Chapter 13 Et cetera 3

5) Method of Swing Drill the"SUBURI"

From what I have heard that American players almost doesn't take a swing drill without ball. But I have read that Ted Williams repeated the swing drill under a coconut tree in Florida. On the other hand, as for in Japan, swing drill is one of the most popular practice and it is called as "suburi". For example, I have some times seen a young guy who stands alone with having a baseball bat at a parking lot in the middle of the night. In the case of Japan, almost pedestrians understand it as that "baseball player is taking suburi". Certainly, from point of social view, it can't be said as the favorable sight, but it's a proof of spread of suburi in Japan.

By the way, in the case of my baseball gym, I regard the suburi as a very important practice. And I think that suburi should be done in a game-like format. That is, the suburi that I means is different from warm-up swing that is seen in on-deck circle. Suburi has some important effects especially for young players. For example, suburi forms muscle memory and makes one's fundamental swing. So now, let me write about my method of suburi.

Method of Suburi

~ Purpose ~

1) Improvement of quality of muscle memory
2) Formation of one's fundamental swing
3) Improvement of muscle strength and flexibility

Point 1  Face Direction

Many players take a swing drill with their face that is turned to the home plate. But as mentioned in chapter 10, This face direction makes you difficult to rotate your shoulder enough and as a result, your swing should be an arm-initiative-swing. In addition, this face direction causes a too much rolling over wrist and small follow through. Therefore, your face should be turned to the pitchers direction.

Point 2  Gaze at One Point

In the case of suburi, the eyesight tends to become instable like a camera shake, because suburi has no subject to hit different from actual batting. In addition instability of eyesight often causes instability of hitting motion itself. Therefore, as for in the suburi, you should lock-on to the certain one point. Of course, that one point should be positioned in pitcher's direction from your view. A stain or flaw of wall can be uses as a lock-on subject. And to keep gazing a lock-on subject causes your swing to become stable.

Point 3  Don't Use a Mirror

Many players like looking a mirror while a suburi. But, I am sure that suburi should be done without mirror. Because, as for in the almost all sports, balance is kept by using the various sense expect looking oneself. Incidentally, various sense means sense of mass, sense of eyesight, sense of axis, sense of force flow, etc. On the other hand, in the case of heavy users of mirror, they keep their balance by almost only looking oneself in the mirror and this tendency is emphasized as time goes by. In this case, various sense (sense of mass, sense of eyesight, sense of axis, sense of force flow, etc) will deteriorate. Finally, they often show a certain tendency like that they come to don't be able to do the suburi without mirror. I actually have seen this kind of player, or rather, I also have experienced that state in my high school days. So I know well about uncomfortable feeling of it and it can be said as a result of habituate.

Be that as it may, I don't means that never look a mirror. Certainly, mirror has an effect as a device for conforming own swing, therefore, in some cases, you might want to use a mirror. But even as for in that case, to use a video camera is more effective.

Point 4  From Rocking Motion to Recoil Action 

In general, as for in the suburi, almost players don't take a recoil action, or rather, can't take a recoil action. Because their suburi is something different from actual batting, for example, they turn their face to the home plate and take a swing as the arm-initiative-swing with reduced hip rotation. In this case, recoil action can't occur. It is needless to say, conscious recoil action is meaningless. That is, recoil action is a yardstick for passing judgement on that the swing was wright or wrong. Therefore, if you couldn't take a recoil action, it should be thought as a proof of that your swing has some of problem. Anyway, in general, "finish" is thought as a end of the suburi. But not so, suburi should be regarded as that ended by completion of recoil action.

揺らぎ

Point 5  Don't Imagine the Location of Pitch

It might be thought as unexpected, but I am sure that as for in the suburi, to imagine the location of pitch in advance is almost meaningless. Because, in the case of game, we pass judgement on the course to swing just before the start of swing. And this judgement is passed by the reflexes. That is, this situation can't be expressed in the suburi without video equipment or assistant and as for that method (with video or assistant), I wrote about it in chapter 8. In conclusion, as for suburi, swing course should be decided by what course you swung naturally, because that course is the course that your muscle wanted to go. Suburi is a practice that is practiced for constructing one's own fundamental swing. Therefore, in the case of suburi, our kinetic side should be regard as the most important theme, and adjustment to the baseball game that has been played since 1846 is secondly importance. In short, as for suburi, the fastest course is the best course. And that course often passes the out of strike zone, but it's ok.

