If you enjoyed our hitting talk and want to learn more, click the link below to check out our new course explaining our step-by-step system to building an elite swing and over 25 drills! antonellibaseball.mykajabi.com/buildingtheeliteswing-lp
I have been teaching the swing to my youth players and you are the first one that finally gets it! Hitting behind the ball and it feels like a control fall backwards when you finish. Not to many people will actually tell youth players to fall backwards. I have been saying that for the last 5 years and so many coaches tell me I’m wrong. When your doing this in drills it’s the best way to keep youth hitters off the front foot. A drill that I like to do to help them Stay behind the ball is the reverse stride drill while challenging them to hit a inside pitch. If they are jumping at the pitch there is no way they can hit an inside pitch off a tee at there normal distance from home plate. This will immediately give feed back when they pound the ball into the ground and jam themself or have a hard time in getting lift on a inside pitch and can only achieve a low line drive. It’s the easiest wAy for them to relate it to the swing. It’s not a launch angle but the tilt of the upper body and then rotating. The swing happens in front of the plate not behind the plate.
Matt I know this is an old video but thank you for doing what you do still properly educating the youth with drills that make sense! This technique allows for ACTUAL fundamentals that most importantly the kids can understand! You know how many coaches "teach" that old school way that every single time the kids just stare with that deer in headlights look! Because they can never break it down properly. So again. Thank you!
Matt, My son(9yrs) and I watched this video and the Pete Alonso swing breakdown. We did 15 minutes of heavy ball hitting this morning trying to incorporate some of this. It is the same stuff that he learned from a couple other coaches but in a different way. After he left and before work I tried using most of this in my swing. Seemed to work well for me with the heavy ball. We have a session next Monday.
Finally somebody teaching hitting the proper way. I don't know where the idea of swinging down on the ball came from but it has ruined many swings. If an instructor tried to teach my son to swing down we didn't go back to him. It's just simple common sense and physics. Thanks Matt!
Yes! Down swing and hands focus kills solid contact, timing, and power. Arms, shoulders, and hands are merely hinges and levers. Power and precision is in max core rotation to yield peak centrifugal force to barrel.
Love love love this drill! Maybe the best drill I've ever done. Was having a problem keeping Palm up Palm down and keeping the barrel below my hands. This drill is perfect to fix those two problems. Thanks Matt,
Matt - great job on the videos and love the insights on travel, food, salaries.... brings back some memories especially the $20/day for food and long bus rides. Agree on this one and I teach our guys to think about getting the lead elbow around the mouth area at impact which is an easy way to get the barrel to work behind and stay on plane. Watch Ruth or Aaron and they start their swings with the bat tipping towards the plate which helped them to scap load and turn the barrel. Keep up the good work! KC
Played a lot of Stick Ball Growing up in the Streets of Brooklyn, Get trainning for swinging and timing hitting that small rubber ball etc Thanks for sharing Matt as always etc.
When I was a kid, I'd spend hours on end in the backyard hitting rocks with a cut off broomstick. I hardly ever struck out. In game it was like hitting a beach ball with a 2x4
Imo when using this method, I 100% agree with and teach, it seems that you have more time to see the pitch and strike it deeper instead of out front like most say. Deeper no pop up, out front more pop up
100% agree for baseball. I did this when I played. I'm curious, does working up through the ball work for fastpitch softball too? Do girls need to work on a more level plane since softballs come in straight, down, and even rise? Or should they be working up through it too?
Creation of timing/loading mechanisms to synchronize with pitcher delivery. They're under the ball because they are late. They also may be over tilted. Head level vs. Tilted. Also, the 90's myth of lining up finger knuckles causes severe barrel drop in many hitters. Look at Bonds, Aaron, and Ted Williams knuckle alignment. Cheers!
To me this shows the barrel ‘turning’ better than the previous videos. We are using a long pool noodle in the basement with the front foot at the wall to drill this.
