Posted by: BHL (Knight1285@aol.com) on Sat Oct 13 20:19:40 2007

Hi Tre:

Jack Mankin, Mike Epstein, and Paul Nyman all stress rotational hitting, although the latter precept is interpreted difficulty by these individuals. The former defines rotational hitting as a coupled lower-upper body gyration, whereas the latter stresses rotary movement in the lower body, but a curvilinear path with respect to the upper body and limbs. Nyman dismisses the lexical term "rotational hitting" as a misnomer, arguing that, during some point in the swing, the hips and shoulder must turn the bat.

While I agree with Nyman's observation, I find myself in Epstein's camp with respect of the proper way to teach the swing. I admire Mankin, though, for, in Nyman's terms, being the first person to articulate the fact that no batter swings the bat in a purely linear fashion.

Here's a drill that can assist hip rotation that is borrowed from Epstein. It is de rigueur to build muscle memory so the body can understand that the front heel drop starts the batter's hip turn. When the front heel drops, three events must transpire simultaneously: 1) the back heel must come off the ground ("do not squish the bug"); 2) the back knee must turn down and in; 3) the back hip must "turn around its axis."

If you have any further concerns, feel free to email me.

Best Wishes,
Geoffrey Bandura
Knight1285@aol.com