Posted by: Jack Mankin (Batspeed@verizon.net) on Wed Dec 19 08:28:11 2012

This is another post from our Linear "Do's & Don't" fastpitch hitting mechanics series. In this post, we are going to address the linear hitting cue, "Get your arms extended."
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Hi All

It appears that equating "Getting the arms extended" to the power of a hitter's swing has been accepted by most players, coaches and TV commentators. How many times after long home runs, have you heard the commentator say -- "Wow, she really got her arms extended on that one."

Well, does extending the arms generate bat speed? Let us take a frame-by-frame look at a few homerun swings of softball's better hitters and see 'when' the extension of their arms occurred and if their power came from that extension.

"Get Your Arms Extended"

I find that the cue, "Get your arms extended," sends the wrong message to a student. It places the emphasis on the arms to swing the bat rather than the rotation of the body. In our Instructional Video "THE FINAL ARC ll", we stress mechanics that 'rotate' the arms and elbows rather than 'extending' them.

Mike Epstein poses a very important question. - "Do we teach what we see?" - In other words, would our students be better served by teaching them the mechanics exhibited by the best hitters - or - the linear mechanics we were taught?

Note: Below are links to the “Linear - Do's & Don'ts" hitting concepts we address in this “Fastpitch Hitting Series.”
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Linear "Do's & Don'ts"

* Introduction – Why This Fastpitch Series?

* "Weight Shift" -- Don't "Spin"

* "Pop Your Hips" - but - "Keep Your Shoulder In-There"
* High Back Elbow – Good or Bad?

* "Don't Cast" -- "Keep Your Hands In-side The Ball"

* ”Get Your Arms Extended”

* "Swing Down" -- "Keep The Bat-Head Above The Ball"

* "Rise Ball" "Don't Hit Around The Ball" "Swing Through The Ball"
----------------------------------------------------------------------I will make the links above live as soon as they are available

Jack Mankin