Fresno, CA - 3-time NY Times Bestselling author Timothy Ferriss of FourHourWorkWeek.com said that being effective is doing the right things, and being efficient is doing things right.
When we're looking for effective hitting mechanics, oftentimes professionals point to big hitters like Albert Pujols (6'3″, 230-pounds), Giancarlo Stanton (6'6″, 240-pounds), and Miguel Cabrera (6'4″, 255-pounds).
The stats of these hitters can mask effective movements, because of clear physical advantages. What's not studied, in respect to effectiveness in hitting an unknown moving pitch, are what the smaller sluggers are doing that allow them to compete with the bigger ones.
We use human movement rules, that are proven by science, as a standard of measure in being effective with the swing.
Wilin Rosario, from the Colorado Rockies, is considered a smaller hitter (5'11", 220-pounds). I analyzed his 2012 and 2013 season swings where he hit 28 homers, then 21, respectively.
According to FanGraphs.com, in 2012 Wilin Rosario hit 28 homers in only 426 plate appearances. That's one homer every 15.2 plate appearances.
In the same year, Miguel Cabrera hit 44 homers in 697 plate appearances. That's one homer every 15.8 plate appearances. 2012 was when Cabrera won baseball's heralded Triple Crown.
The comparison doesn't stop there in 2012. According to ESPN's HitTrackerOnline.com, Wilin had a longer home-run Average True Distance at 412.9 feet, than Miguel Cabrera's 407.6 feet. In the same year, League Average was 398.3 feet.
Also, Wilin Rosario had a comparable Average Ball Off the Bat Speed with his home-runs at 104.9-mph versus Miguel Cabrera that same 2012 year at 105-mph. In the same year, League Average was 103.5-mph.
So how is Wilin Rosario being effective with his swing allowing him to compete with the Goliaths of Major League Baseball?
Two things...he's using:
- The Un-Weighting Principle, and
- His skeleton to load springy fascial material like a spring.
In conclusion...
In order to find the truth in effective human movement, we have to know the human movement rules that are proven by science. Then we need to study the smaller sluggers (6-feet and below, 220 pounds and below) to find out how the science applies to an effective body in motion. Once the rules are applied, then we get efficient within those boundries.
My name is Joey Myers and I'm the founder of HittingPerformanceLab.com.
I'm a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), the International Youth & Conditioning Association (IYCA), and Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). I'm also partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA).
I played four years of Division-1 college baseball at Fresno State, I've spent the last decade in corrective fitness, and have a passionate curiosity to help baseball and softball players dramatically improve performance through the science of human movement.
It's NOT how you study, but what you study that counts. We apply proven human movement science to hitting a ball.