What big leaguers' swings would you have your kids try to emulate? Or would you? Also, would you just pick a few of the "best" swings or pick batters that are same handed as your kids?

I mean, other than Joey Gallo

Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs. Their approach/ swing is a lost art.

Doesn't have to be "same handed." Phil Mickelson is naturally right-handed in everything he does but learned lefty by mirroring his right-handed father's swing.

My oldest wears 44 and works his swing like Yordan Alvarez because he "wants to hit like a right-handed Yordan."

Yordan has a pretty legit swing. I was wondering what people thought of Bryce Harper's? I haven't studied it very much

Not Hunter Pence, Garry Sheffield, or Aaron Rowand

JD Martinez had some interesting thoughts on how and who he modeled his swing after, i think i read it in astroball. But dude fixed his swing mid career, so I think he had good insight. I think Jason Castro and Braun

Mike Trout

EOT

Mike Trout.
Kyle Tucker has a similar swing to Ted Williams, and Ted Williams is the greatest hitter to ever live.

Ryan Braun had a really nice, compact swing. Yeah he was on PEDs, still had a nice swing.
Prime Evan Longoria was excellent too. Look up some highlights of him on the Rays.

When I watch Trout's swing I wonder if he has a little too much backward lean? I know a lot of guys do that, but I'm not sure how "optimal" that is. He also (and I've seen a few others do this) comes off his back foot when he's at the contact point. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that one.

Frank Thomas did that all the time where his weight transfer was so powerful that he always came up off his back foot. As long as you stay balanced it's not an issue. I'd argue the Big Hurt is the greatest right hand hitter in history except maybe Albert Pujols. And Pujols does (or did) the same thing.



It's a byproduct of the leg drive and weight transfer. They don't teach that move specifically it's just what occurs. Even in kids. Here's my 11-year old doing the same thing- he's working on his lower half and swinging an over-weight wood bat (called a CamWood if you're familiar) that weighs like 43 ounces.

ScapeGOAT said:

---

Mike Trout.
Kyle Tucker has a similar swing to Ted Williams, and Ted Williams is the greatest hitter to ever live.

Ryan Braun had a really nice, compact swing. Yeah he was on PEDs, still had a nice swing.
Prime Evan Longoria was excellent too. Look up some highlights of him on the Rays.

---

Not this crap again. They're both tall, wiry, and left-handed. They finish in a similar position but other than that their swings aren't alike.

Williams started with his hands low and his hands had a compact stroke to the ball, generating power without much effort but coming from the fact he was 6'3" 215# or so in his career.




I have been way down on Tucker before last season but he was fantastic last year- in large part because he was striking out a ton and seemed to dog it in the field a lot. However, his swing is not what you'd teach a young kid. He starts with his hands high, brings them down (to sort of where Williams starts) and finishes well but in the middle he's got a long, looping swing that generates power by turning his entire body around a central balance axis. He's barred out with his right arm and drags the bat through the zone with his entire body. He's a tremendous athlete and might have the best hand-eye coordination in baseball these days because there's no way he'd hit the ball if he didn't. If you're not strong enough and not coordinated enough like Tucker you'd see most players dump the barrel. And it makes him prone to rolling over his hands.

It works for him because he's exceptionally talented but it's not something I'd want to teach a young kid.



Compare that to Ken Griffey, Jr. who I've always thought had one of the best swings ever. He stays compact with his hands.



For right-handers I think Mookie Betts has a great swing for kids to emulate. Especially smaller kids since Betts is only 5'9".

Jim Thome & Harold Reynolds break down Mookie's swing

I say find someone who is build similar to where they project and do what they do.

TarponChaser said:

---

ScapeGOAT said:

---

Mike Trout.
Kyle Tucker has a similar swing to Ted Williams, and Ted Williams is the greatest hitter to ever live.

Ryan Braun had a really nice, compact swing. Yeah he was on PEDs, still had a nice swing.
Prime Evan Longoria was excellent too. Look up some highlights of him on the Rays.

---

Not this crap again. They're both tall, wiry, and left-handed. They finish in a similar position but other than that their swings aren't alike.

Williams started with his hands low and his hands had a compact stroke to the ball, generating power without much effort but coming from the fact he was 6'3" 215# or so in his career.




I have been way down on Tucker before last season but he was fantastic last year- in large part because he was striking out a ton and seemed to dog it in the field a lot. However, his swing is not what you'd teach a young kid. He starts with his hands high, brings them down (to sort of where Williams starts) and finishes well but in the middle he's got a long, looping swing that generates power by turning his entire body around a central balance axis. He's barred out with his right arm and drags the bat through the zone with his entire body. He's a tremendous athlete and might have the best hand-eye coordination in baseball these days because there's no way he'd hit the ball if he didn't. If you're not strong enough and not coordinated enough like Tucker you'd see most players dump the barrel. And it makes him prone to rolling over his hands.

It works for him because he's exceptionally talented but it's not something I'd want to teach a young kid.



