Posted by: ray porco () on Mon Apr 21 02:57:34 2003

Dave A,

“What is it with the front leg will stay flexed and then go straight idea.”

This was your original topic for discussion (with an example of A-rod staying flexed). As with many posts (even though you tried to steer it back at least THREE subsequent times), this went off on a tangent once again about linear vs. rotational, and how the actions of the circular hand path vs. the linear hand path determine blah, blah, blah, blah…..

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have much input on A-rod (don’t have any clips of A-rod), but I do have something to say about the front leg and flexion.

I say different strokes for different folks. Should we stride to the ball of the front foot (softly) with a flexed front knee? I say yea. Should we try and keep the foot/knee closed when doing this? I say, not necessarily. Should heel drop be the initiator of hip turn? Again, not necessarily.

And as proof I offer Jeff Bagwell :
http://www.setpro.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000459

Rear knee starts to turn down and in before front knee turns out. And front knee starts to turn out before front toe touch.
Now the question may be, does this constitute the start of hip turn? Sure looks like it to me.

Is Bagwell a good prototype for little leaguers? Probably not, but he did make it to the majors, didn’t he? And he is pretty damn good, isn’t he?

Others whose knee turns out (slightly, but nevertheless) before toe touch: Teddy Ballgame and Mark McGwire.

Is this the right way? C’mon. Anyway is the right way if it gets the right results. Is it the right way to teach? I guess that’s something for each coach to decide. Style is unique, Bagwell’s style is unique, and if some coach had decided that it was wrong and convinced him of that - well, maybe he wouldn’t be where he is, would he? And maybe A-rod, too.

ray porco

P.S. I guess you probably could include this post in the discussion below about "the importance of the front heel".