| Subject | Date Asked |
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| Baseball Pitching Accuracy | 8/28/2008 |
Q: I am a graduate student and for my thesis I am studying the effects of a proper warm-up on pitching ...
A: Ian, If I understand your experiment then you would have a control group of pitchers, and a certain ...
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| positioning of 3rd baseman | 8/18/2008 |
Q: Co-ed softball. Runner on first. Ball is hit to right field, runner rounds second and heads for ...
A: Andrew, Since the runner clearly beat the throw the third baseman could have come off the bag. ...
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| offseason | 8/15/2008 |
Q: I am a catcher and i would like to condition for high school. I am also very slow and i would really ...
A: Billy, Any drill that involves quick feet will help. A speed ladder is a great investment. ...
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| side arm pitching | 8/11/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 10yrs old. She plays on a travel fast pitch baseball with the boys. She is a very ...
A: Stacy, I don't think it is important for her to change her pitching style. If she is going to ...
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| pitching and stuff | 8/10/2008 |
Q: In my league next year wee can trow curve alls. but i dont want to screw my armup. is there any ...
A: Jordan, The most important and hardest pitch to learn to throw effectively is the change-up. Even ...
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| Changing arm slot | 8/6/2008 |
Q: Two year ago, I was playing entirely infield, my coaches changed my arm slot to about 75. Now they ...
A: David, The tail can come from your grip, your release, or not staying on top of the ball. If you ...
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| Changing arm slot | 8/5/2008 |
Q: Two year ago, I was playing entirely infield, my coaches changed my arm slot to about 75. Now they ...
A: David, I don't believe you have to change your arm slot because of a position change. the outfield ...
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| strengthing my arm | 8/2/2008 |
Q: I am a 15 year old junior playing left field and i want to know the best way possible to play long ...
A: Jordan, In the off season you shout long toss 2-3 times per week with no more than 50 throws per ...
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| pitching | 7/30/2008 |
Q: does practice pitching with a rubber ball help your pitching command or does it just throw you off. ...
A: Chris, I would recommend pitching a real baseball when you can. The rubber ball may not be the ...
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| baseball swing | 7/28/2008 |
Q: Hellp John, I was just wondering is a big leg lift in your swing good because ive noticed ive been ...
A: Hayden, It doesn't matter if you take a big or small step. The step can be either as long as you ...
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| Throwing | 7/26/2008 |
Q: I am 14 and last fall was starting SS, and never made a bad throw, but when I returned this season ...
A: Jake, Throwing everyday may not be what you need to fix the problem, it may add more stress and make ...
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| skull caps? | 7/21/2008 |
Q: what levels of play are skull caps allowed are they allowed in AAU,ECTB and little league?
A: Emily, I assume you are asking about the two piece catchers mask when you say skull caps. I believe ...
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| Pitching Rules | 7/18/2008 |
Q: This year our league has had alot of arguments over rules. Tonight was no exception. In the 2nd ...
A: Laura, I am not sure if this is an official little league rule. Many leagues put in rules ...
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| catching drills | 7/15/2008 |
Q: I'm an 11 year old girl playing AAU baseball and i really want to be the starting catcher for my ...
A: Emily, Any drill that involves quick feet will help. A speed ladder is a great investment. ...
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| gaining speed | 7/14/2008 |
Q: I am 13 years old, and last year I blew out my arm? Now this year, the fastest I can throw the the ...
A: Anthony, Definitely do some long toss throwing. Talk to you pitching coach for the correct ...
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| Bratt Bats | 7/14/2008 |
Q: Could you recommend specific drills for the bratt bat? Thank you
A: Brian, The bratt's bat can be done with any drill. I usually use it on the batting T, soft ...
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| Throwing Error or Catching Error | 7/13/2008 |
Q: If an infielder (15-16 y-old's) picks-up a ground ball at shortstop which is otherwise a regular ...
A: Mike, I am really not sure on the ruling of this, I would think that it is more of a judgement call ...
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| Coaching/training | 7/11/2008 |
Q: John- I have been coaching baseball for the past 7 years and next year look forward to coaching a ...
A: Matt, One of the greatest baseball books is Ron Polk's baseball handbook. This book is great for ...
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| gaining speed | 7/10/2008 |
Q: I am 13 years old, and last year I blew out my arm? Now this year, the fastest I can throw the the ...
A: Anthony, Before trying to gain speed make sure you are 100% healed from your injury. Usually ...
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| the baseball swing | 7/9/2008 |
Q: what is the deffence betreen slapping and driveng the baseball?
