Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Sun May 2 15:11:30 2004

Jack-

Thanks for the descriptive detail.

There are lots of caveats like more frames per second is nice and bigger pictures/better resolution is nice and cause and effect are very difficult to assess,and the comparison is between 2 different players and its just one swing.etc.,etc.,(it would be nice to see a "non slumping" Arod with similar location),but even so I would personally agree with you that there is a swing plane related flaw.This is,of course,my pure personal speculation from a theoretical video analysis/webgeek standpoint.

The model I have in mind would say the 2 likeliest culprits would be either 1-"rushing"-meaning Arod's shoulder/scap/arm/hand link pushes ahead rather than waiting for middle up untwisting to turn/pull the shoulder link. This means he drops the bat in an arm plane(top hand dominance/pushing swing at intiation) that is different from where the power plane of the torso is being developed,then has to compensate later.

OR 2- he is cocking and uncocking the bat in a way (perhaps in a misguided attempt to shorten up) the the bathead gets too far out too soon which then prevents the desired sequencing to take place/forces shoulder link to unload prematurely.

Grip placement or tension could also be a culprit.

If you watch the Sosa clip you can see the torso turn/pull things in sequence as compared to Arod where the shoulder turn starts/handpath pushes before the torso turns to pull it.Would a nonslumping (is he even slumping?) Arod show the same "improved" sequence ?

One way to approach a fix is to keep the bathead in,experiment with grip and avoid rushing(keep hands back more/keep back scap pinching as bat uncocks to sweep better),then check yourself with results and video.