Jake

[justwin]

we all know this last few weeks has to be killing him. Likely, never have gone through something like this before.

that being said, if you could give him one piece of advice, what would you tell him?

For me, I would tell him to start his lower half a count quicker and get his front foot back down & grounded a second sooner so his base is planted / loaded and ready to drive the ball, freeing up his hands. it seems that his upper half is just reacting to contact and rolling over pitches. Best coach I ever had preached that the #1 slump killer is to get your lower half started and done early to get your timing back.

we're all pulling for you, Jake

[MetEdDawg]

He's swinging too hard. Needs to take the bat to the ball instead of through the ball. That guy throwing 95 last night Jake nearly swung out of his shoes. Wrong approach. Take the bat to the ball and quit trying so hard to hit the ball in the perfect spot.

Just find the right ball to hit

[R2Dawg]

Boy it is tough and what bad timing for him and team. In most circumstances, I'd say we can't make a run without him coming out but most of our lineup is just killing it.

I have been through funks playing golf and it is hard to figure out your own swing issues. To be honest you could see some things before he officially went in his slump where he only got a hit or on base due to his speed and not getting his bat on the ball good. That has always been his best skill is getting the bat on any kind of ball. He is missing balls all the way now.

[BogeyGolfer]

we all know this last few weeks has to be killing him. Likely, never have gone through something like this before.

that being said, if you could give him one piece of advice, what would you tell him?

For me, I would tell him to start his lower half a count quicker and get his front foot back down & grounded a second sooner so his base is planted / loaded and ready to drive the ball, freeing up his hands. it seems that his upper half is just reacting to contact and rolling over pitches. Best coach I ever had preached that the #1 slump killer is to get your lower half started and done early to get your timing back.

we're all pulling for you, Jake

Take three shots of Southern Comfort, chase it with a Natty Light. Done, slump will be over.....You're welcome....

[Rick Danko]

Either play in a garter belt or a thong... seems to work.... just ask Nuke or Brubaker

[Marvin]

Slumps happen even month long ones. that’s baseball. Do what you always do, line drives in the middle of the field is the target.

[Roy Munson]

we all know this last few weeks has to be killing him. Likely, never have gone through something like this before.

that being said, if you could give him one piece of advice, what would you tell him?

For me, I would tell him to start his lower half a count quicker and get his front foot back down & grounded a second sooner so his base is planted / loaded and ready to drive the ball, freeing up his hands. it seems that his upper half is just reacting to contact and rolling over pitches. Best coach I ever had preached that the #1 slump killer is to get your lower half started and done early to get your timing back.

we're all pulling for you, Jake

Go to Rick's ASAP and channel the ole Mark Grace slump buster. If that doesn't work, from a baseball standpoint I'd have him hit from the same side as the pitcher he's facing. He probably hasn't done that since little league so he'd be thinking about that vs the slump.

[ShotgunDawg]

Swing at strikes and drive the ball back up the middle

He's trying to get to power and yanking.

Main thing is swing at strikes.

[Hot Rock]

I begin with not telling him anything to think about during his swing. Thinking and hitting usually don?t go well for me. I like the idea of focusing on the results if not the total outcome. The result of a good ball strike, good at bats but not necessarily getting in base. You do that and the hits will come.

[Bdawg]

Shrink your strike zone and try to get better pitches to hit. You can't go up there swinging at balls like he does and expect to make good contact(especially in a slump.) I was always taught to divide the plate in thirds. So our approach was you have to choose 2of the 3. If you like it inside, you hit the middle third and inside third. You give away the outer third. If pitcher paints 2 on the black on the outside, you tip your hat and defend the plate. Same thing if your looking away, hit the outer 1/3 and middle 1/3. By shrinking the zone and making the pitcher come to you, your odds of making good contact go up. Jake swings at so much junk that he sometimes doesn't get a chance to swing at a decent pitch.

[WinningIsRelentless]

Have fun and don?t press. I might would even swap him and rowdy in the order.

