Posted by: ray porco () on Fri Apr 16 16:43:00 2004

Friday, April 16, 2004 @ 7:43 pm EST

Jack,

I have physically tried your experiment.

“Try taking a bat and assuming a contact position with the lead-shoulder pulled back to the 105-degree position and the lead-arm across your chest.”
OK.
“The back-arm is in the “L” position at your side.”
GOT IT.
“Note that the knob is barely out past your side.”
CORRECT.

What you are describing is a batter’s contact position, (even with the lead knee) for pitches from the middle-in.

“Now, rotate your shoulders back to about the 65-degree position.”
OK.
“Note that this allows the knob to be about 10+ inches farther out.”
DEBATEABLE, BUT OK.
“This plate coverage was due to the amount of shoulder rotation – not the extension of the lead-arm (it remained straight).”
AGAIN OK - BUT-----

Let’s go back to rotating the shoulders back to about the 65-degree position. If my arms and wrists are frozen when I rotate back, my bathead may be 10+ inches farther out, BUT THE BATHEAD IS NOW TRAILING MY HANDS. This contact position would be “hitting the ball late”, or “inside-outing”, or “hitting to the opposite field”.

Again, the example you gave (shoulders to 105 degrees, back arm in “L”) is for a pitch from the middle-in.

Try your example (shoulders to 105 degrees) for a pitch on the outside in the black. Hit that pitch even with the lead knee. What did you have to do? Even pull back to 65 degrees.

All I can say to you and those that read these posts is try this experiment:

1. Use a tee with a ball on it and set it up on the front edge of the plate dead center.
2. Take your optimal stance (sweet spot of bat on center of ball).
3. Trace on floor where your feet are.
4. Now experiment by moving the tee/ball around keeping your feet
in the tracings.
Try putting the ball outside in the black at the front edge of
the plate. Try to pull it.
Look at your top hand wrist.

ray porco