Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Mar 26 15:37:04 2005

>>> Behave/look/operate the same way? If both are rotating around a stationary axis regardless of hand path, shouldn't they both(hips and shoulders) look the same?

If so, very hard to tell who in MLB is using linear vs. rotational. Majority seem to be using rotational mechanics..then again, the linear hand path starting motion may be so slight and their speed so fast that I can't tell the difference. I figured linear mechanics would really shove that knob to the belly button to front hip area more than I've seen from MLB players.

Does the barrel head drop more for rotational hitters vs. linear hitters? <<<

Hi KML

You are right. Since the vast majority of both great and average MLB rotate around a stationary axis, it is problematic at best to classify their hitting potential by the lower-body mechanics they employ. However, we can classify the transfer mechanics they exhibit to convert the body’s rotational energy into bat speed. --- Below are posts from the Archives I have written on this topic.

You asked, “Does the barrel head drop more for rotational hitters vs. linear hitters?” The following post should answer your question –http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/12618.html

Jack Mankin
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While doing video analysis of young hitters, I took note that most of the batters developed ample hip and shoulder rotation during the swing. However, only a few (very few) have the transfer mechanics to keep the bat-head accelerating in sync with the body rotation. If the top-hand does not “create the correct resistance” (pulling back on the handle with the fingers), the bat-head’s inertia will cause it to lag farther and farther behind shoulder rotation (falling behind the power curve).

As the shoulders begin to rotate, most hitters have the tendency to push forward with the palm of the top-hand. Pushing forward on the handle with the top-hand does not cause the bat-head to accelerate rearward in sync with shoulder rotation. The batter winds up with the shoulders fully rotated, but the bat is lagging back 40 to 90 degrees from contact.

The first thing I look for in doing a video analysis of a student’s (or MLB’s) swing is to see if the bat is brought to contact as shoulder rotation is depleted. This tells me how efficient their transfer mechanics are.

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As I mentioned earlier, the first thing I look for when doing a video analysis of a student is the frame of their contact position and the frame just before it. Around 90 percent of the time, the hips and shoulders are facing the pitcher. In fact, most of these students will have rotated their hips and shoulder to facing the pitcher one to two frames before the bat has accelerated to contact.

However, only the better hitters will have the lead-shoulder pulled back to the 105-degree position. Many of them will not have the lead knee fully extended at contact as well. I have found that working only with a batter’s lower body mechanics does not effectively solve lower body problems unless the student understands its relationship to accelerating the bat-head around the swing plane.

Once the hitter begins utilizing more efficient transfer mechanics to maximize acceleration of the bat-head (first rearward), the greater the load to shoulder rotation, and therefore, the greater the separation between hip and shoulder rotation. The more the batter concentrates on making productive use of the lead-side, the more he extends the lead-leg to get the shoulder back to the 105 position. The more the batter concentrates on keeping the hands back at initiation, by pulling back with the top-hand, the more the hips will lead the hands, and etc.

The bottom line is, the lower body will drive the hips and shoulders to supply the most productive rotation when accommodating sound transfer principles. Without sound transfer principles, the hips and shoulders experience a lower load rotation that lets them fly but leaves the bat-head lagging behind.

Jack Mankin