Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: BHL (Knight1285@aol.com) on Tue Mar 29 22:52:44 2005

Hi Jack:

I reviewed my tape of Edguardo Alfonzo hitting a grand slam off Arizona in the post-season to win a game for the Mets. In the swing, Fonzie had set up a wide base; however, in his swing, his back foot did not come off the ground, drag forward, or even come up to the toe. In fact, at contact, he rotated on the ball of his foot, and his front foot rolled over on his side.

That tape facilitated my curiousity. After viewing the tape for several hours, the answer to my question became transparent! Basically, I found that whether or not a ballplayer rotates on the ball of his or her foot--assuming the batter rotates around a stationary axis--is contingent on how the batter sets up his or her axis of rotation!

Certain hitters, namely Albert Pujols, will have an axis of rotation that points towards the pitcher. This will predispose these hitting types to hit with a closed front foot, and lift the back toe off the ground.

Other hitters, such as Mickey Mantle, will have a straight axis of rotation. Such hitters will open the front foot forty-five degrees, and come up to the toe, or even the slide the toe forward several inches.

Finally, hitters like Edguardo Alfonzo will have an axis of rotation that points back towards the catcher. As a result, these batters will open the front toe ninety degrees and roll the front foot over while pivoting on the ball of the back foot.

In every case, the hitter is rotating around a stationary axis. What looks like weight shift is really rotation.

Therefore, it would be incorrect to posit that Pujols shifts his weight, Mantle just rotates, or Alfonzo squishes the bug.

All one needs to do to test this theory is look at tapes of the players hitting the ball, and they will find the same contact position: the front leg is straight, and the back leg forms an "L."

How ironic it is that, when it counts, the three dissimilar axes of rotation produce the optimum lower body contact position.

Just my thoughts,
BHL, Literary Expert

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> Hi Jack:
> 
> I reviewed my tape of Edguardo Alfonzo hitting a grand slam off Arizona in the post-season to win a game for the Mets.  In the swing, Fonzie had set up a wide base; however, in his swing, his back foot did not come off the ground, drag forward, or even come up to the toe.  In fact, at contact, he rotated on the ball of his foot, and his front foot rolled over on his side.
> 
> That tape facilitated my curiousity.  After viewing the tape for several hours, the answer to my question became transparent!  Basically, I found that whether or not a ballplayer rotates on the ball of his or her foot--assuming the batter rotates around a stationary axis--is contingent on how the batter sets up his or her axis of rotation!
> 
> Certain hitters, namely Albert Pujols, will have an axis of rotation that points towards the pitcher.  This will predispose these hitting types to hit with a closed front foot, and lift the back toe off the ground.
> 
> Other hitters, such as Mickey Mantle, will have a straight axis of rotation.  Such hitters will open the front foot forty-five degrees, and come up to the toe, or even the slide the toe forward several inches.
> 
> Finally, hitters like Edguardo Alfonzo will have an axis of rotation that points back towards the catcher.  As a result, these batters will open the front toe ninety degrees and roll the front foot over while pivoting on the ball of the back foot.
> 
> In every case, the hitter is rotating around a stationary axis.  What looks like weight shift is really rotation.
> 
> Therefore, it would be incorrect to posit that Pujols shifts his weight, Mantle just rotates, or Alfonzo squishes the bug.
> 
> All one needs to do to test this theory is look at tapes of the players hitting the ball, and they will find the same contact position:  the front leg is straight, and the back leg forms an "L."
> 
> How ironic it is that, when it counts, the three dissimilar axes of rotation produce the optimum lower body contact position.
> 
> Just my thoughts,
> BHL, Literary Expert

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