Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Tue Nov 21 00:29:56 2000

>>>He set up with a comfortable base (slightly more than shoulder-length apart, and really got a great push with both legs to rotate around a stationary axis. At contact, all of his mechanics were executed to perfection.
On VHS, however, I noticed his front leg, at contact, was at a 45 dgree slope, while his back leg formed a true 90 degree L--a right angle (with his upper right leg, or thigh, perpendicular to the ground, while his lower right leg, or calf, was perpendicular to the ground).
Yet he did not seem to bend down or shift his axis.

My question is, Jack, if a person is flexible, strong, and exhibits perfect balance, is it possible their back leg can form the L I just described at contact (i'm just curious, being trained in English/Classical Geometry). <<<

Hi BHL

I think you meant to say his right calf was parallel (not perpendicular) to the ground. --- I would have no problem with the position you describe if his axis of rotation is constant and not fading away from the pitcher. Sometimes batters who only use the back leg to rotate the hips can cause the backside to collapse. Their hips slide forward while the head and shoulders fade back toward the catcher. The back knee lowers almost to the ground. -- But since you said he uses both leg to generate rotation, I would think he has a good axis of rotation.

Jack Mankin