Question: when your at shortstop and there is one in those slow rollers to your right and you field it up on the grass. What foot should you field it off. I have heard people say a couple things. Field off left, right, left, throw off right Field off right, left, throw off right Or field off left, throw off right Not sure what is ideal.
Depends if you field it two handed, barehanded, or one handed. They all require slightly different footwork. I have some videos on slow rollers in our infield playlist if you want to check them out. Thank you for watching!!
This is awesome, gave it a try and it felt good. Any tips or previous videos on how to get quicker hands? I’ve been boxing of late to try and get quicker hands.overall I have fast hands but it wouldn’t hurt to improve them
I was wondering the same thing and then watched this video of his where you can see it says Century and looks like the Wave Master. Just got one at Big5. ua-cam.com/video/-AB80Nm0-9w/v-deo.htmlsi=1ODxVosMyzQ77b8Z My 2 boys and I like your techniques, thank you for all the tips
I've got two sons who play softball in nz and are catchers They both insist that a riseball curves up s it approaches the plate. I've done the science and disaggree. What's your opinion on this? I'm sure this is why they are having a problem hitting the rise ball. Any tips for hitting these?
What do you do for a kid that loses the barrel and gets too much turn in his top hand so the bat doesn't look like it is sticking to their shoulder or near it?
Another great video, thanks! I really like the emphasis you place on feel and that in order to get that feel there may be some exaggeration in drill work. I have seen too many coaches shy away from this as it is not a “game swing”. No, it is building a swing to take into games. Do you have videos or thoughts on the angle of the front foot at contact? I see some world class hitters that have a slight roll toward the outside of their front foot after contact. Thanks again for another great video!
Hey Matt- I had a question for one of your videos about your time in the majors: What did you bring with you when you went on the road? I know the team probably pack your gear and uniforms in the minors, but what else do they or you need to bring along. Thanks, Charlie Calkins
Have a serious question. I understand the over exaggeration part of your drills, but wouldn't this be a little aggressive? As in, when using this drill, you start to rotate hard on your back leg. As much as over exaggeration is good in some parts, wouldn't the lower half be rotating off the back foot be bad, even if it being part of the drill?
Yea for sure, you guys put up some good content. I was just looking for your opinion, I'm not a big squish the bug guy. Thank you for the response.@@AntonelliBaseball
Don't forget to sign up for our 2019 Antonelli Baseball Summer Skills Camp! I will be running players through 4 days of baseball instruction covering all aspects of game. The camp will be held July 22-25 in Danvers, Massachusetts. For more information, check out our website www.antonellibaseball.com or sign up and reserve your spot by clicking here! antonellibaseball.sportngin.com/register/form/835545007
Matching the plain of the pitch! Getting on plain early and staying on plain through the baseball! It is strange to me when I see and hear great hitters like pujuls, Griffey, trout, talk about their swing and show a down and through it swing. When you watch their game swing in slow motion they are not down and through the baseball. Real vs feel I guess!
When they demonstrated downswing, it is usually without using their hips incorporating your hips drop your back shoulder and creates the swing. Matt is showing.
Any desire to make a comeback, like Luke Hagerty? www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25893836/inside-37-year-old-pitcher-luke-hagerty-improbable-comeback-story
So hall of famers use hitting drills that teach swinging down on the ball and guys who have had a cup of coffee in the show teach swinging up on the ball. Makes sense.
HOFers are not swinging down. The barrel may appear to be coming downward but when the barrel fires rearward as most elite hitters do, it is on an upward trajectory. “Swinging downward” tends to send the message of chopping down but when the palm faces up correctly, you can’t chop down. I’ve have, however, heard hitting coaches say swing down. They are also wrong. Swinging down would give one point along the bat path where a ball could be hit. HOFers are absolutely on plane for more than this one instance.
