Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Wed Oct 29 22:00:47 2003

Pro-

As with most "cues",the "in unison" description/feel can be
interpreted in many ways,some good,some not so good.When I
hear a cue,I like to think of how it might make sense and be
interpreted successfully,because there may be something to
learn from it.It must be valuable to someone,or it wouldn't have
become a cue important enough to spread around.Is there
important info in the "cue" that might shed light on questions we
have about how the swing is ideally produced.I think a sign of a
good theory is that it is compatible with a great number of cues
IF they are intepreted correctly using a good swing model.Let me
try this one as an example.

We know from exhaustive slow mo back and forth high
resolution video analysis of great hitters that maximum
separation/"x-factor" happens AFTER front heel down and
BEFORE launch9handpath starting forward) in most cases.How
could this ever be reconciled with rotating the body segments in
unison at launch? How could there be a value in trying this as a
swing "key" ? Here is one possible explanation.

Every power swing is taken including the same basic loading
action as follows.

1- inward turn/backward rotation of whole body while stride foot
lifts,body bends at waist and back arm and stride leg internally
rotate together to cock hip/pinch waist in front.bat cocks from
horizontal toward vertical some.Center of gravity starts forward
when stride foot lifts

2-stride foot goes out as back scap pinches.bat cocks some
toward pitcher.weight continues shifting forward.hip still
cocked.body does start coiling some at this point with feeling of
"winding rubber band"

3-stride foot and back arm externally rotate together while back
scap stays loaded and back arm stays extended/pointing
back.This means front foot opens,back arm starts down into
slot,bat starts uncocking and hands stay back without any further
"counterrotation",but still with ongoing loading/coiling/separation
going into toe touch with weight slightly forward and hips still
cocked."prelaunch THT" has started as bat uncocks/starts
turning back toward catcher.no launch yet because hands are
still back.bat "centered" and uncocking some at toe touch.(If you
scap load and move back arm to slot right you get a good load,if
you use wrong muscles/sequence you wrap and lengthen
swing).This action permits ongoing loading/hands staying back
without any additonal/excessive backswing/counter-rotation
which could lengthen the swing.

4-to get best possible unloading of energy,you can't "pause"
between loading and unloading.you have to start unloading
while you are still loading.You have to start unloading the lower
body while the upper body is still loading.On the other hand you
can't stretch the muscles too much or you lose effective
contraction.To accomplish this ideal reversal from coiling to
uncoiling,you can think of the "unloading sequence" or "launch
sequence" as interrupting ongoing loading as it proceeds in #3
above.For inside location,interrupt earlier.for outside
location,interrupt slightly later("let ball get deep" more in a timing
as opposed to spatial sense).earlier interruption will be with
shorter swing radius/low load situation allowing quick turn.later
interruption will be longer swing radius/higher load/slower turn.

Launch sequence is triggered by front heel drop which blocks
ongoing forward motion of center of gravity,stabilizes axis of
rotation and assists uncocking of the hips in getting rotation
going.

Now we have finally reached the point at which turning in unison
may or may not be a good cue.When you drop the heel and
uncock the hip and turn the torso,does it happen all at once(NO)
or does it feel like it happens all at once (MAYBE).Physically it
will be impossible for everything( non rigid human tissues) to
suddenly turn together.In fact what we see is continuing
separation as the hips rotate open while the hands are still back
(but bat already turning via prelaunch tht).If the hands aren't still
back at this point,you can not unload well.So how might the feel
of turning in unison help? perhaps it prevents getting
overstretched.perhaps it creates more consistency in the
dynamics of unloading.For example,Nomar has said the key to
triggering the swing is tightening up the front shoulder.If you
think of dropping the front heel and uncocking the hips and
pulling things open from the front(not push things open from the
back which can mess up consistent coiling/uncoiling) and
tightening up the front shoulder(loading front scap) all together.

This "feel" may not correspond exactly with reality,but it fits with
the image of always loading consistently with the hands staying
back and the bat turning/uncocking until interrupted by the
launch sequence which cretaes efficient uncoiling with tight
connection yanking the hands forward at launch.It helps to have
awareness of the pre-launch tht phase as an ongoing phase of
loading as you open the front leg and drop the back elbow
together(without losing scap load or arm extension/pointing
back) that comes after a slight winding of the rubber band as the
back scap loads.Then I think the unison cue can work well.