WebBall.com - Swing Quickness vs. Bat Speed

Swing Quickness vs. Bat Speed

Paul Nyman Just as the batter sometimes needs to call time and step back to clear his mind before getting set to face the next pitch, so too coaches and hitting instructors need to step outside the box. And no one does that with quite the perspective of Paul Nyman of SetPro. His engineering background and his determination to find the science behind pitching and hitting have put him at odds with traditionalists. In the 3-4 years since his first contributions to WebBall, Paul has continued to stir up a hornet's nest within pro baseball circles and among fellow students of the game. His current focus is on discussion forums, clinic presentations, and all other opportunities to say what he really thinks. That has taken him somewhat out of the mainstream, including a hiatus from our pages. His opinions even from several years ago contine to have merit because they force us to challenge our preconceptions. Appearance here does not constitute agreement or endorsement, but makes for interesting reading. (Click to close.)

- Paul Nyman, SetPro, 2003

Ed. Note: This is the second of two connected pages on WebBall by Paul Nyman on this topic. we encourage you to review the first part. We also point out the date of first publication - the Griffey and Bonds of 2003, are not exactly as expected in 2006 and beyond. So you can, therefore, get hung-up on the personalities and view this as an historical document, or take the lessons for their broader application - and that's what this is about - application vs. theory. - RT

GRIFFEY

Griffey can hit the ball as far as he does (for his size) because of his extension (golf swing).

All else being equal, a golf/extension swing will develop the greatest bat speed (but bat speed is not the same as swing quickness). The extension swing is also the most difficult to master when hitting high-level pitching because it is not a quick swing. And interesting enough, it is a swing that is 'naturally' easier to implement - easier for the body to learn.

And herein lies the root of almost all hitting evil - why players never reach their maximum hitting capabilities. Because In order to become a great hitter we must not do what the body want to do naturally.

This is borne out by the simple statistic of why so few players ever reach the highest levels of baseball. Just look at the fallout (decline in number of kids playing baseball) from age 12 to age 14. Much of this fallout is because of loss of interest due to lack of success at hitting a baseball.

In other words, If hitting were so natural there would be far more successful hitters. The statistics - why there are in actuality so few good hitters - do not jive with the number of players with the physical capabilities and potential to become good hitters.

I have said a number of times that I would not teach Griffey-style mechanics. Griffey has a long swing - based on both the time and distance of his swing path.
Keep in mind. that long in swing parlance is measured in milliseconds (.001 second increments).

But Griffey is Griffey and has learned how to use this swing quite effectively [ see companion article on practical application vs. theory].

VS. BONDS

A Bonds-type swing is a trade-off swing. By trade off I mean, rationalizing bat speed vs. bat quickness. The quickest swing is what most coaches try to teach as a short swing. The problem is that even if done correctly, a short (quick) swing will develop less bat speed than a long (done correctly) slower swing. (Slower is defined as how long it takes for the actual swing to happen, not the maximum speed achieved at point of contact.) Don't forget, however, that the difference between slow and fast (long and short) is a matter of just milliseconds. Finding the best trade-off is an individual challenge. Each player must find what works best for him. Both Bonds and Griffey have done this. And both have developed different swing trade-offs with respect to the variables of bat speed and bat quickness. It must be pointed out that physical capabilities, size being the biggest factor, also play a huge role in the trade-off of swing quickness vs. bat speed. For instance players like McGuire can achieve both quickness and speed because of their huge physical stature. (Nervous system also plays a huge role in this trade off.) A big player has greater potential to achieve the best combination of swing quickness and bat speed. As an aside, 80% of all home runs hit are only homers because they travel 5% further than a long out. Which says that if a player who consistently hits long outs increases his bat speed by just 5% he now becomes a money player. When all is said and done we continue to come face to face with what I term the 'Bernstein absolute' (Nicholas Bernstein, renowned Russian motor learning researcher). How you use your body to perform any movement or skill is determined by the ultimate goal to be achieved by that movement. Hitting the ball is a far different goal than hitting the ball with power. Which is far different than hitting the ball with power for a home run. How you or anyone achieves their goal is also at the mercy of the physical and mental capabilities (tools) at hand.

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