Point 6  Take Up an Enough Space

Bat swing demands a large space unexpectedly. Especially by including a enough recoil action, you will come to understand that unexpectedness. On the other hand, if you repeat suburi too many times in the narrow space like a single room, your swing will become small as a result of adaptation to width of room. So this theme is a large theme unexpectedly. Because finally, it is concerned with hitting mechanics itself. Therefore, if you have a situation that you take the suburi in a narrow space, you should use a short and enough heavy bat.

Point 7 Adjustment to Actual Batting

As mentioned above, suburi is a very effective practice. However, Even so, suburi is suburi and it is different from actual batting. So, after the suburi, you can't always have a good feeling in the actual batting including B.P. Therefore, you need to take a some kind of batting practice after the suburi and in some cases, unexpected many times swing will become necessary. It can be said as "after care" of suburi. But even so, suburi is still effective practice and primary reasons of it are next. Firstly, suburi can be done alone in a narrow space compared with other kind of batting practice. And therefore, you can repeat a countless number of swing. Secondly, even too much heavy or light weight bat that can't be used in actual batting, you can use these kind of bat in the suburi and it will become a good exercise. So then, I want to emphasize that if you don't have a knowledge about necessity of after care, you might come to question the effectivity of suburi and in fact, I have sometimes seen or heard about that case. So this knowledge is important as same as practice itself.

Point 8  Quick Swing and Misunderstanding About It

As for in the suburi, quickness should be thought as one of the most important theme. Or rather, "quick swing with empty mind" should be used as a slogan of suburi. Because suburi is the most primitive training of batting. By the way, I want to emphasize that is very important that difference of reading of quickness causes difference of actual hitting motion. Therefore, reading of quickness is very important and misunderstanding about quickness deteriorates the hitting mechanics. So, What does "misunderstanding about quickness" mean? This is in the case of that I teach my hitting method, many players try to accelerate their bat only arond the contact zone. Certainly, it may rather be thought as a proper way in general idea and at the same time, it means graduate acceleration, that is, it is somewhat swinger-type-fashioned-way. Because in the condition of only-contact-zone-acceleration, there is some space of time until the acceleration. And as a result, this space of time often brings some kind of preparation motion even it is slightly. Therefore, as for in the suburi, only-contact-zone-acceleration is swinger-type-fashioned-way. Because it is not suitable for quick and sudden power generation. So what to do for proper way? The answer is that you should have consciousness of trying to complete whole your swing as quickly as possible, that is, quickly means about "whole of swing" not about only contact zone. As a result, time-to-contact is reduced and consciousness of quick and sudden power generation will becomes more sharp.

(By the way, consciousness of trying to reach the contact point as quickly as possible is not suitable for suburi. Because suburi has no mark of contact point, and even if you make it, there is no evidence of that the mark is put on the correct position, or rather, in a strict sense, it is almost impossible to put the mark on the correct position. Because it is too scientific matter to do it manually.)

Be that as it may, in the case of suburi, you should concentrate to accelerate your bat as quickly as possible. And it is the world where is almost nothing but sense and feeling. Incidentally, that sense can be expressed by only onomatopoeia or image like a flash on the moments. Swing itself is a sensory matter.


~ Some Another Pattern of Suburi ~

1) Reaction Suburi

This drill has a effect of improving the quickness of reaction and your sense about quickness will become more sharp. Any way, this drill is concerned with quickness in every respect.
Concretely, this drill needs a partner or video(that is taken yourself as a partner) for giving the sign for swing. The sign is given by hand clap and you start your mechanics according to hand clap as quickly as possible. That is just like a quick-reaction-game. Namely, in your consciousness, you try to swing after the sign as quickly as possible. As a result, you will be able to improve your reflexes by this reaction-suburi. In addition, From my experience of teaching, it is confirmed that swing in the reaction-suburi is similar to the swing at the game more than ordinary suburi. So then, let me give some specific point bellow.

a) The hands must be clapped without back swing because that way (without back swing) is suitable for quick and sudden power generation.

b) Some kind of sound can also be used as a sign but visual sign is more better. Because as mentioned above, in the case of suburi, you need to gaze at one point while your swing. That is, the sign should be given from that  "one point" and it makes you easy to concentrate in every respect.

c) In the case of using an partner, the partner needs to understand your rhythm from rocking motion to swing. Because, if partner gives the sign in the worth timing, your swing also gets worth.

d) Reaction-suburi can adapt to almost only automatic-step and it will be understood by doing it actually. So, if you adopt leg-lift-step or two-step, you should adopt an automatic-step as for only in the reaction suburi.

