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Frank Thomas on hitting


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11 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Great hitters like Frank have to speak up more about what the charlatans on twitter are teaching kids.  Why so many are listening to people who were backups on their HS teams is astounding. They're ruining an entire generation of hitters.

 

While it's not good for hitting in general we all know the hitters in today's game are paid by HR and power. This is why everyone is teaching it. 

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23 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Here's another one of my all time favorite videos.  Dante Bichette talking about pulling the ball in the air.  "You might hit for more power but you're not going to be a good hitter."

 

Currently unemployed Tim Anderson agrees with this.

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13 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

Frank could hit for power by trying to pound into the ground because he's one of the strongest natural persons to ever walk the earth.

This is actually the reason that many star players make terrible coaches.  They can function with flawed techniques because their natural ability is just that much greater than anyone else.

In Franks case, he was one of the insanely few people in baseball history who had 500 homer power with a gap to gap approach, though as he aged, he did start to sell out for power, and his other numbers suffered.

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9 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

This is actually the reason that many star players make terrible coaches.  They can function with flawed techniques because their natural ability is just that much greater than anyone else.

In Franks case, he was one of the insanely few people in baseball history who had 500 homer power with a gap to gap approach, though as he aged, he did start to sell out for power, and his other numbers suffered.

He was also a unique hitter in that he hit off his front leg as opposed to keeping his weight back. 

Much of his decrease performance in his latter years was from his fracture of his left foot which destroyed his arch. He could no longer load onto that foot. He really couldn't run at all either. Hits that would be doubles would be singles. 

The supports that he wears in his left shoe even today are substantial. 

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Frank Thomas was an extreme fly ball hitter. It's interesting that some power hitters are later talking about contact hitting and bunting like they never tried to hit Homers. Arod is a prime example too, he hit 700 bombs and had like 5 bunts in his career but yet he Talks about bunting and slapping the other way on air.

A too pull happy approach can be bad  but the sox where third lowest in fly ball pull rate last season...

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You could say “put the ball on the air” or “never try to put the ball on the air,” and as long as you’re speaking in generalities, you’d be wrong both ways.

The reason there’s a burgeoning private industry for high-end skills development and coaching is because the actual solution to optimizing your performance is taking a customized approach to your game. Some hitters can benefit phenomenally from a narrow approach, others would be destroyed by it. It would be absolutely foolish to listen to advice from anyone who isn’t considering YOUR skill set when giving it.

Edited by Eminor3rd
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2 hours ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

Frank could hit for power by trying to pound into the ground because he's one of the strongest natural persons to ever walk the earth.

Frank (and countless other great hitters) didn't try to pound the ball into the ground and he didn't manufacture a swing to HIT THE BALL IN THE AIR.  He didn't collapse his backside or try to catch the ball out front.  He hit the bottom of the baseball and backspun (backspinned?)  it in the air.  It's becoming a lost art for some reason because it's "easier" for these idiots to teach an artificial swing to HIT THE BALL IN THE AIR! and it's ruining a generation of hitters.

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7 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Frank (and countless other great hitters) didn't try to pound the ball into the ground and he didn't manufacture a swing to HIT THE BALL IN THE AIR.  He didn't collapse his backside or try to catch the ball out front.  He hit the bottom of the baseball and backspun (backspinned?)  it in the air.  It's becoming a lost art for some reason because it's "easier" for these idiots to teach an artificial swing to HIT THE BALL IN THE AIR! and it's ruining a generation of hitters.

For the record I didn't say he did do that. I meant he could do that and still hit for power. My point was that Frank Thomas is a very powerful man.

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