[CadaverDawg]

I'd tell him to quit pressing and just take some pitches. Remind him he's a great opposite field hitter and a great 2 strike hitter, so take some early pitches because most teams aren't throwing him strikes right now because they know he'll chase....so turn the tables on them by getting ahead in the count and get a few fastballs to smoke back up the middle. Worst case scenario he ends up in the same 0-2 hole he gets in every time anyway. Dropping a bunt may not be a bad idea either. We just need him to draw a walk, reach on an error or leg out a single and he could get rolling

[Turfdawg67]

I'd tell him that he is the all-time hits leader in the SEC and that I've never played college baseball... so don't listen to anything I tell him.

[Activated Alpha]

I would tell him he is an automatic out at this point

[coastratdog]

Bunt, bunt, then drag bunt. Speed never goes into a slump.

[mparkerfd20]

It's mental. I would just move him down in the lineup and let Tanner lead off. It worked for breaking TA's and RJ's slumps and they are both killing it now.

[KOdawg1]

Hit the ball on the ground. Half of Jake's hits (not really, but a lot of them) have come from him just beating out ground balls with his speed.

[CoachT14]

For me, I would tell him to start his lower half a count quicker and get his front foot back down & grounded a second sooner so his base is planted / loaded and ready to drive the ball, freeing up his hands. it seems that his upper half is just reacting to contact and rolling over pitches. Best coach I ever had preached that the #1 slump killer is to get your lower half started and done early to get your timing back.

This is actually the correct sequence that our body should move to be the most efficient. Hips>Core>Shoulders>Hands. Jake has always been an extremely pushy hitter (with his hands) and has excelled with it because he has great hand eye coordination. But when you combine who extreme aggressiveness with a pushy swing, it creates a timing issue. He has to decide much earlier than some hitters to swing or not to swing because his hands initiate the swing and his body's kinetic sequence is completely out of sink. Pushy swings also usually have an extreme down angle to the ball, which is why he consistently hits low line-drives, groundballs, and high choppers. Basically, Jake's bat is never in the hitting zone long because he's pushing his bat through the zone first, which disrupts the kinetic chain and causes a much more steep angle to the ball. And if Jake's timing is off (which it is the last few weeks) and his hand eye coordination isn't up to par, he will struggle to hit (which he has).

https://makeagif.com/gif/joey-votto-slow-motion-swing-2wE1VQ
https://s3.gifyu.com/images/ezgif.com-gif-maker5a61152e079d0953.gif
http://www.chrisoleary.com/videos/Hitting/Pujols7.gif
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/sites/csnbayarea/files/5_4_davis_swing.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FlakyOnlyDrever-max-1mb.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ActualAgileGoldfish-small.gif
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545599abe4b05e8e1dbc8304/t/5bc780aba4222f44a88940fa/1539801287845/IMG_1401.GIF

If you look at the difference between Jake's swing and all of those high level swings, you can tell that the hands are resisting the move forward on foot strike with the pro guys. Meaning that the upper body is creating resistance with the lower body like a rubber band. It almost looks as if they're pulling the bat through the zone and not pushing it. Jake on the other hand doesn't resist that move forward and the hands come with the lower body on foot strike (hands first, pushy swings). Because of this, he has to decide a millisecond earlier to swing. Also, their swings are matching the plane of the pitches early in the swing versus Jake has a fairly steep angle to ball. Steep angles to the ball can cause a disruption of timing because they have to be perfectly on time to get on plane with the pitch to create backspin. If you match plane earlier (like the pro guys are) you create a timing mechanism that allows you to be slightly early or late and still get a solid piece of the baseball. And when a ball is coming 90-95 MPH, every millisecond longer you have to decide is crucial.

I guess I'm saying all this to say that Jake is struggling because of slight flaw in his swing that is causing issues for him if he isn't timing pitches up. And because he is struggling, Jake is forcing his hands to the ball and creating an even more exaggerated push type swing. I'm also not saying this to bash Jake or how he swings, he's been extremely successful swinging how he does obviously. Just pointing out an observation I've noticed through the years since Jake has been here.