2) Heavy and Light Weight Bat 


As for in the suburi, to use heavy and light weight bat is very effective exercise. Because it can improve the strongness, flexibility and quickness. Especially, suburi with heavy weight bat can be regard as most effective weight training. On the other hand, it is accompanied by risk of deterioration of hitting mechanics because too much heavy load causes muscle strain and burden, and it causes deterioration of quality of muscle memory.  To be burdened by too much heavy weight in the swing motion causes serious deterioration of quality of muscle memory rather than weight training. That is, whether good or bat, suburi's similarity to actual batting causes great effect on the hitting motion. So now, let me write about effect and important point of suburi with heavy and light bat.

a) Heavy Weight Bat (Heavy Bat Suburi)

In the case of puncher type, as for heavy training bat, a short bat is better. And if you use an usual length bat, you should set a weight on the root of bat. Because, suburi with a short and heavy bat has a effect of improving more the body trunk's muscles than the arm's muscles. In addition, short and heavy bat is suitable for puncher type's mechanics. And there are two primary reasons of it. Firstly, as mentioned above, puncher type's batting stance demands a oblique inclined bat. Therefore, arm's muscle is burdened by weight of bat head more than case of straight standing bat. So, if you repeat so many times swing in that state (oblique inclined bat), your swing will lose a flexibility as time goes by. Especially, hardening of arm's muscle is a serious problem. Head-balanced-heavy-weight bat will emphasize this tendency. Secondly, puncher type's mechanics doesn't use the suspension-inertial-force mainly for the acceleration of bat. Therefore, weight of bat head almost doesn't have effect on the acceleration of bat. That is, weight of bat head is just a literal dead weight. In other words, as for puncher type's mechanics, to use a head balanced bat has no effect. For these reasons, it can be said that heavy and short bat is suitable for the fundamental swing training of puncher type hitter.

In addition, heavy-bat-suburi should be classified into two patterns. First, one is using an extreme heavy weight bat that can't be used in actual batting. In this case, suburi is regarded as a kind of weight training and you don't need to take a same form as an actual batting. for example, to stand your bat makes you easy to relax your arm muscles. Next, the other is using a little bit heavy weight bat that you can swing it as same form as an actual batting. In this case, suburi is regarded as a kind of batting practice and you should take a same form as an actual batting.

b) Light Weight Bat (Light Bat Suburi)


As for light-bat-suburi, I want to emphasize the importance of it. That is, it is important from point of mechanical view. It means that oblique inclined bat tends to cause a muscle strain and it causes problem about muscle memory. So you need to take some sort of device for improvement of quality of muscle memory, especially, as for in the case of puncher type. Namely, light-bat-suburi has an effect of solving a weak point of the puncher type's mechanics. By the way, in the case of light-bat-suburi, a little league bat can be used as a good tool. Or rather, I want to recommend you to use a plastic stick like following figure. Herewith, you can reduce a source of muscle strain to the utmost limit.  However, light-bat-suburi should be thought as one side of heavy-and-light-bat-suburi. 


In the case of using a light weight bat, you can use a several kind of bat depends on aim and situation. For example, after using an extreme heavy weight bat, you should use an extreme light bat for keeping a balance. Similarly, after using a little bit heavy weight bat, you should use a little bit a light weight bat. Of course, it doesn't need to be kept always, but, to put a this kind of rule by yourself is important.

By the way, weight training or heavy-bat-suburi basically tends to cause a deterioration of quality of muscle memory. On the other hand, to repeat a swing without the slightest stress in your muscle causes the improvement of quality of muscle memory. And muscle memory is one of the most important factor of skills. So, light-bat-suburi is a berry effective skill up drill. Especially, after the weight training, you should take a light-bat-suburi for recovering somewhat flexibility and reminding your muscle of correct memory.

In general, many players tend to avoid using light weight bat in the practice. In a sense, that can be said as natural tendency because they hesitate to feel their game-use-bat heavily more than usual. However to feel a bat heavily doesn't mean always your weakness, sometimes it means your acute sensitivity. That is, the real problem is your substantial muscle strength, and if you have kept your muscle strength enough, to feel your bat heavily should be thought as a proof of your sensitivity, and it is important ability for adjustment to various pitch. Incidentally, light-bat-suburi also has an effect of improving that kind of sensitivity.

