Posted by: bart () on Sat Aug 9 13:05:43 2003

would you agree or disagree that a major technique in keeping the top arm from prematurely bending (thus going "linear") is to make sure that, at launch position the hands are roughly even with the back foot?
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> > > > hi
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> > > > i struggle with that a lot. so i believe it is a throw back to linear mechanics that keeps on creeping in. we try to hit the ball too much and thus we become hands hitters, therefore disipating power. i think bonds is the man in this area. he is able to maintain his hands back for a longer time than anybody in the majors. technically this allows the bat head lag, so important in rotational.
> > > > i think, it is a question of time and reps. yesterday i had a horrible day because I went 3-0 in a scirmmage. my coach was throwing his ultra slow junk for us to stay back and i went out of my way to proof that i am still linear after all this work. i was so hungry to proof that i could hit that i ended up accelerating my swing and giving away high and long pop ups to the outfield.
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> > > > so what was the problem. easy. i was not getting my bat head back during the swing therefore i hit early. if you hit early you iether get a piece of the lower half of the ball-or upper half-, there fore popping up. there is a magic in letting the ball get deep. i can do it and it feels good with my wiffle ball machine, because the wiffles are coming from 20 feet at a speed of 45 miles an hour. it is easier to let it get deep on me. you feel the power of hitting through the ball. now, when i get to live pitching, i tend to rush, specially if i am facing a junk pitcher or slow balls. that´s the key to hitting. if you let that bat head kind of trail, you will crush it.
> > > > what you can do and it has helped me, is to let the bat rest on the arm or near the shoulder. this way, you make sure the bathead is trailing. do this until you feel that you can do it. then take your regular stance and try to bat.
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> > > > good luck
> > > > toti
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> > > > Personally I see the top hand arm is bent from the stance on so I must be misunderstanding the ques.Now launch may mean different things to different people.I see the hands even or over the rear foot when the front toe touches and the rotation begins.Some consider the launch when the barrel is pointed at the catcher and at this point the hands are well ahead of the rear foot.rql
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> > CORRECTION: i meant to say "would you agree or disagree that a major technique in keeping the BOTTOM arm from prematurely bending (thus going "linear") is to make sure that, at launch position the hands are roughly even with the back foot?"
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> Since when does bending the lead arm = linear? If that is true, I guess every good mlb hitter that hits an inside pitch and keeps it fair has gone linear.
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i did not say "bending the lead arm = linear", YOU said that.....i said "keeping the BOTTOM arm from prematurely bending (thus going "linear")".....notice the word PREMATURELY......