Posted by: Graylon (g_dunc@hotmail.com) on Thu Nov 29 12:13:19 2007

> You must not understand what I am explaining when I say long through the hitting zone.
>
> The velocity of the barrel does not slow down to accomplish length in this area. The difference between being long through the zone and short through the zone is the difference between amateur and professional hitters.
>
> The hitting zone is about 12 inches long (from the hitters front knee to just beyond the front foot). The more directional velocity I have on the barrel through that zone the more consistent hard contact I will make on the sweet-spot.
>
> To have my sweet spot crossing the path of the pitch for a short period of time doesn't necessarily mean that I have batspeed. It just means that our paths are less likely to meet squarely.
>
> The swing path should be more elliptical and less circular through the hitting zone for more directional mass through the ball and quality batspeed.
>
> None of this is to be accomplished by lunging or reaching. It is accomplished by correctly throwing the barrel into this path.
>
> This is a basic fundamental that all MLB hitters try to develop consistency with in their every day routines. Bat-speed is not the only aspect to hitting, bat-path is just as important.
>
> Jimmy

Jimmy,

Well stated. When you state that the hitting zone is 12 inches long, would you agree that contact can be made outside of this 12 inches? So therefore, the optimum hitting zone may be 12 inches, but our timing is not always perfect. So, by creating early bat speed, I am able to still drive a ball that gets deeper then my front knee.

Graylon