Early Connection and Connection at Impact
Also known as: early connection, connection at impact, early connection baseball, connection score, body tilt and bat angle, early connection degrees
Early connection is a swing-sensor metric for the angle between the hitter's body tilt and the bat's vertical angle as the downswing starts. One sensor maker targets about 90 degrees, within roughly 80 to 105. Connection at impact is the same relationship at contact. Together they show whether the barrel starts and stays in a strong position.
At the start of the swing, a connected bat sits at about a right angle to the tilt of the spine. Early connection measures that angle. Below the range, the barrel is too upright at the start and tends to get steep. Above it, the barrel is already flat or laid off and tends to drag or cast.
Connection at impact compares the same two angles at contact. If early connection is in range but the reading at impact falls well below it, the barrel lost its connection during the swing. That often shows up with a dropping back shoulder or hands that push away from the body.
These numbers describe a position. They are not a goal by themselves. Use them to confirm what video shows and to check whether a drill is working. Targets come from the sensor maker's data, and different devices may not agree.
Tips by skill level
Think of early connection as the bat starting at about a right angle to your body's tilt. Too upright or too flat makes the swing work harder.
Compare early connection with connection at impact. A big drop between them shows the barrel losing its position during the swing.
Example
A 15-year-old's early connection reads 112 degrees on most swings. Video shows his barrel laying flat behind him as his hips start. He works on a more upright bat angle at launch, and his reading settles near 95 degrees.
Why it matters
How the bat starts the swing shapes the whole path to the ball. Connection readings show whether the start is helping or hurting.
Common mistakes
- Treating the target as a pose to hold instead of a position to pass through
- Fixing early connection while ignoring connection at impact
- Comparing numbers across sensors
- Chasing the number without checking video
Frequently asked questions
What is early connection?
It is a swing-sensor reading of the angle between your body tilt and the bat's vertical angle as the downswing starts. One sensor maker targets about 90 degrees.
What is a good early connection in baseball?
One sensor maker gives a target of 90 degrees with a range of about 80 to 105. Below that the bat starts too upright. Above it the bat starts too flat.
What does connection at impact mean?
It is the same body-tilt and bat-angle relationship, measured at contact. A big drop from early connection means the barrel lost its position during the swing.
Sources
Related terms
- Staying Connected (Hitting)Staying connected means the hands and bat turn with the body instead of working on their own. The lead elbow stays near the chest, and the barrel lags behind the hands until the hips and shoulders bring it through. A disconnected swing usually shows up as the hands casting away from the body or the barrel dragging late.
- On-Plane EfficiencyOn-plane efficiency is a swing-sensor metric for the percentage of the swing in which the bat stays on the plane it will meet the ball on. A higher number means the barrel spends longer in line with the pitch. One sensor maker recommends an average of 70 percent or higher, within a range of about 65 to 85 percent.
- Vertical Bat AngleVertical bat angle is the tilt of the bat compared with level at contact. Zero means the barrel and knob are level, and a negative number means the barrel is below the hands. Almost every hitter reads negative. The number gets more negative on low pitches and less negative on high ones.
- Casting (Batting)Casting is a swing fault where the hands and barrel arc wide instead of taking a direct path to the ball. It kills bat speed and limits inside coverage.
- Hitting Posture and Side BendHitting posture is the forward tilt from the hips plus the side bend of the spine that sets the swing plane. Hitters bend more toward the plate for low pitches and stay flatter on high ones. Losing that posture by standing up or collapsing pulls the barrel off the ball's path.
Related guides & benchmarks
Work on the cause
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