A: James, Sorry for the late reply, my vacation had lasted longer than expected. A slap hitter is ...
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| Pitching - velocity now? | 6/24/2008 |
Q: My 11 yo son pitches for his AAU team. He has great movement on his ball, and low ERA - forces the ...
A: Jack, You and your son shouldn't need to be concerned at this point with velocity. Your son is only ...
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| Hitting Mechanics | 6/22/2008 |
Q: How do we repair a flaw. My daughter who is 20 plays fastpitch softball. She is an excellent ...
A: Deby, You are correct, she is loosing power and bat speed by only using the arms and it does make ...
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| fix me | 6/21/2008 |
Q: I have a long swing and cant fix it. my hands go too far back and my barrel wraps behind my head. ...
A: Joe, Check where your hands are when you step. You are probably making too much separation of your ...
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| Grounding out | 6/21/2008 |
Q: Lately I have been grounding out to third base. My last 20 atbats I have 4 Strike Outs 7 walks, and ...
A: Shawn, Work on hitting the ball to the opposite side. Stay inside the ball and make sure you let it ...
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| home plate sliding | 6/19/2008 |
Q: if a player is tripped up 2 ft from homebase, and ends up on his stomach, is he allowed to tag up by ...
A: Susan, My opinion would depend on the level of play you are referring to. If it is older little ...
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| home plate sliding | 6/18/2008 |
Q: In a minor league game, we had a girl overrun home plate while the ball was in the box. Is it true ...
A: Susan, You league may have a slide to avoid contact rule. This rule means that any close play the ...
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| Playing In The Majors | 6/17/2008 |
Q: I'm a Freshmen in high school and I was wondering what I have to do to be Major League material.
A: Marcus, What scout look for are the five tools. The five tools are (1)hit for power, (2)hit for ...
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| pitching instruction | 6/16/2008 |
Q: I live in Napa,ca. I have a 14yr.old son that played jv high school ball. He is a right handed ...
A: David, I usually don't like to give instructors names without meeting the instructor. This is ...
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| getting short | 6/13/2008 |
Q: i am a very stalky player, about 5'8 and all butt and thighs. i just completed my first college ...
A: Cameron, First check your mechanics, make sure you have rotational mechanics and allowing your hips ...
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| BALL 4 on batter | 6/10/2008 |
Q: Batter at plate had a 3 and 2 count.A runner at second base with one out.On the next pitch to the ...
A: Joe, Yes, you are correct the runner should be able to go to third base on a passed ball. I would ...
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| 8U batting - pulling everything | 6/9/2008 |
Q: My son is 8 and is a very good hitter for his age group, with lots of power. But recently he has ...
A: Luke, Try to get your son to transfer the tee to soft toss, soft toss to batting practice, batting ...
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| BALL 4 on batter | 6/9/2008 |
Q: Batter at plate had a 3 and 2 count.A runner at second base with one out.On the next pitch to the ...
A: Joe, Depending on the league the runner may be able to take 3rd base. Some lower level little ...
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| 8U batting - pulling everything | 6/7/2008 |
Q: My son is 8 and is a very good hitter for his age group, with lots of power. But recently he has ...
A: Luke, My favorite drill is off the batting tee. The tee is very basic but it can cure any ...
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| Baserunning | 6/6/2008 |
Q: Situation: There is one out or no outs and a runner at second and third. The batter misses a suicide ...
A: Jerry, I would keep the runner at second base. Depending on the level of play you are talking ...
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| Igloo cooler refresher | 6/6/2008 |
Q: I had a coach that during the summer he would provide our team with a cooler clearly marked not to ...
A: Brian, I have heard of this and have tried it. The water, ice, and mint provide a cooling ...
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| Hitting - rotation of hips | 6/5/2008 |
Q: John, My son is a 10 year old, and is a pretty consistent hitter. However, there are many times ...
A: Jay, Pivoting both feet will make the hips open up more, but it will also pull your head and ...
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| Hitting out in front | 6/5/2008 |
Q: My son plays high level 13U travel baseball and has always been an excellent hitter. However, he has ...
A: Joe, Most importantly is hitting the ball to the opposite side. If your son is pulling the 70+ ...
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| Getting a short swing | 6/4/2008 |
Q: my question is about how to make my swing short and compacted...my whole like my swing has been long ...
A: Josh, First, you should video your game swings vs. batting practice swings. If you are able to ...
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| Catching | 6/1/2008 |
Q: I was wanting to know if it is ok to stagger your feet whenever a runner is a threat to steal, why ...
A: Aaron, With your feet staggered your shoulders will also stagger. You still want to be ...
