Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: BHL Geoff) (Knight1285@aol.com) on Tue Feb 10 23:17:02 2004

Stance: In the stance, John’s weight is on the balls of each foot, set shoulder width apart, feet slightly parallel to each other, bent at the waist slightly, front shoulder turned in and down, both elbows bent, both hands close to the back shoulder, and the back shoulder up, with his head looking at the pitcher.

Stride: When striding, John maintains his balance, and turns the front shoulder down and in, while landing closed, and pivoting his front foot open to a 45-degree angle. Note: This move stems more from individual comfort than mechanical necessity, since hip rotation occurs at heel plant. However, opening the plant foot while twisting the shoulders back may cause discomfort for certain individuals; hence, John pivots his toe so that when his heel lowers and plants, hip rotation can be initiated.

Initiating a circular hand path, top hand torque, and bottom hand torque: As soon as the heel drops, John begins to dip his back elbow down and in, forcing the front elbow to work up and away. The hips also begin to rotate around a stationary axis, allowing the hands to work in a circular hand path. Also essential to this movement is the top hand torque caused by the back shoulder rotation resulting from the back elbow tuck, and the bottom hand torque caused by the front shoulder rotation resulting from the front elbow working up and away. The lowering of the back shoulder will also cause the front shoulder to rise, allowing the plane of the swing to be slightly up. The front leg is also beginning to straighten—with its foot beginning to roll over onto the outside, near the heel—and the back leg is beginning to form an “L.”

Approach: John has now tucked his back elbow near his back hip, allowing the bat head to rotate in a tight radius. Although the bat is in a tight path, the head points downwards towards the opposing batter’s box, while the hands continue to wrap (i.e., circle) around the body. The degree of bend in both elbows from the stride to contact remains the same. In this approach phase, the front foot continues to pivot open, and roll the outside part of the foot, near the heel.

Contact: At contact, the front leg is straight, and has pivoted open to about 75 degrees, with the weight on the outside of the front foot, near the heel. The back leg is in an “L” position, with John pivoting on his back toe. (If the pitch were lower, the back shoulder would dip more, and John would sit more on his back leg as he matched the plane of the swing to the plane of the pitch, causing him to rotate on the ball of his back foot. Although good hitters do sit on their back legs, the momentum of the bat is another factor to cause their back foot to rise, and make them look like they do not). The shoulders have rotated 110+ degrees, and the back forearm is now horizontal, pointing at the pitcher, with the palm of the bottom hand facing down, and the palm of the top hand facing up. The head has also rotated with the body, and is looking slightly up, rather than at the point of contact. As for the hips, I would estimate that they have rotated 90+ degrees. The bat head is slightly below the hands.

Coasting Out: I would argue that at this point, centrifugal force pulls the arms to a sweeping position. The hips and shoulders continue to rotate, prodding the front foot to open up even more, and roll to the outside of the foot near the heel. As the front foot breaks slightly, the back leg begins to straighten slightly as it rotates.

Follow through position: In the end, John has rotated so much that you can see the back of his legs, as well as most of his bat. The front foot continues to open and roll onto the outside part of the heel, the front knee continues to bend, the back leg continues to straighten, and the back foot continues to rotate until it favors the outside part of the little toe on the foot. At this point, the hips and shoulders decelerate, up until the time that they have slowed enough to allow John to release his top hand from his bat.

What do you think John? Jack? Anybody?

Sincerely,
BHL (Geoff)
Knight1285@aol.com

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> Stance:  In the stance, John’s weight is on the balls of each foot, set shoulder width apart, feet slightly parallel to each other, bent at the waist slightly, front shoulder turned in and down, both elbows bent, both hands close to the back shoulder, and the back shoulder up, with his head looking at the pitcher.
> 
> Stride:  When striding, John maintains his balance, and turns the front shoulder down and in, while landing closed, and pivoting his front foot open to a 45-degree angle.  Note:  This move stems more from individual comfort than mechanical necessity, since hip rotation occurs at heel plant.  However, opening the plant foot while twisting the shoulders back may cause discomfort for certain individuals; hence, John pivots his toe so that when his heel lowers and plants, hip rotation can be initiated.
> 
> Initiating a circular hand path, top hand torque, and bottom hand torque:  As soon as the heel drops, John begins to dip his back elbow down and in, forcing the front elbow to work up and away.  The hips also begin to rotate around a stationary axis, allowing the hands to work in a circular hand path.  Also essential to this movement is the top hand torque caused by the back shoulder rotation resulting from the back elbow tuck, and the bottom hand torque caused by the front shoulder rotation resulting from the front elbow working up and away.  The lowering of the back shoulder will also cause the front shoulder to rise, allowing the plane of the swing to be slightly up.  The front leg is also beginning to straighten—with its foot beginning to roll over onto the outside, near the heel—and the back leg is beginning to form an “L.”
> 
> Approach:  John has now tucked his back elbow near his back hip, allowing the bat head to rotate in a tight radius.  Although the bat is in a tight path, the head points downwards towards the opposing batter’s box, while the hands continue to wrap (i.e., circle) around the body.  The degree of bend in both elbows from the stride to contact remains the same.  In this approach phase, the front foot continues to pivot open, and roll the outside part of the foot, near the heel.
> 
> Contact:  At contact, the front leg is straight, and has pivoted open to about 75 degrees, with the weight on the outside of the front foot, near the heel.  The back leg is in an “L” position, with John pivoting on his back toe.  (If the pitch were lower, the back shoulder would dip more, and John would sit more on his back leg as he matched the plane of the swing to the plane of the pitch, causing him to rotate on the ball of his back foot.  Although good hitters do sit on their back legs, the momentum of the bat is another factor to cause their back foot to rise, and make them look like they do not).  The shoulders have rotated 110+ degrees, and the back forearm is now horizontal, pointing at the pitcher, with the palm of the bottom hand facing down, and the palm of the top hand facing up.  The head has also rotated with the body, and is looking slightly up, rather than at the point of contact.  As for the hips, I would estimate that they have rotated 90+ degrees.  The bat head is slightly below the hands.
> 
> Coasting Out:  I would argue that at this point, centrifugal force pulls the arms to a sweeping position.  The hips and shoulders continue to rotate, prodding the front foot to open up even more, and roll to the outside of the foot near the heel.  As the front foot breaks slightly, the back leg begins to straighten slightly as it rotates.
> 
> Follow through position:  In the end, John has rotated so much that you can see the back of his legs, as well as most of his bat.  The front foot continues to open and roll onto the outside part of the heel, the front knee continues to bend, the back leg continues to straighten, and the back foot continues to rotate until it favors the outside part of the little toe on the foot.  At this point, the hips and shoulders decelerate, up until the time that they have slowed enough to allow John to release his top hand from his bat.
> 
> What do you think John?  Jack?  Anybody?
> 
> Sincerely,
> BHL (Geoff)
> Knight1285@aol.com

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