Golf Swing to Baseball Swing

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

I am not a baseball guy, in regards to playing it was Tennis and Golf. Both are a bad mix due to the way the body reacts to the hit/strike/swing.

In golf you want to keep your shoulder complex closed before impact. This is allows the club (especially irons or hybrid off the turf) to come from the "inside" and strike the ball creating more time to build up speed. If you come over the top you create a steep weak angle and unless you are making serious compensations you will most likely be disaster off the fairway.

With that said, some players have length, flexibililty, hand eye (which is a kind of a blanket statement for ability) and host of other skills and abilities.

Now this leads to baseball swing. Some guys set up closed some guys set up square and even open.

Why is this? Does this help them preset in the swing to allow them to plane the bat more efficiently without making compensations during the swing? In golf some golfer who are limited can benefit from setting up a little closed which delays their shoulder from spinning out which is a complete disaster in golf, unless you have incredible side bend, like Morikawa or Dustin Johnson.

Anyway I was hoping someone can explain these positions and what they provide for the hitter. Obviously if the player is closed and he is RH I would assume a large position of his hits would be to right field.

Thanks for any insights, in find the geometry of the swings (any sports really) to be facinating.

[mattmitchl44]

IMO - I can understand why hockey players can transition to golf pretty easily. I think a lot of the mechanics of a slap slot translate to a full golf swing.

[sikeston bulldog2]

No comparison. In fact, in baseball or softball, it was a fact, if they went golfing, they’d have a bad game.

Long been known you want to mess up a baseball swing- go golfing. Muscle memory doesn’t fade fast enough.

[ramfandan]

Like you, I have played some golf wa the bowler/golf combo guy.
No baes all after little league days.
In answering your question regarding stance in each sport, one important distinction is that in golf your stance at address remains that during your entire swing. Neither foot leaves the ground entirely only shifts from weight side to side and/or left heel moving slightly off ground.
In baseball, that is not the case. A RH hitter standing in an open ,square ot closed stsnce will pick up his left foot off the ground entirely (some have big leg kick ) and replaced the foot back to dirt prior to making contact with the ball. Am original open stance may result in feet being square if even slightly closed as he attacks the ball.
Where you start your stance in baseball is a comfort thing . It’s where the left foot ends up at contact that determines your swing .
That’s where two contact moves differ in golf and baseball.
Ex I could stand closed in baseball but if my left foot ends up toward 3rd base coaching box, I am open at contact. The ‘stepping in the bucket’ move of many little leaguers. Coaches stress to kid step TOWARD the pitcher to correct that flaw.

[rockondlouie]

When you use a closed stance you're simply placing your front foot closer to the plate than your back foot kind of angling yourself to the pitcher.

I found it helped keep your front shoulder "in" longer and may help you get balls into the air for more potential power.

The open stance is just the opposite, front foot is farther from the plate than your back foot and it does let you see the ball coming out of the pitchers hand better than the closed stance. As the pitch comes you stride w/that front foot back towards the plate.

Squared up is pretty obvious as you "square" your feet, upper body and hips to the pitcher.

[Melville]

I am not a baseball guy, in regards to playing it was Tennis and Golf. Both are a bad mix due to the way the body reacts to the hit/strike/swing.

In golf you want to keep your shoulder complex closed before impact. This is allows the club (especially irons or hybrid off the turf) to come from the "inside" and strike the ball creating more time to build up speed. If you come over the top you create a steep weak angle and unless you are making serious compensations you will most likely be disaster off the fairway.

With that said, some players have length, flexibililty, hand eye (which is a kind of a blanket statement for ability) and host of other skills and abilities.

Now this leads to baseball swing. Some guys set up closed some guys set up square and even open.

Why is this? Does this help them preset in the swing to allow them to plane the bat more efficiently without making compensations during the swing? In golf some golfer who are limited can benefit from setting up a little closed which delays their shoulder from spinning out which is a complete disaster in golf, unless you have incredible side bend, like Morikawa or Dustin Johnson.