Compare that to Ken Griffey, Jr. who I've always thought had one of the best swings ever. He stays compact with his hands.



For right-handers I think Mookie Betts has a great swing for kids to emulate. Especially smaller kids since Betts is only 5'9".

Jim Thome & Harold Reynolds break down Mookie's swing

---

I like Betts swing too, and for some reason forgot completely about Trout.
One of Tucker's bets attributes is how long his bat is in the zone, which supports your argument of a phenomenal hand eye coordination and balance.

Ichiro. Dude could somehow hit anything pitched to him…

Oyster DuPree said:

---

Wait, you were the guy that started that thread about Kyle Tucker and then bled all over it when people pointed out how stupid you were? ****ing Lol

---

I did ***** about Tucker because at the time he was hitting about .210, striking out at Gallo-esque pace, and dogging it in the field. He got hot and got better and I ate crow. None of which has any bearing on the fact that you don't want a kid swinging like he does.

Mr Gigem said:

---

Mike Trout

EOT

---

Agreed. The side by side comparison of Trout and Witt Jr (making his debut today) is pretty uncanny.

Ichiro is a pretty good call, and I think Griffey's swing was so pretty. I'll have to look at Betts, later.

So, the only thing I don't like about Tucker is his hands look a little low, to me, when he starts. Yes, he also looks long, but I wouldn't say he's barred out. Compare these 2 still frames of Tucker and Griffey. They are both "long" with the bottom arm. (Unfortunately, the shot is directly from the side view on Griffey, but I think you can still see it. A lot of the swings I've watched, they all start the hands up level with the ear. Tucker is around the shoulder, and he doesn't wrap his bat as much. It starts wrapped, but just about when he plants the barrel moves slightly toward the catcher. I think that is why it looks weird.

i feel like this is just a list of people naming good hitters. While not at the level of hitters previously mentioned, i could watch Michael Brantleyswing a bat all day.

Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

---

i feel like this is just a list of people naming good hitters. While not at the level of hitters previously mentioned, i could watch michael brantley swing a bat all day.

---

I brought up Harper, earlier. He's a good hitter, but after watching his swing, I don't think I'd have anyone copy it. It looks like he gets lower and lower to the ground while striding, before getting back upright on follow through. Although, it could be just an illusion created by the camera zooming out. He also lifts his back foot waaay off the ground...but you can really see how much weight he's transferring. It's pretty incredible.



Brantley does have a really smooth swing

Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

---

i feel like this is just a list of people naming good hitters. While not at the level of hitters previously mentioned, i could watch Michael Brantleyswing a bat all day.

---

Along that same line, I've always liked Mitch Garver's swing. Love that he's with the Rangers now.

redline248 said:

---

Ichiro is a pretty good call, and I think Griffey's swing was so pretty. I'll have to look at Betts, later.

So, the only thing I don't like about Tucker is his hands look a little low, to me, when he starts. Yes, he also looks long, but I wouldn't say he's barred out. Compare these 2 still frames of Tucker and Griffey. They are both "long" with the bottom arm. (Unfortunately, the shot is directly from the side view on Griffey, but I think you can still see it. A lot of the swings I've watched, they all start the hands up level with the ear. Tucker is around the shoulder, and he doesn't wrap his bat as much. It starts wrapped, but just about when he plants the barrel moves slightly toward the catcher. I think that is why it looks weird.

---

I'm not proficient enough to really edit the photos and show what I'm talking about but Griffey slots his elbow and his hands go from that load position straight to the baseball. It's very compact and efficient. Tucker drags the bat through the zone. He pretty much drops the barrel flat from the above position and sort of sweeps it through the zone. Makes it much harder to drive something to the opposite field because he has to use his whole body to make that move vs. just his hands. Plus, it makes it much more likely to roll over.

It works for Tucker, just not something you want to teach a kid.

I would argue that he is capable of hitting to the opposite field somewhat easily, b/c the barrel of the bat is in the zone for so long.



edit: I'm not really suggesting anyone model after him, but I don't think it's really that bad of a swing, mechanically.

vander54 said:

---

Julio Franco

---

Now there is a name I haven't heard in a long long time…

Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

---

i feel like this is just a list of people naming good hitters. While not at the level of hitters previously mentioned, i could watch Michael Brantleyswing a bat all day.

---

You mean most good hitters have great swings? Whodathunkit??

They're basically twins.

I was wondering when you would find this thread

TarponChaser said:

---

Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

---

i feel like this is just a list of people naming good hitters. While not at the level of hitters previously mentioned, i could watch Michael Brantleyswing a bat all day.

---

You mean most good hitters have great swings? Whodathunkit??

---

No, i was making the exact opposite point.

Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

---

TarponChaser said:

---

Ragnar Danneskjoldd said:

---

i feel like this is just a list of people naming good hitters. While not at the level of hitters previously mentioned, i could watch Michael Brantleyswing a bat all day.

---

You mean most good hitters have great swings? Whodathunkit??

---

No, i was making the exact opposite point.

---

New topic! Which good hitters have the ugliest swings?

prince fielder comes to mind