Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Aug 20 11:36:47 2000

>>>The elements of a swing are like a link in a chain. Each link has three roles to play. One role is to accept the power ( or speed if you perfer) generated by the previous links. The second is to add its own power to the power received by the previous links. Three, to transfer the accumulated power to the next link, in the case of shoulders, the arms.

Jack, you are right, power does not flow like an electrical current. It is a mechanical action. Much as the gears in a machine, transmission?, transfer power to the next gear.

The large mussels of the legs and hips start the power moving. This power is accepted by and addded to by the the smaller mussels of the chest and shoulders. Then the arms then the hands. As the mussels get smaller the strength is lessened but the speed picks up.

If power does not transfer from the bottom threw the shoulders, why teach hitters to turn their hips? This adds movements and makes the swing more complicated. More moving parts means more things to go wrong. Why teach it if there is no benefit? Joe A. <<<

Hi Joe

Joe, you really need to read a question more carefully. The question did not say or imply that hip rotation was not an important factor in generating bat speed. The reason for the question was to point out that the energy developed from hip rotation could not be transferred if the shoulders were not also allowed to rotate. --- For whatever reason, to many coaches teach their players to "pop" or open their hips while holding the shoulder closed (one example- "squashing the bug").

So, once again - popping the hips or any other lower body mechanic is wasted energy if it does not also cause the shoulders to rotate.

*** Question? --- Nothing that takes place below the armpits - not weight shift - not squashing the bug - not popping the hips - not the kinetic chain - not fast twitch muscles, etc., has any influence on developing bat speed -- other than their contribution to shoulder rotation. True or false? ***

Jack Mankin

Followups:

Post a followup:

Name:

E-mail:

Subject:

Text:

> >>>The elements of a swing are like a link in a chain. Each link has three roles to play. One role is to accept the power ( or speed if you perfer) generated by the previous links. The second is to add its own power to the power received by the previous links. Three, to transfer the accumulated power to the next link, in the case of shoulders, the arms. 
> 
> Jack, you are right, power does not flow like an electrical current. It is a mechanical action. Much as the gears in a machine, transmission?, transfer power to the next gear. 
> 
> The large mussels of the legs and hips start the power moving. This power is accepted by and addded to by the the smaller mussels of the chest and shoulders. Then the arms then the hands. As the mussels get smaller the strength is lessened but the speed picks up. 
> 
> If power does not transfer from the bottom threw the shoulders, why teach hitters to turn their hips? This adds movements and makes the swing more complicated. More moving parts means more things to go wrong. Why teach it if there is no benefit?   Joe A. <<<
> 
> Hi Joe
> 
> Joe, you really need to read a question more carefully. The question did not say or imply that hip rotation was not an important factor in generating bat speed. The reason for the question was to point out that the energy developed from hip rotation could not be transferred if the shoulders were not also allowed to rotate. --- For whatever reason, to many coaches teach their players to "pop" or open their hips while holding the shoulder closed (one example- "squashing the bug"). 
> 
> So, once again - popping the hips or any other lower body mechanic is wasted energy if it does not also cause the shoulders to rotate.
> 
> *** Question? --- Nothing that takes place below the armpits - not weight shift - not squashing the bug - not popping the hips - not the kinetic chain - not fast twitch muscles, etc., has any influence on developing bat speed -- other than their contribution to shoulder rotation. True or false? ***
> 
> Jack Mankin

Anti-Spambot Question:

This song is traditionally sung during the 7th inning stretch?
   All My Roudy Friends
   Take Me Out to the Ballgame
   I Wish I was in Dixie
   Hail to the Chief