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| Catching | 5/31/2008 |
Q: I was wanting to know if it is ok to stagger your feet whenever a runner is a threat to steal, why ...
A: Aaron, When a runner is on base and you go into the secondary receiving position the feet ...
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| small but talented | 5/28/2008 |
Q: My son is a great ball player, but he is small. He is 10 yrs old and only ways 55lbs. I have a few ...
A: Gina, Sorry for the late reply Nokona has been updating their email server and since then I ...
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| catching &feilding | 5/26/2008 |
Q: my son is 9 and has played 2 yrs. t-ball, 1 yr.machine pitch then moved up to pony ...
A: Stanley, One thing that may work is getting a safety ball. You may have seen these balls ...
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| pitching | 5/26/2008 |
Q: I am working on pitching and I have good speed but not good accuracy. What can I do to have better ...
A: Caeden, Make sure your mechanics are perfect. Just like a hitter, make sure your lower half is ...
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| Mechanics | 5/23/2008 |
Q: I have a 6 year old son and he loves baseball. I want teach him about the game, specifically the ...
A: Tim, I just recently finished writing an instructional book about hitting that should be ...
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| Special Bat | 5/20/2008 |
Q: My coach to me to go and buy a specialized bat used for hitting popflies into the outfield but he ...
A: Jimmy, This special bat is called a fungo. They are made to hit groundballs and fly balls easier ...
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| Intentional Walk | 5/20/2008 |
Q: If a pitcher goes to his mouth,it is called a ball. If he goes to his mouth 4 times,can this be ...
A: Joe, I am really not sure about this because I have never heard of any pitcher doing or wanting to ...
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| bat speed or power | 5/18/2008 |
Q: my boy play high school baseball,how can he get more power or speed with the bat ANSWER: James, ...
A: James, The slow twitch muscles fall into the category of the "big muscles". These muscles are ...
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| bat speed or power | 5/17/2008 |
Q: my boy play high school baseball,how can he get more power or speed with the bat
A: James, Power is the product of strength and speed. Strength is the product of physical ...
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| Catcher Obstruction | 4/26/2008 |
Q: John, I recently umpired a JVBB game by myself. During the game on three occasions the catcher came ...
A: Dale, The catcher's box is the area in which the catcher must stand until the pitcher delivers ...
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| batting stance | 4/22/2008 |
Q: My son is small, but a power hitter. He is a lefty that bats right handed. (he is a Pujols fan) ...
A: Jacki, To comment on the first part of your answer, you son has the perfect combination of ...
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| batting stance | 4/22/2008 |
Q: My son is small, but a power hitter. He is a lefty that bats right handed. (he is a Pujols fan) ...
A: Jacki, To comment on the first part of your answer, you son has the perfect combination of ...
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| Pitching | 4/20/2008 |
Q: I am 13 years old and I am pitching in little league. I have two questions to ask. First of all what ...
A: Joel, I would recommend any pitcher at any age to perfect the change-up and focus on that pitch ...
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| infielders moving on the pitch | 4/16/2008 |
Q: I want to work on the fundamentals of fielding balls with your hand under the ball. I also am ...
A: Tom, When I teach infielders I start with the 3 positions. These positions will keep the ...
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| current baseball techniques | 4/15/2008 |
Q: Are there differences in the techniques of baseball within the past 20 years? I have been searching ...
A: James, I just recently finished writing an instructional book about the stance and swing that ...
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| Bat Size | 4/13/2008 |
Q: This question is a bit after the fact but here goes. My son is 17. He's 6'3" and approximately ...
A: Margaret, Judging by his height the 32 inch bat is too short. When picking a bat you have a couple ...
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| catcher interference call | 4/13/2008 |
Q: The catcher on our team was called for interference on the batter in the following situation: player ...
A: Gary, Yes the umpire was right with the call he had made. Just like the hitter has a batters box he ...
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| baseball | 4/13/2008 |
Q: JOHN, MY QUESTION IS THIS. MY SON ZACH IS NINE YEARS OLD AND PLAYING TOURNAMENT BASEBALL. WHEN ...
A: John, Yes, you are correct. His load is very early. When a hitter creates his load or ...
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| current baseball techniques | 4/10/2008 |
Q: Are there differences in the techniques of baseball within the past 20 years? I have been searching ...
A: James, There are many difference in the teaching of the swing in the past 20 years and ...
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| My son has an upper cut in his swing | 4/9/2008 |
Q: Do you have any suggestions on how to get my son not to upper cut his swing. He swings level when ...
A: Brian, There is no such swing as a level swing. This is a myth that everyone thinks is a ...
