Posted by: Frank Jessup () on Mon Sep 9 08:35:59 2002

Can someone tell me why it is that the fence drill does not get any attention at this site? It would seem like a drill that is so compatible with rotational mechanics would get a lot of attention. Just wondering.
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> > > > > > > > > > Bill,
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> > > > > > > > > > The fence drill is a poor drill. To do it you have to pull the bat through the hitting area rather then push it.
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> > > > > > > > > > F. J.
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> > > > > > > > > Sorry, Frank, but the fence drill, used properly prevents casting and promotes rotational mechanics.
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> > > > > > > > Frank, I would have to agree with Bill. There is a right way to do the fence drill that will promote rotational mechanics ( and you will PUSH the bat ). There is a wrong way of doing the fence drill that will promote linear mechanics ( you will PULL the bat).
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> > > > > > > What do you mean by 'PULL the bat' vs 'PUSH the bat' ?
> > > > > > > Exactly how do you do the fence drill correctly? I always hit the fence with my bat when my shoulders rotate into the 'pitch'. What am I doing wrong?
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> > > > > > Dilbert I have to run but the quick answer is don't get close enough to the fence that it impedes your swing.
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> > > > > Dilbert,many coaches instruct the hitter to have one bat length of distance between the hitter's stomach and the fence. This is definetly the wrong way. This encourages what I think Frank was alluding to: the only way to get the bat around without hitting the fence is to draw the hands in and literally thrust the hands and trailing bathead in a straight line. The bat starts arcing out way too late,and besides a poor bat angle at contact, only hands are providing any power. And I guess to some people would have the feel of this being a pulling action, not a pushing action.
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> > > > > The correct way to do the fence drill is to start with the one bat length of distance, plus another 10 or 12 inches or so. This way the bat can come near the fence but without restricting the bat from arcing out from the very beginning of the swing. I like the hitters to get the feel of the tip of the bat getting close to the fence & early on in the swing, because if done correctly this can help evaluate/promote the circular hand path, elbow in the slot, etc.And, I think to many hitters this will have the feel of pushing the bat. As a matter of fact, I like to use the drill in conjunction with a tire, heavy bag, etc.
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> > > > > By the way, I think it's important to not confuse terms like "pushing" and "pulling" with Jack's concept of initiating the swing by pulling with the bottom hand. That's an altogether different concept.
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> > > > > I went back to some old posts of Tom Gerry regarding the fence drill. It seems like he might not be around anymore, but I think his posts on the subject could be enlightening.
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> > > > The fence drill is a poor drill. It dosen't matter what it is intended to do. The fact is the most people develop mechanics from doing this drill end up with a swing in wich the bat is below the hands and both hands are pulling the bat to and through the hitting area.
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> > > > The reason this happens is that the mechanics of the drill make it easier to do it wrong and devlop the problems mentioned above. Plus, when the batter is doing the drill wrong the problem is not visible to the naked eye only in slow motion. The fact is that this is one of the worst drills you can teach a batter.
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> > > > My question is "why don't you know this?"
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> > > > F. J.
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> > > Frank: "It dosen't matter what it is intended to do. The fact is the most people develop mechanics from doing this drill end up with a swing in wich the bat is below the hands and both hands are pulling the bat to and through the hitting area."
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> > > It does matter what the drill is intended to do but it is equally important that the drill be done correctly. If the drill is done as taught by some coaches, having one bat length between the hitter's stomach and the fence, the hitter will develop a swing that drags the hands and bat straight rather than in a circular manner.
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> > > But done correctly, that is, lengthen the distance about a foot between batter and fence, and better yet, add the element of a tire, heavy bag, etc, there will be great results (which I have personally wittnessed many times). At a proper distance from the fence and with a fixed target such as a tire, the ONLY way to hit the target AND the bathead come within a couple of inches of the fence is to execute the proper swing.
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> > The problem
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> > I have taped hundereds and hundereds of batters, maybe a thoushand or more. I have shown many of these tapes to coaches and batters. These were all slow motion. Almost no one saw the problem that the fence drill causes until it was pointed out to them.
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> > I am not trying to be insulting but I don't think you understand the problem so I can't explin it other then what I have already said.
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> > F. J.
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> > Frank, you said "Almost no one saw the problem that the fence drill causes until it was pointed out to them." My hunch is that the drill was not done the correct way. However, in closing I will say that I certainly respect your right to your opinion and I look forward to exchanging ideas with you in future topics.
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You are right. The fence drill was not being done correctly. That's why it's a poor drill. The drill is easier to do wrong then it is to do correctly. When it's done wrong the "wrong" part cannot be seen by the naked eye so it can't be corrected.

When people see a swing that was developed by using the fence drill most do not see the problem as being caused by the fence drill. One reason is that most people do not see hands pulling the bat through the swing and hands below the bat as a problem. Even if they did they don't know its being caused by the fence drill.

F. J.