Bell's swing

[INbuc]

Yesterday I saw a compilation of Matt Carpenter's recent home run tear. He has a very simple swing: step towards the pitcher, rotate his torso, basically drag his hands through the early part of his swing, and then conclude with with a massive follow-through. He is gets his swing on one plane and generates increasing acceleration throughout.



Or I could have saved some words and said his swing looks the opposite of Josh Bell's normal swing. But this morning, when I saw Bell's HR from last night, I saw some components of a better swing. Instead of moving his hands up and down, and having a swing path that looks like it belongs on a heart monitor, he turned on that ball with both efficiency and acceleration. He didn't have the follow-through like Carpenter or Polanco, but Bell is so strong he doesn't really need it.



I don't know if that at-bat was an anomaly, or if these are refinements he is working on. But if he could lock-in and go on a tear like Polanco did earlier, it would obviously help this team's chances over the next six weeks.

[JollyRoger]

This season Bell has had the most ackward swings I have ever seen from a Major Leaguer. From both sides of the plate it has been choppy and very inconsistent. I don’t think he smoothed out anything last night because he had ackward swings before that HR and on the previous night (although he did drive the ball to the top of the CF fence, just missing a HR that would have miraculously made the game a 1 run affair.). I think he just happened to run into that HR.

I hope you are right and Bell has found his swing. I just don’t see it yet

[INbuc]

012427273219242C2E394B0 wrote: This season Bell has had the most ackward swings I have ever seen from a Major Leaguer. From both sides of the plate it has been choppy and very inconsistent. I don’t think he smoothed out anything last night because he had ackward swings before that HR and on the previous night (although he did drive the ball to the top of the CF fence, just missing a HR that would have miraculously made the game a 1 run affair.). I think he just happened to run into that HR.

I hope you are right and Bell has found his swing. I just don’t see it yet


Well dang. That is the only swing of his I have seen this series. Perhaps it was an anomaly?



This is an exaggeration of course, but sometimes I see his swing and conjure visions of Charles Barkley's infamous golf swing. He just seems to kill the acceleration of his swing. He HAS GOT TO correct that.

[Bobster21]

I've been watching his swing closely all season. When he was in a terrible slump early he either chopped down on the ball (countless grounders) or had an alligator arm swing (pop ups). He finally straightened his swing out and got very hot and was driving the ball. Then he got hurt. When he returned vs Colorado he was swinging poorly again and their announcers commented on how strange Bell's swings looked. But since then he seems to be again settling into a smoother, level swing. But it seems to come and go. I don't know why a normal, level swing is something that gives him so much difficulty. But I suspect his mentality was to avoid striking out and he was just trying to make contact any way he could. At least that might explain all those short-armed swings that just popped the ball up weakly. I hope the coaches are making him understand that it's ok to swing and miss especially if it's not even a 2-strike pitch. Better to take or miss an inside pitch and still be alive with the chance to get something better to hit than to needlessly end the AB prior to 2 strikes by weakly popping the ball just to make contact somehow. When he's swinging right, Bell can be a real asset with the bat. 2 HRs in his last 3 games. He's got power if he swings properly.