I think the launch angle is great because it’s a success that can be measured…
But I also believe the generation of the launch angle has resulted in more hitters striking out and popping up than ever before.
There’s a reason why last year we saw the most strikes in the history of major league baseball.
More hitters are trying to hit the ball in the air and pitchers who have velo are adjusting to this by locating high fastballs up in the zone
They see the hole in the modern-day hitter’s swing.
I think the trend of thinking “hitting the ball in the air is how you get to the next level" is a meme that gets repeated because it’s a trend and because they hear other hitters talking about slugging to be productive at the plate.
Bottom line, I bet if you ask any hitter not in the top 5 in homers if they would rather hit 35 homers a year or lead the league in hits and break Dimmagio's 56 consecutive game hit streak, it would be a the later, no question.
How we teach hitting changes every decade.
Many hitters in the 80’s copped closed stances, and adopted a “chop down, A to B, straight to the ball swing”…
When I was a kid - coaches taught "keep the elbow up & squish the bug."
So much of hitting is about “feel” vs “real”.
How we feel what’s happening vs what’ actually happening during the swing.
In my opinion, what will never change is how Steve Springer breaks down the mechanics..."Hitting is slow feet, fast hands, quiet head, taking a controlled-violent swing, attacking the inside part of the ball on a pitch I’m looking for.” @qualityatbats
Ultimately - as hitters, we’re only as good as the pitches we swing at, and good hitters learn to do it all.
I think eventually - hitters will become savvy to the adjustments that pitchers are making to the velo FB up in the zone & will learn to adjust by mastering the hard line drive, gap to gap like old school hitters who believed that strikeouts were not okay.
Hitters like Rose, Brett, and Carew.
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