Posted by: Mike Myers (mike.myers@bell.ca) on Wed Jan 5 14:28:48 2005

>>> How do you explain the clear differences between slow pitch, and baseball swing mechanics? <<<
>
> Hi Mike.
>
> I do not see a great difference between the rotational mechanics exhibited by the top slow pitch and top baseball hitters. Below is a post from the Archives regarding this issue.
>
> Jack Mankin
> ##
>
> Re: Softball Application
> Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com on Sat Jan 5 14:42:18 2002
>
> >>> I'm a first time visitor to your site and noticed you mention that your concepts can be used for baseball as well as softball. As I play slowpitch softball, I'm interested if your concepts apply to this game or if your reference was strictly for fast-pitch softball.
>
> Look forward to your response and digging into your site more. <<<
>
> Hi Jonny
>
> Welcome to the site. -- A few years ago I watched a softball game between a slow pitch all- star team and a team made up of major league baseball players. The baseball players were getting their butts stomped. When the score got to around 12 to 2, I decided to start taping the game and see what the heck was going on. -- If my memory serves me correctly, the slow pitch team hit 16 home runs in the game.
>
> I found to my great surprise that most of the softball players were using good rotational transfer mechanics while only 2 or 3 of the baseball hitters (Ken Griffey Jr for one) exhibited equal or better rotational mechanics -most of the selected baseball players used more linear type mechanics. --- When I watched the game last year, the score was more balanced and so were the mechanics displayed.
>
> Jack Mankin
>
>
>

Jack,

This site appears to differ:
http://www.swingmechanics.com/

Here is an excerpt:

"There are no good, current books on men's adult softball power hitting mechanics. So you turn to the web, and encounter several websites dedicated to bat speed and swing mechanics. The problem is that they almost universally assume that generating power is the same in baseball and softball, and it is DEFINITELY NOT. They often times spew the same MIS-INFORMATION that has been around forever even though it is decidedly wrong.

The biggest difference between baseball and softball is that in baseball the batter is battling pitch speed. That means that a batter can't really load up. He may be trying to catch up to a 95mph fastball on one swing, and trying not to be out ahead of a 73mph curveball on the next. In softball, however, you don't need to worry about pitch speed nearly as much. While pitchers may throw different speed pitches, the difference is easily recognized since the pitches are coming much slower. This means the hitter needs to do less speed adjustment, and can spend more of the early portion of his swing on generating power. The softball batter can really load up during the "coil" portion of his swing. Another reason the baseball batter can't load up as much is that he has to spend the early part of his swing determining what pitch has been thrown (pitch recognition). Again, the softball batter has the luxury of not having to judge speed or what pitch has just been thrown. In softball, the batter has more time to generate power. The emphasis switches from quick, fast movements, to strong powerful movements."

This observation is consistent with my impression of effective slow pitch hitters. They raise their front foot much higher and coil their entire body with leg raised before striding forward.

The baseball rotational swing is more energy efficient - but perhaps efficiency is not crucial if one is much less concerned with pitch speed and location. The batter has more time to generate a harder swing to a predictable target, where, in baseball one must react quickly to a less known target.

Perhaps coiling the front leg in an exaggerated pitching motion can enhance rotational power to a known target. Although the swing takes longer to complete, this is unimportant for a slow pitch.

Mike.