Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Mon Sep 8 09:24:57 2003

>
> >>Jack I don't see tht and scap load as the same thing but I could be wrong.THT I thought was the pulling back of the top hand as the elbow begins going in the slot and the lead shoulder starts turning pulling the bottom hand forward as the elbow is working up into plane of the ball.Scap loading to me starts before tht and is a way of inward turning the shoulders without doing it to the whole upper body as I guess Tom means by counter rotating the upper body.I feel it allows the shoulders to start turning at a greater angle and applying rotation[force] over a longer distance which allows more speed to be built up by impact.Pujols talked about in his swing that he has to keep his hands back while the swing starts with the hips leading,I feel he scap loads then begins tht which is keeping his hands back while the hips start the process,however while the hands are back Tht is generating batspeed while they hang back for sequencing with rest of body,allowing hips and shoulders lead the way.
>
> Tom some of the verbage is hard to follow but I think most things you said is what I teach.Can you clarify abduct and aduct.Also try to explain internal vs. external rotation and 90 degree angle of throwing arm and how it is facing at those points of in vs. out rotation.Is their any film of pitchers that show this that you are aware of.Tom by the way the girls here did pretty well here this summer [11/12 y.o. My daughters team was state runner up ,got beat 1-0 by Naples Fla. that was world series runner up to Waco on Espn last month.

rql-

I will bet this is what you teach,because I believe these actions are universally embedded in the sequence and when you can put a name on them they will correspond to what you feel and you will see telltale actions corresponding to this feel on video.You will then look at video of others and hear them describe what they "think" they are doing and you will be able to reconcile what they say using this model.That is the test of the theory,and where it fails,it needs to be modified.If it has to be modified a lot it needs to be blown up.

The demo of these motions in person is extremely simple.The only tape that does this is the biomechanic baseball tape by jeff hodge and he does not apply the principles directly to hitting.

There are a number of anatomical explanation sites on the net that show the distilled/generic kinesiology actions.I will try to find some.In the meantime,it helps to distinguish the fact that the shoulder is moving via the scapula and collar bone action as one type motion,and the arm is moving within the moving shoulder socket as another set of actions.With respect to the shoulder/arm scoket,you don't have to worry about collar bone or much of the scapula actions,just horizontal ADduction(pinching of shoulder blade toward spine) and horizontal ABduction(sliding the other way)Just to confuse you,these are also sometimes called horizontalextension and flexion.The key is it is motion in the horizontal plane(body standing erect for basic anatomical orientation)and it is a stable position sequence to permit efficient loading and unloading.

Internal and external rotation are the twisting of the humerus in the arm socket.Abduction and adduction(of the arm/humerus not scapula/shoulder complex)raises and lowers the arm/elbow.This is different from flexing the arm as in doing a "curl".Extending the arm is the opposite of the flexing/curl motion.When the back elbow lowers going into the all important toe touch position,you must avoid the flexing curling action as this will take the elbow toward the belly button.Instead you need to lower the elbow primarily with external rotation and some ADduction of the arm(scapula already pinched/horizontally ADducted and stays that way for now).This is not possible unless you have gotten the arm internally rotated to begin with(which you should have naturally done as part of hip cock).

At the same time that the back arm is continuing overall loading with external rotation synchronized with the front leg turing open before toe touch(and without loasing any hip cock/load)the lead elbow starts up by internally rotating.This combined action of the arms turns the bat which reactively helps keep the torso /hands turned back.Remember Jack's theory is a "3 arc" theory(hips/shoulders/bat.The bat and hip arcs start early with uncocking.The the hip arc starts as the torso "counterrotates" slightly during scap load and then the bat turns with prelaunch tht.The it's finally time for the torso to turn.The loading sequence is generic.The launching interrupts it with the right timing.Relatively later producing wider swing radius for outside.(Ignore up/down posture adjustment for now).

Epstein's torque and numbers drills are pretty good "backward chaining" drills for kearning body action with the handpath controlled by bat on shoulder.But,What do you do when they go "hands free?" I think this info can guide you in this situation.You may also get it from trial and error,but that is not as likely.It is especially hard with the superlight bats to feel any of this.As Nyman says,the body needs the intent to swing hard and variability to permit effective motor leaerning.

Let's save most of the throwing internal rotation stuff for later(if you throw with the "right" mechanics you will have a "quick" throw in the same sense as rotational vs poor mechanics "linear").The mechanics of the "good throw" involve the rapid acceleration phase being driven primarily via whipping as internal rotation of the arm rather than extension.This is the feeling of "getting/staying on top" then a good wrist snap/pronating release as opposed to deep flexion extension of the arm with the "forearm flying out" and having to correct/compensate/bring things in with supination/side spin at release(stressful forearm twist),or alternatively,avoiding side spin with an excessively high arm slot that results in "impingement".This can all be avoided by the "right" arm action mechanics which internal rotation is at the heart of.Think of the hand as at the end of the lever arm turning the crank(arm) that is the humerus.90 degrees bend at elbow gives the best lever arm for this "loop to whip".