3) Warm-Up-suburi

Certainly, to swing quickly is important. However, it isn't always necessary. For example, in the case of warm up at the on-deck circle, it is natural that you don't swing with your maximum power. In that case, half-power-swing becomes necessary and it's the warm-up-suburi. And as for image of warm-up-suburi, it is easy to imagine because it can be seen in on-deck circle of today's MLB. By the way, warm-up-suburi doesn't only mean just to reduce your power by half. Warm-up-suburi has it's own characteristic method and it depends on characteristic mechanics of puncher type, that is, warm-up-suburi has different method between puncher type and swinger type. In fact, as for in the MLB, warm up swing in on-deck circle has changed from Ted Williams Generation to Barry Bonds Generation. And from point of my view, that change expresses the change of hitting mechanics very well. For example, in the case of swinger-type-generation, as for suburi, many hitters rotate their shoulder too much and swing their bat at letter high zone with level swing. On the other hand, in the case of today's MLB, as for suburi, many hitters doesn't rotate their shoulder so much and swing their bat comparatively downward. And this kind of swing expresses the characteristic mechanics of puncher type very well.

By the way, from point of my view, warm-up-suburi is just only a supplementary drill and too much repeating it causes deterioration of quality of muscle memory. That is, too much repeating it robs you a delicate feeling that is necessary for adjustment to various hard pitch. Namely, warm-up-suburi is just only a warming up exercise and it almost doesn't have effect of improving the skills, especially in the case of high level players. So, in the case of my baseball gym, I teach my customers to distinguish the warm-up-suburi from ordinary suburi. And at the same time, I add that you should not repeat it time and time again. So let me write about method of warm-up-suburi concretely based on above theory. Oops, of course, that method presupposes of being a puncher type.

As mentioned above, the warm-up-suburi of puncher type has two primary characteristics, one is a half or three quarter shoulder rotation and the other is a downward swing. So, what does mean these characteristics? At the first place, probably, this kind of suburi isn't spread based on certain theory, it is may be spread by accumulation of following somebody's example. However, not therefore, it has been able to express the characteristics of mechanics of puncher type very well. Firstly, downward swing means using of cross line muscles and top hand dominant swing. And secondly, half or three quarter shoulder rotation has effect of avoiding occurrence of bottom-hand-pull. In addition, as for this suburi, face direction is turned to somewhat home plate's direction for reducing the degree of rotation. Furthermore, as for only in the warm-up-suburi, single-hand-follow makes you easy to swing more smoothly And the reason is that as for in the condition of half or three quarter shoulder rotation, double-hands-follow causes your wrist to roll over too much. Therefore, as for only in the case of warm-up-suburi, I admit the single hand follow unwillingly. In the end, warm-up-suburi has many unfavorable factor. For example, face direction, single-hand-follow, conscious down ward swing, etc. And these unfavorable factors inevitably becomes necessary for avoiding more unfavorable factor in the condition of half powered swing. That is, at the first place, half powered swing is the source of all problems. However, for warming up your muscles, half powered swing becomes necessary. So, warm-up-suburi only becomes necessary when it is done as a warm up. You never should not repeat it too many times because it causes deterioration of quality of muscle memory.




6) Likes and Dislikes of Puncher Type


Needless to say, tactics of baseball still have continued the change. However, it isn't said generally that a part of that change is brought by change of hitting mechanics. For example, fake-bunt-and-hit almost can't be seen in today's MLB. Some player like Derek Jeter is likely to do the fake-bunt-and-hit, but I don't have ever seen that. Even a speedy-powerless-left-handed-hitter does almost not a fake-bunt-and-hit. On the other hand, in the case of japan, fake-bunt-and-hit is taught in a high school team as a important skill. By the way, I remember that when So Taguchi tried to Major League, he had surprised about that many American young players can't do the fake-bunt-and-hit. Incidentally, in the case of japan, swinger type hitters still command a majority among the left handed hitters. So, in this section, I will write about some examples of likes and dislikes of puncher type.

1) Fake-Bunt-and-Hit


Fake-bunt-and-hit demands a pull back motion of bat and arms, and this motion causes the stretch of bottom-hand-back-muscles. Therefore, in the case of fake-bunt-and-hit, bottom-hand-pull occurs strongly. That's why fake-bunt-and-hit is not suitable for puncher type hitter.