Anyway I was hoping someone can explain these positions and what they provide for the hitter. Obviously if the player is closed and he is RH I would assume a large position of his hits would be to right field.

Thanks for any insights, in find the geometry of the swings (any sports really) to be facinating.

What is your stance when swinging a sand wedge?

[An Old Friend]

No comparison. In fact, in baseball or softball, it was a fact, if they went golfing, they’d have a bad game.

Long been known you want to mess up a baseball swing- go golfing. Muscle memory doesn’t fade fast enough.

My baseball swing often takes over on the tee box. I can hit it pretty well, but it’s anyone’s guess as to where it’s going

[ecleme22]

I am not a baseball guy, in regards to playing it was Tennis and Golf. Both are a bad mix due to the way the body reacts to the hit/strike/swing.

In golf you want to keep your shoulder complex closed before impact. This is allows the club (especially irons or hybrid off the turf) to come from the "inside" and strike the ball creating more time to build up speed. If you come over the top you create a steep weak angle and unless you are making serious compensations you will most likely be disaster off the fairway.

With that said, some players have length, flexibililty, hand eye (which is a kind of a blanket statement for ability) and host of other skills and abilities.

Now this leads to baseball swing. Some guys set up closed some guys set up square and even open.

Why is this? Does this help them preset in the swing to allow them to plane the bat more efficiently without making compensations during the swing? In golf some golfer who are limited can benefit from setting up a little closed which delays their shoulder from spinning out which is a complete disaster in golf, unless you have incredible side bend, like Morikawa or Dustin Johnson.

Anyway I was hoping someone can explain these positions and what they provide for the hitter. Obviously if the player is closed and he is RH I would assume a large position of his hits would be to right field.

Thanks for any insights, in find the geometry of the swings (any sports really) to be facinating.

Every player is different. And players variety pre swing has a lot to do with timing, weight distribution and offsetting certain vulnerabilities

Why did Craig Councell start his hands so high? Could be a reminder to stay tall or maybe offsetting a habit of uppercutting. Either way, it creates movement in his hands that is beneficial

[ramfandan]

I am not a baseball guy, in regards to playing it was Tennis and Golf. Both are a bad mix due to the way the body reacts to the hit/strike/swing.

In golf you want to keep your shoulder complex closed before impact. This is allows the club (especially irons or hybrid off the turf) to come from the "inside" and strike the ball creating more time to build up speed. If you come over the top you create a steep weak angle and unless you are making serious compensations you will most likely be disaster off the fairway.

With that said, some players have length, flexibililty, hand eye (which is a kind of a blanket statement for ability) and host of other skills and abilities.

Now this leads to baseball swing. Some guys set up closed some guys set up square and even open.

Why is this? Does this help them preset in the swing to allow them to plane the bat more efficiently without making compensations during the swing? In golf some golfer who are limited can benefit from setting up a little closed which delays their shoulder from spinning out which is a complete disaster in golf, unless you have incredible side bend, like Morikawa or Dustin Johnson.

Anyway I was hoping someone can explain these positions and what they provide for the hitter. Obviously if the player is closed and he is RH I would assume a large position of his hits would be to right field.

Thanks for any insights, in find the geometry of the swings (any sports really) to be facinating.

What is your stance when swinging a sand wedge?

Depends if you are using your S wedge (56 degrees often) from the fairway or bunker.
For a short pitch from fairway where you are shorter distance than a pitching wedge, stand square to ball same as other wedged.
However when using S wedge from sand bunker, most lies call for very open stance facing well left but with blade facing the pin.
Swing along your foot path in outside to in motion as club should enter the sand slightly behind ball.
Having very open stance is recommended.

[Voldemort]

I am not a baseball guy, in regards to playing it was Tennis and Golf. Both are a bad mix due to the way the body reacts to the hit/strike/swing.