[Todd4State]

I think I would tell him to start sooner like others are saying and also to just go out and have fun. Just try to get on base instead of trying to win a Narional Title every at bat.

[WSOPdawg]

Bunt, bunt, then drag bunt. Speed never goes into a slump.

Yep, I'd drop a bunt down the 3rd base line to start tonight's game just to make them make the play. On the bright side, while he had several outs last night hit to the right side of the infield, he also had one down the 3rd base line that was close to getting through for a double as well as several tagged flyouts that would've been doubles had they found the gap (ie, he's getting close to hitting his way out imo).

[3rdGen]

I don’t know what to tell him but last night at the game when he flew out to center and the crowd went quiet you could tell it in his body language and you could breath it in that he knew everyone was waiting for him to come around. And it is eating him alive to be in this slump.

[deadheaddawg]

My advice to Mangum? Don't change your approach or do anything that some random message board dude say to do. Please don't read this thread and try to follow any of that advice.

Just avoid this message board all together

Mangum you and the coaching staff know far more than anyone here. Please don't go monkeying around with things and follow some 45 year old desk jockeys advice.

You got this

[Really Clark?]

This is actually the correct sequence that our body should move to be the most efficient. Hips>Core>Shoulders>Hands. Jake has always been an extremely pushy hitter (with his hands) and has excelled with it because he has great hand eye coordination. But when you combine who extreme aggressiveness with a pushy swing, it creates a timing issue. He has to decide much earlier than some hitters to swing or not to swing because his hands initiate the swing and his body's kinetic sequence is completely out of sink. Pushy swings also usually have an extreme down angle to the ball, which is why he consistently hits low line-drives, groundballs, and high choppers. Basically, Jake's bat is never in the hitting zone long because he's pushing his bat through the zone first, which disrupts the kinetic chain and causes a much more steep angle to the ball. And if Jake's timing is off (which it is the last few weeks) and his hand eye coordination isn't up to par, he will struggle to hit (which he has).

https://makeagif.com/gif/joey-votto-slow-motion-swing-2wE1VQ
https://s3.gifyu.com/images/ezgif.com-gif-maker5a61152e079d0953.gif
http://www.chrisoleary.com/videos/Hitting/Pujols7.gif
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/sites/csnbayarea/files/5_4_davis_swing.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FlakyOnlyDrever-max-1mb.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ActualAgileGoldfish-small.gif
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545599abe4b05e8e1dbc8304/t/5bc780aba4222f44a88940fa/1539801287845/IMG_1401.GIF

If you look at the difference between Jake's swing and all of those high level swings, you can tell that the hands are resisting the move forward on foot strike with the pro guys. Meaning that the upper body is creating resistance with the lower body like a rubber band. It almost looks as if they're pulling the bat through the zone and not pushing it. Jake on the other hand doesn't resist that move forward and the hands come with the lower body on foot strike (hands first, pushy swings). Because of this, he has to decide a millisecond earlier to swing. Also, their swings are matching the plane of the pitches early in the swing versus Jake has a fairly steep angle to ball. Steep angles to the ball can cause a disruption of timing because they have to be perfectly on time to get on plane with the pitch to create backspin. If you match plane earlier (like the pro guys are) you create a timing mechanism that allows you to be slightly early or late and still get a solid piece of the baseball. And when a ball is coming 90-95 MPH, every millisecond longer you have to decide is crucial.

I guess I'm saying all this to say that Jake is struggling because of slight flaw in his swing that is causing issues for him if he isn't timing pitches up. And because he is struggling, Jake is forcing his hands to the ball and creating an even more exaggerated push type swing. I'm also not saying this to bash Jake or how he swings, he's been extremely successful swinging how he does obviously. Just pointing out an observation I've noticed through the years since Jake has been here.

