Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry) on Sat May 1 16:13:22 2004

ray-

Nyman has described the swing as a load/unload cycle.

My interpretation of this likens it to the golf swing,especially xfactor and xfactor stretch.

In golf for years there was emphasis on separation/xfactor and also on club position at the
top of the swing.More recently,the importance of the last bit of stretch and the first bit of
reversal has been emphasized,This is analagous to what nyman has described as total
body eccentric to concentric muscle action (muscles developing force while stretching and
contracting).See link:

http://www.skilltechnologies.com/XFactorStretch.htm

see especially conclusions about the importance of "dynamic tensioning" and the fact that
maximum separation is during the downswing.Club position at top is also important.

Liewise,in hitting,maximum separation ideally happens AFTER the torso has started
turning forward because the hips are opening faster than the torso.The actual uncoiling/
unloading/reversal happens when the bat is about in the "lag" position and is not a single
moment in time but an overlapping of coil and uncoil as unloading works from the middle
up supported by the front leg which has created a base fist permitting blocking to boost
the hips to maximum turning speed,then deceleration of the hips to transfer energy to the
torso as the unloading begins.

Analagous to the club position requirement in golf,the clubhead must stay in until the hips
have decelerated/transferred momentum or the bat will cause prmature interruption of
loading.

So the time course of load/unload is important as is the clubhead position.

Another bit of important data is from Zig's study which confirms the increased separation
for outside as opposed to inside before the x factor stretch is superimposed on the body
which has rotated into footplant(hips open/hands still back/rubberband winding as one
cue would describe it) so it is positioned to benefit from blocking/transform "linear"
momentum into "rotational' momentum.See,for example:

http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/output/10533.html

and

http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/output/10593.html

Unloading is the as near as possible to instantaneous transfer of momentum as coil/
stretch reverses. So the load/unload reversal happens after the "CHP" has started and is an
overlapping middle up thing.Unwinding from middle up needs to remain in sequence(no
rushing ahead of shoulder link) and bathead needs to stay in until hips start to decelerate
(which can often be seen by when back foot drags).

I am rushed,so will stop here and correct/explain more as needed.