Baseball Vs Softball Swing: Beginner Hitting Drills & Mechanics To Hit Bombs Further
Discover the baseball vs softball swing and learn beginner hitting drills and mechanics to hit bombs further in this swing comparison between Aaron Judge and Sierra Romero.
Aaron Judge Home Run: Same As Sierra Romero?
Let me be up front with you in this Aaron Judge home run post. Some hitting coaches still think the baseball and softball swing are drastically different. I disagree…Bigly. Human movement is human movement. Sure there are undeniable anatomical differences in body type between males and females, and differences in reaction time from sport to sport…
But there’s virtually zero difference in explosive human movement when the swing objective is hit the ball as hard as you can, as far as you can…consistently. In this video analysis, I wanted to compare the swings of Sierra Romero and Aaron Judge. Don’t worry if you don’t know one or the other…you will by the end of this post.
Actually, you know what, if you don’t know either of these hitters, then SHAME ON YOU!!! 😛 lol
Kidding aside, and in my opinion, more baseball players can learn A LOT by watching Sierra Romero swing the bat than any Big Leaguer. It’s a bold thing to say, but it’s true.
In comparing Sierra Romero to Aaron Judge, we’ll compare the following components of an effective swing:
- Key elements of the Catapult Loading System,
- Weight Shift,
- Sideways back foot, and
- Getting/staying shorter.
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Who is Sierra Romero?
Besides being my favorite swing model for Fast-Pitch Softball hitters, and according to the USSSA Pride website:
- 5-foot, 5-inches in height.
- Sierra finished her rookie professional Fast-Pitch Softball season batting .339 in 109 at-bats with 18 runs scored, 37 hits, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 21 RBI and a .397 OBP.
- First player in NCAA softball history (at Uni of Michigan) to record 300 runs, 300 hits and 300 RBI in her career.
- Owns NCAA record in career runs (300) and grand slams (11). Ranks fourth all-time in career RBI (305) and slugging percentage (.882) and eighth in home runs (82) and walks (225).
- Joined the USA Junior Women’s National Team (2012), ISF Junior Women’s World Championship Silver Medalist (2012).
Who is Aaron Judge?
Besides this guy being a friggin’ BEAST of a human being!? Here are some major talking points, according to Wikipedia.org and FanGraphs.com:
- 6-foot, 7-inches tall, and 282-pounds (imagine the parents that had to feed this guy!!) lol
- Was a three sport athlete in High School (Football, Basketball, and Baseball).
- Played at my Alma-mater, Fresno State, from 2010 and got drafted by the Yankees 32nd overall by the Yankees in 2013.
- As of April 2017 Exit Velocity metrics, Judge clocked game batted balls of at least 115-mph SIX TIMES!! Joey Gallo was second with two.
- Did I mention this guy is a BEAST?!
The Bottom Line…?
In comparing the swings of Sierra Romero and Aaron Judge, there are many BIG WIN mechanical similarities. They both hit for power and precision. The softball swing isn’t any different than its baseball counterpart. Power and precision don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Size doesn’t matter, however if you’re a beast like Aaron Judge the capability of hitting the ball farther with consistently higher Ball Exit Speeds is greater. What is clear however, is if you move better, then you perform better.
In the day and age of advanced technology and access to specific experts on human movement and Physics, there’s no room for coaches who resist getting educated. If you aren’t growing, then you’re dying.
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Does Sierra do what she does with her back foot because of the shorter distance that the pitching circle is from home plate in fastpitch softball, because she just doesn’t have the time?
Good point Joe…and that is a possibility. She’s very extreme with the back foot. Again, I wouldn’t teach my hitters to that extreme.
It’s interesting to compare and contrast Judge’s swing in Triple A with his swing now. The adjustments he made obviously has paid off but has made him something of the new poster child for the type of mechanics you advocate.
Interesting note there Joe. We’ll see how a full year plays out for him, but he absolutely MASHED the ball in April.
Joey,
Been watching a lot of Aaron Judge, as probably a lot of people are. Got the Yankees/Brewers game on now. Noticed that he has made adjustments from college to the minors to last year, his first in the majors, basically cutting down on his leg lift/kick. One thing I think that he can do is bend his front knee more in the stride (he is relatively stiff legged at landing) to enable him to hit the low breaking pitches he’s been seeing a lot of. Your thoughts…
Right on Joe. I agree with you about Judge “getting into his legs” a little more. For a big guy it’s important.
He’s doing just fine in the HR Derby so far, hitting high meatballs. Ain’t nobody throwing him sliders low and away.
Totally Joe…he’s an absolute beast!
I guess Max Scherzer proved my point last night in Judge’s first AB.
lol
I guess Scherzer could do that to anyone, even those with perfect textbook mechanics. But Judge is vulnerable to low and away breaking pitches because of his lack of flexion in his knees.
The Red Sox, this weekend, seemed to have discovered what Scherzer knows, sliders away and fastballs up and in, the nemesis of all big guys.
And it seems to be the consensus from old Yankee great pitchers: http://gohpl.com/2vkDaHD
Pick any big guy – same strategy.
Totally!
The sliders are starting to eat Aaron Judge alive. That’s all they throw him. A .159 batting average since All-star break.
Joey,
I still don’t agree with the sideways back foot, but, did you see George Springer’s back foot on his World Series Game 7 HR?