According to Joe Christensen,
Danny Valencia has been working hard all offseason at improving his overall
game. In addition to trying to repair his shoddy defense, he has used video to help
him make a few changes to his offensive approach:
“Valencia, 27, also studied video of his at-bats and decided
to make a subtle change with his hands. Last year, he would trap his hands
toward his body, forcing a longer loop before his swing. Now, he is bringing
his hands straight back, giving him a straighter path to the ball.”
Here’s a look at what Valencia has seen:
Focus on his hands. Notice that during his loading process,
he drops his hands while bring the bat inside then brings his hands back up to
his launch position. This action is what causes the “longer loop” as
Christensen describes it.
Compare Valencia’s loading process to that of fellow
right-hander and former teammate Michael Cuddyer:
Rather than moving his hands towards his body, Cuddyer simply
shifts his s...
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