Posted by: Jimmy () on Thu Dec 13 07:22:13 2007

Hi Ray,

One misconception about the load in the swing is that it is done with the hands or arms. The load is initiated with the hitters legs.

Any movement with the hands backward that will slightly straighten the lead arm should happen naturally as a result of the lower body load. This hand/arm loading movement should happen without any conscious thought.

This also goes for the slight inward shoulder turn that good hitters experience when loading up. Not only will it happen properly when loading with the legs, it will happen at the right time and in rythm with the rest of the body.

When hitters try to load their hands back they actually cause the natural timing of their body's swing progression to be thrown off.

So, set your hands in an efficient slot, rock back with your lower half to that back leg, let those hands load back on their own, and let it fly.

Jimmy