Posted by: Teacherman () on Wed Mar 19 08:55:23 2003

i want to know if you should do any work with your arms to extend them or just keep them loose and let the torque and rotation move your hands to the ball
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> > > Arms remain still. Rotation takes hands to the ball...
> > ..I agree that rotation takes the hands to ball and should be loose as you load but as the swing begins it takes flex in the hand and arm muscles to keep connection and handle the force that will travel through them into the bat from rotation.
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> I think RQL once quoted Steve Garvey as having said that the hitter should have the feeling of swing with short, stubby arms, or something to that effect.
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> In my view it is a physical thing. If you hit a ball off the tee, if you want to swing with full x-t you will probably place the tee farther out in front of the plate, whereas if you want to NOT achieve full x-t you will place the tee closer in. This will "force" the arms to be and feel "stubby".
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> As I have noted in previous posts, at contact, about 60 per cent or so of the major leaguers contact with the top elbow being even with the back knee. About 30 per cent or so make contact with the top elbow being even with a point that is about half way between the front and back knee, thus more x-t. Maybe 10 per cent make contact with the top elbow being even with the front knee (full x-t).
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> Of course, my analysis is not scientific because for one thing, there is a reason for some hitters achieving more x-t on a particular pitch but less on other oitches. For example, I have noticed that a low, inside pitch will result in more x-t, whereas a high, inside pitch will result in even less x-t than described above. But by and large, most hitters make contact with the top elbow even with the back knee.
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> My point is that assuming that major leaguers are good examples to follow, less x-t is better than full x-t. One good way to develop this type of swing (less x-t) is to use the fence drill. Not the fence drill where the distance between fence and belly button is one bat length (that's too close, causing too much x-t),but the fence drill where the distance is about one bat length plus about 4 inches or so, AND combine the drill with the use of a bag or tee.

I don't have one clip out of 100+ that the lead elbow is even with the rear knee. Maybe I'm confused with what is meant by even. Could you explain.