Posted by: J () on Wed Mar 5 13:11:47 2003

maybe im wrong but is the big hurt linear?
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> > > > > Thomas is a Walt Hriniak student. If you want to call it linear, so be it. I don't feel that linear is a hitting technique. There are rotational hitters and there are Lau Sr. and Hriniak hitters.
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> > > > Interesting way to phrase that. There really aren't any pure linear hitters at the MLB level as that technique won't work at the top levels. The White Sox and Phillies organizations seem to be into the Hriniak style - pop the hips and throw the hands. They are only connected briefly. Back scap loads as front scap unloads, then front scap loads as back scap unloads. Shoulder turn is minimal.
> > > > While not linear in the 'push the knob of the bat to the ball' sense, it has many of the deficiencies. Hence Frank Thomas, a huge strong athletic man has barely cleared 40 hrs in a season and usually hits less. If he were an ordinary physical specimen he'd be nothing. As it is he's Mark McGuire's size but a line drive singles and doubles hitter. Hriniak is teaching private lessons somewhere...
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> > > Major Dan, Although I am not a fan of Frank Thomas' hitting mechanics, he is proof that a guy can succeed not using solid rotational mechanics. .314 lifetime hitter with 376 HR's, 393 2b's, 8 straight 100+ RBI seasons, .568 career slg. pct, .432 career OBP and 40 or more HR's four times is closer to Hall of Fame numbers than just being a line drive singles and doubles hitter. He is a much better hitter than McGwire ever was, and at 35, he will go over 400 in Hr's and doubles.
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> > No such thing as "linear" or "rotational". Griffey Jr says he is a "weightshift" hitter. Mcgwire had "full extension", so did Griffey Jr, so did Aaron, Mantle and others. Everyone (Lau, et al) is talking about the same mechanics, just describing their own interpretation.
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> If you think McGuire's, Griffey Jr's, Mantle's and Aaron's swings are the same you should study some video clips.
> Show me a clip of Aaron at full extension.

I have hundred's of clips and I use a Gif Animator program to study them, frame by frame. Of course, I didn't say there are not differences in their swings, I said they use about the same mechanics. Ask me nicely and I will give you tips on sources & methods for making clips.