Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Coach () on Fri Jan 4 07:31:27 2008

Hi Jack,

Great Bonds clip...thanks for posting. This is exactly what I am trynig to say, and I believe for the most part we are in agreement with each other. You call what I am describing a posted lead leg to form the swinging gate. For this conversation I will agree with the term "posted front leg" and also say that Bonds displays this very same thing in this clip. You do not see the front leg or plant foot fan open or spin with the rest of the rotating parts of his swing which would be indicative of a revolving door, or a vertical axis of rotation. Instead the plant foot remains rather fixed as the unload process forces the hips, shoulders (both), and fixed lead arm to rotate around the "posted" or fixed front side = swinging gate.

There are some elite hitters who roll their plant foot somewhat but for the most part these cases are on a pitch that he was fooled on or an inside pitch that he is late on.

Good conversation - Thanks!

Coach.

> >>> For me the definitions you provided from Leferbvre are correct, however your statement that the front shoulder rotating rearward while the back side is coming around constitutes a revolving door I disagree with. This is a function of the unload process and not necessarily the axis of rotation. In other words the swinging gate is not "exclusive" of forward shoulder rotation in a rearward manner, but instead the axis is tilted and not straight in a vertical manner...ala Rose.
>
> As the backside rotates around a tilted axis, the front shoulder naturally (or better yet as a result of an effecient swing) must rotate as well. Hitting from a tilted axis of rotation doesn't change some constants such as maintaining the hinge angle of the cocked wrists and having both shoulder rotating in a connected manner. What I am trying to say is that if you have the front leg fan open as the front shoulder spins from a vertical axis that has not inward loaded first prior to forward unload, then you have a revolving door. A spring loaded gate will come around with more force than a revolving door.
>
> Did I make any sense here? <<<
>
> Hi Coach
>
> You may be right. But I have a tough time seeing a swinging gate when the batter’s shoulders are rotating beneath a still head.
>
> <a href="http://www.batspeed.com/media/Bonds_shoulder_tilt.wmv ">Bonds shoulder tilt</a --
>
>
> Jack Mankin

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> Hi Jack,
> 
> Great Bonds clip...thanks for posting.  This is exactly what I am trynig to say, and I believe for the most part we are in agreement with each other.  You call what I am describing a posted lead leg to form the swinging gate.  For this conversation I will agree with the term "posted front leg" and also say that Bonds displays this very same thing in this clip.  You do not see the front leg or plant foot fan open or spin with the rest of the rotating parts of his swing which would be indicative of a revolving door, or a vertical axis of rotation.  Instead the plant foot remains rather fixed as the unload process forces the hips, shoulders (both), and fixed lead arm to rotate around the "posted" or fixed front side = swinging gate.
> 
> There are some elite hitters who roll their plant foot somewhat but for the most part these cases are on a pitch that he was fooled on or an inside pitch that he is late on.
> 
> Good conversation - Thanks!
> 
> Coach.
> 
> 
> 
> > >>> For me the definitions you provided from Leferbvre are correct, however your statement that the front shoulder rotating rearward while the back side is coming around constitutes a revolving door I disagree with. This is a function of the unload process and not necessarily the axis of rotation. In other words the swinging gate is not "exclusive" of forward shoulder rotation in a rearward manner, but instead the axis is tilted and not straight in a vertical manner...ala Rose.
> > 
> > As the backside rotates around a tilted axis, the front shoulder naturally (or better yet as a result of an effecient swing) must rotate as well. Hitting from a tilted axis of rotation doesn't change some constants such as maintaining the hinge angle of the cocked wrists and having both shoulder rotating in a connected manner. What I am trying to say is that if you have the front leg fan open as the front shoulder spins from a vertical axis that has not inward loaded first prior to forward unload, then you have a revolving door. A spring loaded gate will come around with more force than a revolving door. 
> > 
> > Did I make any sense here? <<<
> > 
> > Hi Coach
> > 
> > You may be right. But I have a tough time seeing a swinging gate when the batter’s shoulders are rotating beneath a still head.
> > 
> > <a href="http://www.batspeed.com/media/Bonds_shoulder_tilt.wmv ">Bonds shoulder tilt</a  --
> > 
> > 
> > Jack Mankin

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