Posted by: Juice () on Thu Apr 15 15:41:54 2004

Most major league hitters step and swing in one fluid motion. That is, they step and swing. There is no doubt that eventhough the linear motion stops when they begin to rotate, the timeing step is still "part" of their swing. Some players such as Piazza or A-Rod virtually begin to rotate at the same time that their front foot is hitting the ground(yet they still display great rotational mechanics).
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> > I swing ala Jim Edmonds (but from the right side). My timing step is so early that I have my front foot on the ground before the pitcher has released the ball. Then i just stay balanced and rotate. Edmonds doesnt even take a step, so like myself, he just waits and rotates.
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> > MY question is this: is there a benifit to using a timeing step that is connected to your swing? Is it detrimental to your swing to have a elongated period of time between your timeing step and the initiation of your rotation?
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> > I am a rotational hitter, but is there a possibility that the linear energy created by striding forward can be transmitted to a rotational swing? And if so, you would obviously lose that energy in a swing like mine.
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> > Thanks for your thoughts.
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> > Sincerely
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> > Juice
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> Juice, If you are striding and setting your foot down and then waiting to start your swing, you are starting, stopping and then starting again. That defeats the purpose of striding. The stride is a timing device......it can be long, short or just raising your heel up and setting it down, but the swing (hips) start as the front foot is touching down, so striding early and then waiting, and then starting the swing is not something that I would teach or advise someone to do. Edmonds has a load and has timing, but does not start, stop and then start again. The most important part of hitting is timing, and it comes from your brain, lead foot and/or hand action. You are losing energy because you are going from a dead start.
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> Doug
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Doug-

First of all, thank you for your response. That said, do you think that i lose a considerable amount of power by starting my swing without a step? I would contest that all of the energy in my swing is purely generated from my rotation. Remmember the simple physics: if you run and jump the energy you gain from running horizontally has absolutely no effect on letting you jump higher (vertically). you will produce just as much horizontal energy when you jump from a standstill. This is simmilar to hitting. The linear energy i gain from taking a step has nothing to do with the maximum amount of rotational energy that i can achieve while rotating. In your response you wrote "You are losing energy because you are going from a dead start" I do not know how this can be possible in a purely rotational swing, and if i am able to time pitches well without taking a step, then why do i need to take one?

Juice