Those are horrible comps. Why would you use Pulos and Davis? At all?? That?s not the type of hitter Jake is and him trying to do what those 2 do would be a horrible idea. Wrong body types, wrong types of hitter. The rest are not any better really but at least smaller body types. He is never going to be a power hitter, not should he be looking to completely retool his swing to be a power hitter. He should not be looking to lift at those attack angles and striking out 150+ plus times a season. Not that I don?t use what those guys do for certain points and especially with power guys but overall you are taking a contact speed guy and trying to generate max power swings with the comps of those players. Horrible idea. Jon Jay, Escobar, Peraza, Gordon...those are much closer to what you need to look at as his type of hitter and slight body type.

[CadaverDawg]

My advice to Mangum? Don't change your approach or do anything that some random message board dude say to do. Please don't read this thread and try to follow any of that advice.

Just avoid this message board all together

Mangum you and the coaching staff know far more than anyone here. Please don't go monkeying around with things and follow some 45 year old desk jockeys advice.

You got this

http://rs1060.pbsrc.com/albums/t444/ceilibrown1/stanley_zps871c290f.gif~c200

[gravedigger]

This is actually the correct sequence that our body should move to be the most efficient. Hips>Core>Shoulders>Hands. Jake has always been an extremely pushy hitter (with his hands) and has excelled with it because he has great hand eye coordination. But when you combine who extreme aggressiveness with a pushy swing, it creates a timing issue. He has to decide much earlier than some hitters to swing or not to swing because his hands initiate the swing and his body's kinetic sequence is completely out of sink. Pushy swings also usually have an extreme down angle to the ball, which is why he consistently hits low line-drives, groundballs, and high choppers. Basically, Jake's bat is never in the hitting zone long because he's pushing his bat through the zone first, which disrupts the kinetic chain and causes a much more steep angle to the ball. And if Jake's timing is off (which it is the last few weeks) and his hand eye coordination isn't up to par, he will struggle to hit (which he has).

https://makeagif.com/gif/joey-votto-slow-motion-swing-2wE1VQ
https://s3.gifyu.com/images/ezgif.com-gif-maker5a61152e079d0953.gif
http://www.chrisoleary.com/videos/Hitting/Pujols7.gif
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/sites/csnbayarea/files/5_4_davis_swing.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FlakyOnlyDrever-max-1mb.gif
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ActualAgileGoldfish-small.gif
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545599abe4b05e8e1dbc8304/t/5bc780aba4222f44a88940fa/1539801287845/IMG_1401.GIF

If you look at the difference between Jake's swing and all of those high level swings, you can tell that the hands are resisting the move forward on foot strike with the pro guys. Meaning that the upper body is creating resistance with the lower body like a rubber band. It almost looks as if they're pulling the bat through the zone and not pushing it. Jake on the other hand doesn't resist that move forward and the hands come with the lower body on foot strike (hands first, pushy swings). Because of this, he has to decide a millisecond earlier to swing. Also, their swings are matching the plane of the pitches early in the swing versus Jake has a fairly steep angle to ball. Steep angles to the ball can cause a disruption of timing because they have to be perfectly on time to get on plane with the pitch to create backspin. If you match plane earlier (like the pro guys are) you create a timing mechanism that allows you to be slightly early or late and still get a solid piece of the baseball. And when a ball is coming 90-95 MPH, every millisecond longer you have to decide is crucial.

I guess I'm saying all this to say that Jake is struggling because of slight flaw in his swing that is causing issues for him if he isn't timing pitches up. And because he is struggling, Jake is forcing his hands to the ball and creating an even more exaggerated push type swing. I'm also not saying this to bash Jake or how he swings, he's been extremely successful swinging how he does obviously. Just pointing out an observation I've noticed through the years since Jake has been here.

For golfers, it's called the 'X' factor. IT is the difference in hip and shoulder rotation that causes the hip turn to pull the shoulders and the hands whip through the hitting area. I've always wondered if great hitters feel that or not because golf is actually pretty different than baseball due to the moving object.

But it sounds like that is what you described.