Goold post on Walker making significant changes

[BrockFloodMaris]

https://x.com/dgoold/status/1994384798719279200?s=46

Sure hope this works. His comment about standing like a statue is spot on. He also needs to stop taking early fastballs down the middle.

Lol. Bunch of nothing. Lots of messaging last year that the kid doesn't take to instruction and do the work

You might be right. Or, you might be dead wrong. JW might be the next perennial 20/20 RH outfielder that we give up on.

Tony would have figured this out way before year 4. Made him listen or moved on from a lost cause.

Good point! TLR had that (Dad) look in his eyes that demanded compliance and performance.

[ramfandan]

I commend Walker on the program. While not a high level professional golfer , I have known a few buddies that were very good who received instructions on improvement They did quite well initially but over time (when not around that instructor), they fell back to old habits. Their swing got out of sorts again.
That happens in many sports. You make a change or two and it works well for a while but then your body returns to the old way of performing .
Walker must be aware.

The article talked about his right hip collapsing . He could start the first month doing well but little by little return to the hip collapse movement
Not always easy to get back to the new movement .

[Voldemort]

Agree. Listened to Ted Simmons debate Mike Shannon in a bar in Atlanta. Ted took Charlie Lau’s philosophy and Mike defended Ted Williams. It was fascinating. I remember Mike quoting Williams: “you’re lucky if you get one pitch to drive, if you take a first pitch strike, you may never get another pitch to drive”. Lau was George Brett’s guru. He divided the strike zone into quadrants. Only swing in your preferred quadrant early in the count. At two strikes expand your quadrants.” (all paraphrased). Walker looks at fat fastballs down the middle and is at 0-2 or 1-2 and feebly waves at a breaking ball. He has to be more aggressive early in the count. Gorman has the same problem. This is why I think Brant Brown is a subpar hitting coach.

Nice post!!!

WRT to some of the comments by Walker, I and some others here have been saying for some time that Walker was so vertically stacked that he was lunging or drifting or ... whatever you want to call it. I don't know what was meant by his back hip "collapsing." One of the keys to hitting is knowing the importance of the back hip. If it flies out too soon, you have a spinner. If it doesn't fly out soon enough, you have a push swing. A hitter has to have "X Stretch", otherwise known as separation, with the back hip and front shoulder having a relationship that has to be mastered to hit at the MLB level. As I have also stated many times, I knew Kyle Boddy, who owns Driveline when he was first beginning and working out of an old pole barn. He has come so far. He was always one to pay attention to detail, and I am sure that those who work for him are the same.

[scoutyjones2]

https://x.com/dgoold/status/1994384798719279200?s=46

Sure hope this works. His comment about standing like a statue is spot on. He also needs to stop taking early fastballs down the middle.

Lol. Bunch of nothing. Lots of messaging last year that the kid doesn't take to instruction and do the work

You might be right. Or, you might be dead wrong. JW might be the next perennial 20/20 RH outfielder that we give up on.

I didn't say to give up on him

I'd start him in AA and force him to make him prove he can progress to MLB.

[An Old Friend]

Yea, seems like every offseason there is a story about whoever going to Driveline, or whatever facility, and the guy talks about what they're working on and how good they feel.

But it's still a good read. Good to see that he's recognizing some of the things that were pretty obvious the last few years. Hoping it works, because I don't want to give up on the guy. This is probably his last year that he's going to be given a shot like this. Hope he takes advantage.

This is where they’ve missed Jeff Albert cause he was the biomechanics guy they let out of the building. This is what their focus is on and it looks like it’s at least getting through to him.

[2ninr]

https://x.com/dgoold/status/1994384798719279200?s=46

Sure hope this works. His comment about standing like a statue is spot on. He also needs to stop taking early fastballs down the middle.

Lol. Bunch of nothing. Lots of messaging last year that the kid doesn't take to instruction and do the work

You might be right. Or, you might be dead wrong. JW might be the next perennial 20/20 RH outfielder that we give up on.

I didn't say to give up on him

I'd start him in AA and force him to make him prove he can progress to MLB.

I agree with this. Getting his swing mechanics straightened out is only the first step. He has to learn better pitch recognition and that happens with guys throwing baseballs at him who are trying to get him out. The guys that have been throwing at him lately eat his lunch. That's a fact. It's time to back him up to a level he can handle. This aaa to ml and back route hasn't worked.

[JuanAgosto]

I'll believe it when i see it, and it sustains

Agree, Adam2. Offseason stories are nice, but lets see results. It was obvious last year that the kid was off balance and uncomfortable. But our hitting coach is an analytics nerd and doesn't work on mechanics. That is total lunacy. Even mlb players need mechanics instruction.

[TraveledLessRoad]

https://x.com/dgoold/status/1994384798719279200?s=46

Sure hope this works. His comment about standing like a statue is spot on. He also needs to stop taking early fastballs down the middle.

Lol. Bunch of nothing. Lots of messaging last year that the kid doesn't take to instruction and do the work

There was one quote from one coach. Not "lots" of messaging. That's fake news

[2ninr]

This isn't fake news.


St. Louis Cardinals challenge Jordan Walker's preparation | Belleville News-[political party] https://share.google/CVuUSMCeOWwYJhEFG

[Jatalk]

I’ve given up on the guy. Hopefully he proves me wrong but I doubt it.

[ScotchMIrish]

I'm guessing he has had so many people trying to "help" him that he's confused.

[Adam2]

Here's a quote from Goold's article today on STLToday:

"The Driveline assessment confirmed what he sensed and what he and the Cardinals worked to change during the season: His back hip was collapsing. He was drifting forward in his stance, losing the anchor of that back hip and making him dive after pitches. That’s unplugged his power.

He was given drills that involve resistance bands and swing training to work on keeping his back hip firm and rotating from there.

“If you look at how I’m going to the ball, how I’m attacking the ball, my bat stays a little more still and it goes a little more direct, but also I’m not falling as much forward,” Walker said. “If you pull up an at-bat, 90% of them you would see a leak forward. I would leak forward a little early. It looks like a fall, and I feel like the drills are really helping me get rid of that. I can feel the difference. Now, it’s about getting that as muscle memory where I’m not thinking about it as much. I can just sit in that back hip and fire from there.”

That description alone hints at how else that stance will help him."

too many "Ah-Ha" moments. i want to hear nothing until 2 months into the season in which he isn't one of the worst players in major league baseball as he statistically was this season

[Pura Vida]

See how ST goes, but if there is no significant improvement, then he needs to start in the Minors. He is strong and athletic, but his swing is lacking and his defense is average.

[Shady]

For starters, Walker needs more knee bend.

[scoutyjones2]

For starters, Walker needs more knee bend.

Shut up Bobo

[scoutyjones2]

See how ST goes, but if there is no significant improvement, then he needs to start in the Minors. He is strong and athletic, but his swing is lacking and his defense is average.

I disagree. He starts in the minors regardless of ST. He needs to earn it back...ST indicates AA, or AAA

I'd just stick him at AA