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| coach pitch | 4/8/2008 |
Q: I have signed up for coaching my sons coach pitch team, now i am the head coach, but the ...
A: Kristi, Your question of teaching the player the right way is an answer that I don't think ...
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| Swing Correction | 4/6/2008 |
Q: My son is five years old and is playing T-ball for the first time. He doesn't make a full swing and ...
A: Jeff, I would not worry to much as your son is only 5 years old. At his age the most ...
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| Advice, encouragement for h.s. sophomore baseball player | 4/4/2008 |
Q: What causes high school coaches to pick a player for the team and then rarely or never give him a ...
A: Laurie, This is a great question that many parent and players have. One of the things ...
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| Hitting | 3/30/2008 |
Q: My grandson is in coach pitch this year and in pitching to him I find that he is behind the pitch at ...
A: Duane, Being behind the pitch is one aspect of hitting that all great hitters have. Being ...
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| bunting | 3/27/2008 |
Q: What is the correct position of the batters feet when squaring to bunt? Referring to 9 and 10 year ...
A: Vernon, Here is a portion of the bunting section of the fundamentals book I am currently writing. ...
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| little league pitching | 3/25/2008 |
Q: Can a little league player pitch underhand and if so, is the windmill style allowed (as opposed to ...
A: Steve, I am not sure if their is a rule as to how a pitcher may pitch. I have never see a player ...
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| arm shot? | 3/24/2008 |
Q: I am returning to slowpitch softball at 48 yrs old and an absence of many years. Despite my age, I ...
A: Dave, My first response is to go see your doctor. Make sure that you don't have any injuries to the ...
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| pitching | 3/20/2008 |
Q: i just started pitching but whenever i pitch, the ball doesn't go where i want it to go. How do i ...
A: Chris, One thing you never want to do is to aim the baseball. Aiming the ball will never work and ...
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| catching | 3/19/2008 |
Q: My son is 7yrs old. He is playing coach pitch this year after two years of tball. He is coming ...
A: Tom, You are in a tough position but don't worry your son is so young and has many years of baseball ...
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| Infielder | 3/14/2008 |
Q: Coach, Recently at my son's LL practice a lot of the boys were hurrying their throws to first base ...
A: Lou, I believe that you should field the ball the same way every time no matter if you ...
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| Hitting - Babe Ruth | 3/13/2008 |
Q: Did Babe Ruth have normal mechanics? if yes or no please explain how he hit
A: Mitchell, I have never really studied Babe Ruth's hitting mechanics. After looking into ...
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| Shortstop, drills and tips | 3/13/2008 |
Q: I play Shortstop and I'm 16, How do I get quick hands and quick feet? I would also like to know the ...
A: Itch, Quick hands and feet come from repetition. Hands and feet work together so one ...
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| Draft Rules | 3/10/2008 |
Q: I have a question regarding "drafts". It has always been that our league has drafts for players who ...
A: Kim, I am not entirely sure about the rules of little league baseball. I can see that having drafts ...
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| Hitting Mechanics | 3/4/2008 |
Q: My son is 11 years old and a pretty solid hitter. He was picked for travel baseball this season. My ...
A: Scott, Rolling the right foot over could be a balance problem or a front foot problem. ...
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| baseball bat size | 2/27/2008 |
Q: We are getting ready to invest in a bat for our 11 yr old. He is 4' 10' just shy of 80 lbs after ...
A: Trish, Their are arguments to both using heavier and lighter bats. Most importantly is getting the ...
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| Tryout turndown | 2/13/2008 |
Q: Maybe you can help. My son who tried out for his high school baseball team got turned down today. ...
A: Missy, I have coach numerous years of high school baseball and I have never cut a player based on ...
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| hitting transition | 1/31/2008 |
Q: what is the best way to get a little leaguer used to erratic kid pitch, from coach pitch ANSWER: ...
A: Rob, Its not so much avoiding getting hit as it is being able to turn away from the ball so you ...
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| hitting transition | 1/29/2008 |
Q: what is the best way to get a little leaguer used to erratic kid pitch, from coach pitch
A: Rob, This is a tough situation for little league coaches. At the little league level you want to ...
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| Baseball Bats | 1/14/2008 |
Q: Priest, Hi! My name is Timmy. I am nine years old and in 4th grade. I am doing a project on ...
A: Timmy, Thank You for the question. This subject is not my expertise. I don't know too much about ...
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| hitting | 1/10/2008 |
Q: what starts the swing? hands? hips?
A: Tom, Thank You for the question. Depending on which type of swing you have will determine if ...
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