Posted by: () on Tue Jan 13 05:09:21 2004

Coach C-
> > > >
> > > > I finally remembered where the "golden move" was
> > > > explained.See the Bobby Jones golf lesson
> > > > series,lesson on "the downswing".
> > > >
> > > > Jones explains that the most important key for his swing
> > > > is the forward shift of the center of gravity(actually says
> > > > he pushes off the back foot) while the club finishes
> > > > going back and before the hips start to rotate.He
> > > > explains how this stretches the front side muscles and
> > > > helps avoids the "dominant righthand" disconnecting
> > > > the club.Lots of nice slowmo photography (pretty funny
> > > > hollywood plot too).Worth checking out.
> > >
> > > Excellent Tom! I think I still have the collection...I'll review it. This front side stretch is key in my opinion. However, most people I see loose the front side stretch potential when the stride, by over emphasizing the turn from any of the body parts, thereby disconnecting the arms from the body. Let me review the video...and thanks again. Eddy Merrins (famous golf teacher), says that many amateurs get lost in the back swing and never perfect the down swing. The down swing is what hits the ball.....get that right and the back swing takes care of itself. In baseball I see very similar tendencies....for instance...putting more weight on the back foot just prior to the stride as if this type of a load will unleash the tremendous power (it's called swaying in golf). In watching great hitters I see one move to the ball with their weight, not over loading the back knee or in some cases jumping off the back knee....Most youngsters jump off the back leg.....this is a power loss, not to mention creates all kinds of distortion with eyes and what they should be doing.......waitng for a ball to get in the box.
> > >
> > > The back side foot push that he make reference too I would surmize takes place after on in conjunction with the rear hip drive. Most poorer hitters push off the back too to early, putting everything in the wrong sequence. I do not see Bonds push off the back foot at all, but I see the rear hip drive. So what drives the hips.....feet or torso? Clearly I'm in the minority when I say torso, but the results have been outstanding.
> > >
> > > Thanks for reference...Again.
> > >
> > > Coach C
> > >
> > > Coach C
> >
> > >
> > >
> > The legs and torso open the hips in the beginning early launch and when the hips open a few degrees the straightening( extension) of the front leg pushing away from the pitcher makes the launch more forceful.
>
> Would you say the pushing of the front leg drives rotation or does rotation straighten the front leg? Or would you say turn the hips and then push with the front leg. Is it possible to use the front leg like a kick-stand and hit against it, without any push?
>
> Your thoughts?
>
> Coach C

>
>
Coach C ..This has been a recent area of interest for me . I incorrectly thought that the front leg stiffening was more involved in early launch. I was wrong. Epstein shows (in the torque drill) players going to finish and still over a bent front knee on some swings. This is not correct or realistic either based on video analysis of good players.

THere is more going on here and I wish Jack would relook this area. THink about it....if the hips are still closed and you fire your front leg back would they exert a rotational force or a backward linear force that just pushed the batter backwards? The hips have to rotate open for a short distance to create the open angle so that the stiffening (entending) front leg is accelerating and further opening and rotating the hips "in a barrel".

Brings me back to Bonds. THe bent rear knee and the inward back toe at times allows his rear hip to rotate inward quickly at early launch. He probably uses forces that come from the lower torso and abds, the early downward move of his shoulders( rear elbow)and the dropping to parallel of his rear leg to begin the opening of the hips the first few degrees to set up for the stiffeneing front leg to apply hip power nearing and through ball contact.

"Squish the bug" fails miserably to explain anything and with some players dragging the rear toe or lifting through contact it give argument that rear side mechancics mean nothing. Rear side mechanic might mean nothing at contact but they do account for things at early launch as evidenced by what happens in a negative sense if one pushes with the rear leg. I would not classify guys doing either as having the fastest swings. When you put into your search criteria two words ...quickness and power then Bonds mentally comes up every time. I say his early launch mechancis and his tight rotation are the reason. I also say there is more to study about his rear side mechancis in early launch that facilitate this. While I agree the late power of the swing is not rear side driven, the early launch depends on the rear side to work in concert with torso muscles to initiate the very first move to the ball. The high loaded rear elbow and the rear knee coming down do exert a rear side rotation that create momentum that is continued and accelerated by the front leg stiffening at contact.