Posted by: Dave A () on Mon Apr 21 17:18:08 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".



Thanks Ray, one comment I want to make is that this BHT THT and CHP gets way too complicated. I am 15 and I am supposed to be learning from this site and I can't understand half the terms you use to describe these things (im a 4.0 student). If you want the next generation to learn, I suggest breaking it down a little. When is the last time you have seen a physicist (sp?) playing high school baseball working on his mechanics... Think about that and then consider how many of the site readers actually play baseball.