In golf you want to keep your shoulder complex closed before impact. This is allows the club (especially irons or hybrid off the turf) to come from the "inside" and strike the ball creating more time to build up speed. If you come over the top you create a steep weak angle and unless you are making serious compensations you will most likely be disaster off the fairway.

With that said, some players have length, flexibililty, hand eye (which is a kind of a blanket statement for ability) and host of other skills and abilities.

Now this leads to baseball swing. Some guys set up closed some guys set up square and even open.

Why is this? Does this help them preset in the swing to allow them to plane the bat more efficiently without making compensations during the swing? In golf some golfer who are limited can benefit from setting up a little closed which delays their shoulder from spinning out which is a complete disaster in golf, unless you have incredible side bend, like Morikawa or Dustin Johnson.

Anyway I was hoping someone can explain these positions and what they provide for the hitter. Obviously if the player is closed and he is RH I would assume a large position of his hits would be to right field.

Thanks for any insights, in find the geometry of the swings (any sports really) to be facinating.

A complete answer to this is more complicated than I have time to address. I have coached both golf and baseball/softball for decades. The swings are different in many ways. BTW, there is no such thing as a "softball swing." There is only the swing. Anyway, for some basics. Start with the action of the back leg. In baseball, that back leg is bent and remains bent in the load. In golf, that back leg straightens. Look at the hands. In baseball, the hands go to the ball in a loop, but more parallel to the ground than the hands in the golf swing. BTW, both are similar in the concept of pointing the knob of the bat/club at the ball. Both are similar in the concept that "the secret is in the dirt." IOWs, in both the baseball and golfball swing, there is a point where the back toe drags the ground for a brief time in efficient swings.) In baseball, there is a concept called "X-Stretch." IOWs, the top half of the body fights or resists forward movement as the hitter tracks the ball while the lower half/hips fire. It is very brief but necessary. In golf, instead of resisting, the top and bottom work together to, "throw the baby out with the bath water."

Regarding open, squared, and closed stances, the open stance allows the hitter to get both eyes on the ball easier, but can be a total debacle if the stance is too open, since the front hip has to "get in the way to get out of the way." (Very subtle.) The closed stance blocks the back hip from optimum function in the swing.

Again, the answer to the question is much more complicated than this simple response. BTW, my child played both high school golf and softball and was offered scholarships in both. She made the all-conference and all-area teams in both sports. I coached several players who did both successfully. Before my physical downfall and the knee and hip replacements, I was once a very low-handicapped golfer. I got down to a 6 handicap in league last year. When I hit infield and outfield, I use a different swing than I do in golf.

[Voldemort]

No comparison. In fact, in baseball or softball, it was a fact, if they went golfing, they’d have a bad game.

Long been known you want to mess up a baseball swing- go golfing. Muscle memory doesn’t fade fast enough.

My baseball swing often takes over on the tee box. I can hit it pretty well, but it’s anyone’s guess as to where it’s going

If your baseball swing causes you to slice the ball, a simple drill is to take your driver head cover and place it in your back armpit. Try to complete swings without dropping that head cover to the ground. This is a drill, so naturally, it has a golfer overdo positions in the swing in order for the golfer to develop a feel for what they need to do. After doing that for a few swings, attempt some swings without the restraint of the head cover. Then, rinse and repeat until you straighten that drive out to a fade. Keep that fade. JMHO!

[Melville]

I am not a baseball guy, in regards to playing it was Tennis and Golf. Both are a bad mix due to the way the body reacts to the hit/strike/swing.

In golf you want to keep your shoulder complex closed before impact. This is allows the club (especially irons or hybrid off the turf) to come from the "inside" and strike the ball creating more time to build up speed. If you come over the top you create a steep weak angle and unless you are making serious compensations you will most likely be disaster off the fairway.

With that said, some players have length, flexibililty, hand eye (which is a kind of a blanket statement for ability) and host of other skills and abilities.

Now this leads to baseball swing. Some guys set up closed some guys set up square and even open.