I like your drill and your teaching until you said the barrel is below the hands... I think this is tricky but I would NEVER say the barrel is below the hands... Again I don’t mean in a literal way like what you most likely pointing too... If my hands and the rest of my swing is proper, my hands follow my clavicle and my pelvis... as such, my hands would reflect the direction and plane of my core.... so the barrel follows my hands and my hands ought to be going upwardly through the ball but as for feel, my hands should never feel like it’s below my hands... if the barrel feels below the hands than the pressure and release dumbs out.... Its the angle of your hands that is most important... The barrel should never lose that angle... it should always keep it until your ready to release.... By the way the top should pull back first... Great video besides the complicated barrel and hand thing... ~DM
I really like what you are trying to accomplish here. Don't totally agree with you, but understand what you are trying to accomplish and the feel it is creating, which is what is happening. You contradict yourself when you post JD Martinez swing where he takes his back hand palm up through the swing and through extension. You can't do this when you are coming up at the point of contact. You need to be more on plain with the ball at multiple contact points or else you need perfect timing. You are on the right track, just be careful how you are explaining it.
Chris Evans hey CE, get a clue. He explained perfectly how to do so. There is no contradiction. If you look at jd's swing his hands are clearly above the barrel for extended time which allows him to be on plane for maximum amount of time. If he were to swing down on the ball as many suggest it leads to basically only one point of contact as opposed to multiple points when the barrel is on plane coming up through the ball. Also, the drill is meant as a teaching method for feel to OVER emphasize the movement which explains to the viewer perfectly. Stop bloviating and let the pros teach you something that is progressive with the advent of slow motion recording and biomechanics! Thanks Matt for all that you do.
If you enjoyed our hitting talk and want to learn more, click the link below to check out our new course explaining our step-by-step system to building an elite swing and over 25 drills!
antonellibaseball.mykajabi.com/buildingtheeliteswing-lp
oh my goddd
I was wacking one of these downstairs with a crappy baseball bat that i don't use
''WHAT IS THAT NOISE STOP MAKING ITT.''
I have been teaching the swing to my youth players and you are the first one that finally gets it! Hitting behind the ball and it feels like a control fall backwards when you finish. Not to many people will actually tell youth players to fall backwards. I have been saying that for the last 5 years and so many coaches tell me I’m wrong. When your doing this in drills it’s the best way to keep youth hitters off the front foot.
A drill that I like to do to help them
Stay behind the ball is the reverse stride drill while challenging them to hit a inside pitch. If they are jumping at the pitch there is no way they can hit an inside pitch off a tee at there normal distance from home plate. This will immediately give feed back when they pound the ball into the ground and jam themself or have a hard time in getting lift on a inside pitch and can only achieve a low line drive.
It’s the easiest wAy for them to relate it to the swing. It’s not a launch angle but the tilt of the upper body and then rotating. The swing happens in front of the plate not behind the plate.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Matt I know this is an old video but thank you for doing what you do still properly educating the youth with drills that make sense! This technique allows for ACTUAL fundamentals that most importantly the kids can understand! You know how many coaches "teach" that old school way that every single time the kids just stare with that deer in headlights look! Because they can never break it down properly. So again. Thank you!
Matt, My son(9yrs) and I watched this video and the Pete Alonso swing breakdown. We did 15 minutes of heavy ball hitting this morning trying to incorporate some of this. It is the same stuff that he learned from a couple other coaches but in a different way. After he left and before work I tried using most of this in my swing. Seemed to work well for me with the heavy ball. We have a session next Monday.
Finally somebody teaching hitting the proper way. I don't know where the idea of swinging down on the ball came from but it has ruined many swings.
If an instructor tried to teach my son to swing down we didn't go back to him. It's just simple common sense and physics. Thanks Matt!
Yes! Down swing and hands focus kills solid contact, timing, and power. Arms, shoulders, and hands are merely hinges and levers. Power and precision is in max core rotation to yield peak centrifugal force to barrel.
Nice Drill. Gonna steal this one!
