Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Mon Sep 8 08:47:39 2003

Jack-

I will/can not speak for Paul,but I can share my thinking/interpretation-criticize freely !

To the best of my understanding,you and Mike Epstein both are describing the details of a particular variety of lower body rotational swing that is absolutely the best version for the reaction times invovlved in men's baseball and women's fastpitch(not necessarily the same as slowpitch-more/"infinite" time vs men's fastpitch-I don't see how they can function and have not studied video there much).This is the belly up/make everything middle-in/hook the handpath/be as quick to ball as possible.This is "just" a good analysis of what appears to be the best solution the players have evolved over years in the crucible of the majors.

I believe Nyman also thinks that this type swing is preferred,but theoretically he explains a wider range of rotational solutions/handpath shapes,etc with trsadeoffs between swing qickness vs max pbatspeed potential,etc.He also goes at it from the how to teach/motor learning perpsective with more emphasis on what the body is doing as opposed to risking getting the arms overinvolved.

I believe he considers the overall motion best described as "kinetic whip" (see throwing article) because there has to be uninterrupted energy transfer via efficient eccentric and concentris muscle action via efficient body postures that use loops that transform rotational momentum(?loops within a shifting plane-body is complex/3D/elastic as well as force and momentum generating/transferring).If momentum transfer is interrupted,you are dead.

From an arm action perspective(which I think of as the center of organization of learning-but ?felt best in hands?- for this skill; as opposed to the hips/center of body out being the source of power).I think of torque applied by the two arms/hands before and at launch with gradually diminishing force being applied by the top hand as the swing progresses.See what you think of Paul's throwing article,all the general. principles are laid out well there(linked in overhead throw thread here).