Why is this? Does this help them preset in the swing to allow them to plane the bat more efficiently without making compensations during the swing? In golf some golfer who are limited can benefit from setting up a little closed which delays their shoulder from spinning out which is a complete disaster in golf, unless you have incredible side bend, like Morikawa or Dustin Johnson.

Anyway I was hoping someone can explain these positions and what they provide for the hitter. Obviously if the player is closed and he is RH I would assume a large position of his hits would be to right field.

Thanks for any insights, in find the geometry of the swings (any sports really) to be facinating.

What is your stance when swinging a sand wedge?

Depends if you are using your S wedge (56 degrees often) from the fairway or bunker.
For a short pitch from fairway where you are shorter distance than a pitching wedge, stand square to ball same as other wedged.
However when using S wedge from sand bunker, most lies call for very open stance facing well left but with blade facing the pin.
Swing along your foot path in outside to in motion as club should enter the sand slightly behind ball.
Having very open stance is recommended.

Exactly right.
No golfer would ever use an open stance from the tee because it robs power - square at impact is always the goal.
But an open stance is called for from the bunker because the objective is entirely different.
The same applies to baseball.
An open stance does not increase power, it robs it.
MLB hitters who use an open stance do so for other reasons.
Far too many hitters open up too far - to their own detriment.

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

I am not a baseball guy, in regards to playing it was Tennis and Golf. Both are a bad mix due to the way the body reacts to the hit/strike/swing.

In golf you want to keep your shoulder complex closed before impact. This is allows the club (especially irons or hybrid off the turf) to come from the "inside" and strike the ball creating more time to build up speed. If you come over the top you create a steep weak angle and unless you are making serious compensations you will most likely be disaster off the fairway.

With that said, some players have length, flexibililty, hand eye (which is a kind of a blanket statement for ability) and host of other skills and abilities.

Now this leads to baseball swing. Some guys set up closed some guys set up square and even open.

Why is this? Does this help them preset in the swing to allow them to plane the bat more efficiently without making compensations during the swing? In golf some golfer who are limited can benefit from setting up a little closed which delays their shoulder from spinning out which is a complete disaster in golf, unless you have incredible side bend, like Morikawa or Dustin Johnson.

Anyway I was hoping someone can explain these positions and what they provide for the hitter. Obviously if the player is closed and he is RH I would assume a large position of his hits would be to right field.

Thanks for any insights, in find the geometry of the swings (any sports really) to be facinating.

What is your stance when swinging a sand wedge?

Depends if you are using your S wedge (56 degrees often) from the fairway or bunker.
For a short pitch from fairway where you are shorter distance than a pitching wedge, stand square to ball same as other wedged.
However when using S wedge from sand bunker, most lies call for very open stance facing well left but with blade facing the pin.
Swing along your foot path in outside to in motion as club should enter the sand slightly behind ball.
Having very open stance is recommended.

Exactly right.
No golfer would ever use an open stance from the tee because it robs power - square at impact is always the goal.
But an open stance is called for from the bunker because the objective is entirely different.
The same applies to baseball.
An open stance does not increase power, it robs it.
MLB hitters who use an open stance do so for other reasons.
Far too many hitters open up too far - to their own detriment.

Bunker is situational but I'll assume you mean green side. Mostly you would want to open your stance slightly, but you are wrong of the box. There are a lot of golfers who set up open at address in the driver, this allows them to cover the ball more and hitting slightly outside in giving them a fade shot pattern, whereas most golfer who set up closed or neutral hit draws unless they are doing something funky with the club, like cupping the wrist (open face) or the opposite.

[DwaininAztec]

Both my baseball and golf swing are primarily wrist swings. I turned into a good slap hitter in my 50s, but the golf swing truly sucks.

[Voldemort]

In baseball, a stance is often considered style. If a hitter starts open but strides to neutral, it doesn't matter. What matters is where the body is when the front heel hits the ground.

[BleedingBleu]

I taught myself to golf left-handed because my left-swing diminished for softball well below my right swing.

I’m not a golfer, but I’d rather win games with teams then play a good “enough” round of golf