Hey your subbed to Alex Bregman on utube
Will Suslow Yeh you see me spamming him too? 🤣
Love love love this drill! Maybe the best drill I've ever done. Was having a problem keeping Palm up Palm down and keeping the barrel below my hands. This drill is perfect to fix those two problems. Thanks Matt,
Matt - great job on the videos and love the insights on travel, food, salaries.... brings back some memories especially the $20/day for food and long bus rides. Agree on this one and I teach our guys to think about getting the lead elbow around the mouth area at impact which is an easy way to get the barrel to work behind and stay on plane. Watch Ruth or Aaron and they start their swings with the bat tipping towards the plate which helped them to scap load and turn the barrel. Keep up the good work!
KC
Thanks!!! And thank you for the input! Thank you for watching!!
Played a lot of Stick Ball Growing up in the Streets of Brooklyn, Get trainning for swinging and timing hitting that small rubber ball etc Thanks for sharing Matt as always etc.
When I was a kid, I'd spend hours on end in the backyard hitting rocks with a cut off broomstick. I hardly ever struck out. In game it was like hitting a beach ball with a 2x4
Imo when using this method, I 100% agree with and teach, it seems that you have more time to see the pitch and strike it deeper instead of out front like most say. Deeper no pop up, out front more pop up
For sure!!! Thank you for watching!
Great for golf drills too (bag on ground obviously). A lot of related aspects between a successful golf and baseball swing.
Great drill. Trying it this week with my team.
Thanks! Good luck to your team!!!
Great explanation and drill! I have finally seen the light !!!!
100% agree for baseball. I did this when I played.
I'm curious, does working up through the ball work for fastpitch softball too? Do girls need to work on a more level plane since softballs come in straight, down, and even rise? Or should they be working up through it too?
Excellent drill bro! Keep it going for us
absolutely love this drill
Awesome! Thank you for watching!!
Brilliant !!!! I will share this vid with my son....thank you ☺
Thanks!!!
Matt, if I understand what you are teaching, a pete Rose stance may be a better swing for many. What do you think?
Awesome info. Thank you!
Hey Matt, can you make a video over Bryce harpers drill, where he gets soft tossed baseballs and he hits the ball with the knob of his bat. Thanks
Sure I'll do my best!
Matt Great Drill, i even use this drill for my guys softball team.
I love it!!! Thanks for commenting and watching our videos!!!
Great video - How do I get lots of young players I am coaching are missing below the ball all the time to incorporate this the right way?
Creation of timing/loading mechanisms to synchronize with pitcher delivery. They're under the ball because they are late. They also may be over tilted. Head level vs. Tilted. Also, the 90's myth of lining up finger knuckles causes severe barrel drop in many hitters. Look at Bonds, Aaron, and Ted Williams knuckle alignment. Cheers!
Matt, what is the name of the impact bag you're using in this video? Would a heavy bag punching bag work?
To me this shows the barrel ‘turning’ better than the previous videos.
We are using a long pool noodle in the basement with the front foot at the wall to drill this.
Cool!!! Thanks for watching!!
Question: when your at shortstop and there is one in those slow rollers to your right and you field it up on the grass. What foot should you field it off.
I have heard people say a couple things.
Field off left, right, left, throw off right
Field off right, left, throw off right
Or field off left, throw off right
Not sure what is ideal.
Depends if you field it two handed, barehanded, or one handed. They all require slightly different footwork. I have some videos on slow rollers in our infield playlist if you want to check them out. Thank you for watching!!
This is awesome, gave it a try and it felt good. Any tips or previous videos on how to get quicker hands? I’ve been boxing of late to try and get quicker hands.overall I have fast hands but it wouldn’t hurt to improve them
Thanks! I think these types of drills teaching a quick turn of the hands will really help! Thank you for watching our stuff and commenting!
Great video, Matt. What impact bag do you have? I like that one but haven't been able to find anything like it.
I was wondering the same thing and then watched this video of his where you can see it says Century and looks like the Wave Master. Just got one at Big5. ua-cam.com/video/-AB80Nm0-9w/v-deo.htmlsi=1ODxVosMyzQ77b8Z
My 2 boys and I like your techniques, thank you for all the tips
Thank you for this bro!!
