Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Wed May 26 11:53:27 2004

Just a quick note about "arm action is king".This is based on my understanding of Nyman's principles involving motor learning for the overhand throw.While the arm is not the power generator,Nyman's point is that arm action will demand a particular kind of support from the body and is very important in organizing motor learning.I would think the same hierarchy would apply to rotational hitting although Nyman does not appear to agree with this and includes hitting cues that would seem to suggest a more hip turn centric model(such as no stride drills,turn like heck,etc).I find working on arm action and synching it with lower body action works,as does backward chaining/shaping.Ted Williams said body/hips torso at 80-85%,hands at 100%.Also see Gwynn's comments on Gwynn on Bonds,picture 6:

".......a lot of guys try to force the lower body through the zone and you don't have to,all you gotta do is get in a good position and take the bottom hand and pull it through the zone and the rest of the body goes where it is supposed to.If you try to force it,that slows the hands through the zone,then you won't have as much pop.If you take the hands the proper way,keep them inside the ball,then the lower half will go where its supposed to go......"

Now how the bottom hand is exactly pulled through the zone staying inside the ball,etc is not very objectively explained,but that's another story.The feel that Gwynn describes is still important.

Arm action organizes support and triggers good momentum transfer.This is what Nyman also describe as top down control of bottom up action.Too much focus on hips usually means bottom or middle up control of a bottom or middle up action and wastes energy overrotation the body instead of turning the bat.You risk having "dead hands" or lack of good "upper body loading".The postural efficiency/formation of levers by arm action is not easily optimized without focus on arm action.