Posted by: Teacherman () on Sun Jan 20 11:23:24 2008

Why does...."the forward motion came to a stop while the lead foot was still in the air"....eliminate the momentum that was created? The momentum is still there in the running start of the hips. The opening of the hips.

The rotation is not around the spine. It is around the ball and socket of the rear hip joint. It begins when you "ride the back leg"....when the lead foot is off the ground.

You can easily see this....as evidenced by Bonds and Williams in this clip....

http://www.teachersbilliards.com/hitzone/Barryted.gif

...that their "go" move "puts the front foot down". There is no "toetouch/heeldrop" move involved with rotation. The front foot does not have to be down to "go". It usually is. But that is simply a factor of the hitters timing. The weight shift...that happens at "go"....puts the foot down. We are talking about microseconds here. Great hitters timing is so good.

Both Bonds and Williams land flat-footed. Both have rotated into footplant. There is no toetouch/heeldrop move. They rotate into footplant during the running start of the lower body. That running start is momentum. As well as "stretch creation". That running start is rotational....not linear. That running start is the rotation into footplant. That rotation into footplant is momentum.
Both Bonds and Williams start to open their hips immediately at the reversal of the coil.

Both push from against the ground with their rear foot at the same time that they rotate the forearms, at the same time that they laterally tilt the shoulders. The blending of these moves creates the sudden change of direction of the barrel....the cusp.

Momentum = the rotation into footplant. It happens with the lead foot in the air.

Weight shift = the push of the rear foot against the ground to give another boost to the rotation around the ball and socket joint of the rear hip....and it ends with the weight against the lead leg. Weight shift happens at "go".