Posted by: Mike () on Thu Dec 6 13:38:31 2007

> >>> So when my stride foot hits the ground should my lead arm be a little flexed, a lot of flex or straight, and Jack, can you tell me what the proper load is because i feel that my load is the thing i need to fix in my swing. <<<
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> Hi Joey
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> How much flex you have in your lead-arm depends on what is comfortable to you and your position in the box. You can have the elbow well flexed (like Bonds) or straight (like Griffey Jr.). The important thing in attaining maximum bat-head acceleration is that the elbow-flex you initiate the swing with, must remain constant all the way to contact. – Extending a flexed elbow as you rotate will straighten out the hand-path and reduce bat-head acceleration.
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> Joey, keep in mind that the “Don’t bar the arm” cue was popular years back when almost all coaches taught linear principles. At that time, it was believed that the hands must take a straight (A to B) path. Swinging with a “barred” arm takes the hands is a more circular path. Therefore, linear coaches taught starting with a well-flexed elbow, and then extending it toward contact – similar to the way you would throw a Frisbee.
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> Jack Mankin

I have always believed in the "keep your front arm flexed" teach and am not convinced that this is should not be true. I just took some dry swings and do again reach the conclusion that swinging with an extended arm feels much longer and inefficient, especially when trying to hit an inside pitch.
Mike