2) Hitting to Opposite Field


Of course, in todays MLB, there are many hitters who are good at hitting to opposite field like Derek Jeter. However, do you think that "airy" and "softish" opposite hitting like Tony Gwynn, Tony Fernendez and George Brett can't be seen in today's MLB, don't you?  As a matter of fact, as for that kind of opposite hitting, swinger type is more good at it than puncher type. The reason is that puncher type's mechanics is established based on full power generation, so, as for controlling the hand action in the condition of half power, swinger type is more good at it than puncher type. Therefore, in the case of puncher type, intentional opposite hitting has not so much effect of improving the bating result. Unexpectedly, to hit naturally brings flexible adjustment instinctively by reflexes like Vladimir Guerrero.

By the way, swinger type's opposite hitting seems skillfully more than puncher type's it. It may be that to control the hand action with half power gives me that skillful atmosphere. Of course, they are skillful actually, but their swing gives me more skillful impression than their batting result. On the other hand, some high average hitters of puncher type often give me impression like a constant hitting machine. They doesn't give me so much skillful impression, but in the end, they produce the good result more than my impression. What I want say is that a "temperament" of average hitter also has changed as a result of change of hitting mechanics. Certainly I have the same impression between Tony Gwynn and Joe Mauer and it is natural that these two hitters are classified as swinger type equally. On the other hand, in today's MLB, many right handed hitter produce high batting average like Miguel Cabrera, Michael Young and Vladimir Gurrero. This also can be said that is a result of change of hitting mechanics because in the case of right hand hitter, top hand equates dominant arm. Be that as it may, although there is an exception, to adjust to various pitch by reflexes in the condition of hard hitting is the characteristic style of puncher type average hitter. And you should not think of trying to hit so much skillfully with lightish swing because it's not suitable for mechanics of puncher type.


Naturally, puncher type mechanics has a high quality ability of adjustment to various pitch. On the other hand, basically, puncher type mechanics is not suitable for controlling a ball at will because it is established based on full power generation. And to know about this sort of character makes you easy to produce a good result.


3) Fungo

It is easy to imagine that fungo swing is a difficult skill for puncher type hitter because fungo swing has pull back motion of hands to a greater or lesser degree. In addition, in many cases, fungo hitter is demanded to control a ball left and right at will. That is, fungo hitter is demanded an extremely swinger-like swing. So if you try to improve your fungo skills, your original hitting mechanics will rather get worth. Therefore, you should take a some kind of step for revising your swing after fungo swing.

By the way, for that matter, fungo swing has two types that depends on that which hands is used for toss up. Of course, a case that uses bottom hand for toss up is suitable for puncher type because it has more less pull back motion than a case of using top hand.

4) Pepper Game


In the case of pepper game, a hitter is demanded to control a ball with less power swing. Needless to say, it's not suitable for puncher type and as for pepper game, and it is important that to take a some kind of step for revising your swing after pepper game.  And as for in the case of pepper game, how to do the pepper game is rather next important theme because after all, pepper game has not so much effect of improving you hitting mechanics at least as for puncher type. Of course, it also can be said regarding a fungo.


5) Some Kind of Drills


Some hitting drills have unfavorable factor for puncher type mechanics. For example, a drill that accompanies walking, a drill that emphasizes some lower body's motion, and a drill that needs to use a some kind of long and head balanced stick are not suitable for puncher type hitter and the reasons are written in above articles from the beginning to here. And for that matter, regardless which type (puncher or swinger) mechanics you adopt, I never recommend certain kind of drills that emphasizes a partial body motion and I believe that to swing as same form as actual batting is the best hitting drill.


6) A Popcorn Machine


As mentioned in chapter 8, as for in the case of automatic-step, some kind of pitching machine can't be used. Because pitching machine basically makes you difficult to do the pre-release-start. So special heater pitching machine is not suitable for batting practice of automatic-step-hitter. In particular, a certain machine that launches a ball suddenly from ring (looks like batting doughnut) is especially not suitable for automatic-step because it (I call it as popcorn machine) doesn't permit us to do the pre-release-start. So in the case of too much fast to hit with automatic-step, you should change your step motion and adjust that pitching machine. Of course, it does not mean that automatic-step can't adjust to fast ball, it just only mean that a fast ball that is launched from certain kind of pitching machine makes you hard to hit it with automatic-step. And trying to fast ball is very effective practice for improving your reflexes. So even if you can't hit it with automatic-step, you should try to it positively with using some another step. Because, regardless what kind of hitting style you take, trying to fast ball improves your quickness, eye-body coordination, reflexes against fast pitch, dynamic vision, and another various ability. And if you don't have this sort of knowledge, you will come to have doubts about validity of automatic-step in spite of it's ideality. Therefore, this sort of knowledge becomes important.