Thank you!!!
Great video! Mike, could I do this same drill with a tee and just reinforce the mechanics and principles you mentioned?
@Edward Rossiter: I think you want the feedback that the bag gives you . . .
I like this drill! Explained very well.
Thanks!!! Thanks for watching!!!
where can I get one of those hitting dummies Matt?
excellent...as always!
Thanks!!! Thanks for watching!!
Great great drill!
I've got two sons who play softball in nz and are catchers They both insist that a riseball curves up s it approaches the plate. I've done the science and disaggree. What's your opinion on this? I'm sure this is why they are having a problem hitting the rise ball. Any tips for hitting these?
Where can I get one of those bags?
Great drill Matt!!! And every time you hit that bag it sounds like you’re shooting a desert eagle pistol lol!!
Very helpful!!! Thank you!
Can't wait to try this drill. How long is that stick? About four foot?
Thank Coach,Much Respect!!
Awesome! It's a bit longer. Almost 5 feet. Thank you for watching!!
Love the drill! What size (length and diameter) would you say for an 8 year old. I want to get my son to get on path sooner. Thanks in advance!!
Will this work for slowpitch?
Well done
Thanks!! Thanks for watching!!!
@teachermanhitting agrees
What do you do for a kid that loses the barrel and gets too much turn in his top hand so the bat doesn't look like it is sticking to their shoulder or near it?
Richie Givens swings with the barrel above his hands.
This is a great drill
Thanks!!!
Excellent video bro! Completely agree with this hitting style.
Great drill!!
Thanks! Thank you for watching!
Another great video, thanks! I really like the emphasis you place on feel and that in order to get that feel there may be some exaggeration in drill work. I have seen too many coaches shy away from this as it is not a “game swing”. No, it is building a swing to take into games.
Do you have videos or thoughts on the angle of the front foot at contact? I see some world class hitters that have a slight roll toward the outside of their front foot after contact.
Thanks again for another great video!
Hey Matt- I had a question for one of your videos about your time in the majors:
What did you bring with you when you went on the road? I know the team probably pack your gear and uniforms in the minors, but what else do they or you need to bring along.
Thanks,
Charlie Calkins
Nothing really. Just some clothes to wear. That was pretty much it. Thank you for watching!!
Can you do this drill with a bat ?
Have a serious question. I understand the over exaggeration part of your drills, but wouldn't this be a little aggressive? As in, when using this drill, you start to rotate hard on your back leg. As much as over exaggeration is good in some parts, wouldn't the lower half be rotating off the back foot be bad, even if it being part of the drill?
I personally don't think so. Thanks for watching our videos!
Yea for sure, you guys put up some good content. I was just looking for your opinion, I'm not a big squish the bug guy. Thank you for the response.@@AntonelliBaseball
More GOLD!
Thanks!!! Thanks for watching!!!
Crazy quick hands
Thanks! Thank you for watching!!
Solid drill.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Yep
It doesn't pop up
My son stays behind it like this but the barrel drops to far down , like a u shape swing
Don't forget to sign up for our 2019 Antonelli Baseball Summer Skills Camp! I will be running players through 4 days of baseball instruction covering all aspects of game. The camp will be held July 22-25 in Danvers, Massachusetts. For more information, check out our website www.antonellibaseball.com or sign up and reserve your spot by clicking here! antonellibaseball.sportngin.com/register/form/835545007
Matt we are in Southern NH. I know you're from Mass. Where is the camp, what are the dates and cost. Than you!
Love this drill!!!
Matt you should check out Kevin Mitchell's swing from the late 80s.
Will do! Thank you for watching!!
Matching the plain of the pitch! Getting on plain early and staying on plain through the baseball!
It is strange to me when I see and hear great hitters like pujuls, Griffey, trout, talk about their swing and show a down and through it swing. When you watch their game swing in slow motion they are not down and through the baseball. Real vs feel I guess!
When they demonstrated downswing, it is usually without using their hips incorporating your hips drop your back shoulder and creates the swing. Matt is showing.
