution. Many hitters and instructors' struggles changed the words of hitting tips, which led to the revolution. For example, Charlie Lau's ten absolutes didn't include the word "staying back".
(4)Acquired Difference
Basically, this isn't an innate difference. Hitters choose their own mechanics, unconsciously in most cases, through their early days experiences. Which type a hitter chooses is generally decided by star players who had influences on him, coaches who taught him, and peers in his team. In fact, it needs not much time to change one's own type ー1 month is enough to master another type of mechanics and use it in actual games.
