Alright, so I’ve been messing around with my swing lately, and I got this idea stuck in my head to try and figure out Don Mattingly’s swing. You know, Donnie Baseball. Always looked so smooth, so compact at the plate.
Figuring It Out
First thing I did was just watch. Pulled up a load of old game footage, highlights, anything I could find showing his swing from different angles. Looked simple enough on screen. That slight open stance, the bat waggle, then just a quick, direct path to the ball. Seemed pretty straightforward.
Then I actually went out and tried it. Grabbed my bat, went to the backyard. Tried to mimic that stance. Felt a bit weird, more open than I’m used to. Holding the bat up like he did, near the back shoulder. Took some dry swings first. Felt okay, but different.
Hitting the Cage
Took it to the batting cages next. That’s where things got tricky. My first few swings trying to copy that Mattingly style? Not great. I was either way too early or felt like I was lunging. That short, compact thing he did is harder than it looks.
The main thing I focused on was keeping my hands back and trying to stay inside the ball. Mattingly was great at hitting line drives the other way or up the middle. I kept telling myself, “Short to it, long through it.” Easier said than done, let me tell you.
- Worked on keeping my front shoulder closed longer.
- Tried to get that little load, kinda shifting the weight back slightly without a big leg kick.
- Focused on my hand path – trying to make it direct to the ball, not looping.
Making Adjustments
Spent a good few sessions just working on the feel. Lots of tee work, really trying to nail down the sequence. Found myself getting frustrated sometimes because I’d revert back to my old habits. Had to constantly remind myself what I was trying to do.
One thing that kinda clicked was thinking about hitting the inside part of the ball. Sounds basic, I know, but when I really concentrated on that, keeping my hands tight to my body, the swing started feeling a bit more compact, a bit more like what I saw on those videos.
What Happened
So, after all that practice? Did I turn into Don Mattingly overnight? Hah, definitely not. But, I did notice some changes. My swing felt a little quicker, more direct. I started hitting more line drives during BP, fewer pop-ups or weak grounders.
It wasn’t a complete overhaul, more like picking up a few things. That idea of staying compact and driving through the ball really stuck with me. It definitely helped me think about hitting differently, focusing on a simple, repeatable motion.
Still got a long way to go, obviously. But spending time trying to understand and copy a great hitter’s swing like Mattingly’s? Yeah, it was worth the effort. Learned a few things, tinkered with my mechanics. Good stuff.