No way, I just found your rookie card in my collection
Awesome!!! Thank you for watching!!
That camera shake effect :D
Haha! Thanks for watching!!
Your punching bag in this video what is the brand name? Please
Century
Do you think the swing path should be like a Nike logo?
NO!
YES!
Dude swings a solid pvc.
Possibly 3/4 inch?
1/2. And thanks! Thank you for watching!
@@AntonelliBaseball 5' long? Any weight in the knob?
Lmao
Thanks Matt - where did you get that bag? Would like to find something similar for our team to work this drill.
moorenda1 looks like a basic punching bag, prob best to try garage sales or play it again sports.
I have same question. Did you find one that works good? How about for younger players who aren't as tall?
Hitting pop ups with this drill
Yup that’s why we do it. We love infield pop ups!
I’m confused, why do you like hitting infield pop ups?🤔
@@tysonbsbl they look cool
You’re joking, right?
We do this drill on a tee and we call it on plane
Awesome! Thank you for watching!
Do you ever talk to your former mlb teammates to this day????
Only a few now. Thank you for watching!!
Ah yes the perfect drill for taking half swings!
HBK360MUSIC yes half swings are a very good practice technique. We’ve had a lot of success with them
Any desire to make a comeback, like Luke Hagerty?
www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25893836/inside-37-year-old-pitcher-luke-hagerty-improbable-comeback-story
Nah too old lol. Thank you for watching!!
Or you can just put the tee back right out in front of the belly button
So hall of famers use hitting drills that teach swinging down on the ball and guys who have had a cup of coffee in the show teach swinging up on the ball. Makes sense.
HOFers are not swinging down. The barrel may appear to be coming downward but when the barrel fires rearward as most elite hitters do, it is on an upward trajectory. “Swinging downward” tends to send the message of chopping down but when the palm faces up correctly, you can’t chop down. I’ve have, however, heard hitting coaches say swing down. They are also wrong. Swinging down would give one point along the bat path where a ball could be hit. HOFers are absolutely on plane for more than this one instance.
Don’t listen to HOFs explain how to; watch what there bat actually does when they hit. All of them do what Matt is teaching. A Rod is a prime example.
I like your drill and your teaching until you said the barrel is below the hands... I think this is tricky but I would NEVER say the barrel is below the hands... Again I don’t mean in a literal way like what you most likely pointing too... If my hands and the rest of my swing is proper, my hands follow my clavicle and my pelvis... as such, my hands would reflect the direction and plane of my core.... so the barrel follows my hands and my hands ought to be going upwardly through the ball but as for feel, my hands should never feel like it’s below my hands... if the barrel feels below the hands than the pressure and release dumbs out.... Its the angle of your hands that is most important... The barrel should never lose that angle... it should always keep it until your ready to release....
By the way the top should pull back first... Great video besides the complicated barrel and hand thing...
~DM
I really like what you are trying to accomplish here. Don't totally agree with you, but understand what you are trying to accomplish and the feel it is creating, which is what is happening. You contradict yourself when you post JD Martinez swing where he takes his back hand palm up through the swing and through extension. You can't do this when you are coming up at the point of contact. You need to be more on plain with the ball at multiple contact points or else you need perfect timing. You are on the right track, just be careful how you are explaining it.
Chris Evans hey CE, get a clue. He explained perfectly how to do so. There is no contradiction. If you look at jd's swing his hands are clearly above the barrel for extended time which allows him to be on plane for maximum amount of time. If he were to swing down on the ball as many suggest it leads to basically only one point of contact as opposed to multiple points when the barrel is on plane coming up through the ball.
Also, the drill is meant as a teaching method for feel to OVER emphasize the movement which explains to the viewer perfectly. Stop bloviating and let the pros teach you something that is progressive with the advent of slow motion recording and biomechanics!
Thanks Matt for all that you do.
Bad drill. Can’t have a normal swing.
What is a normal swing? Pushing the barrel? 😂😂😂
Bad comment