Posted by: Dave (nytino20@aol.com) on Sat Jun 7 08:54:36 2008

I look at so many hitters at the big league level and it amazes me how they do so many things with their ENTIRE body the same. They have such good lower body mechanics and upper body mechanics. I find it hard to believe that these players vigourously drilled their lower body mechanics and upper body mechanics and really had to "build their swing from the ground up".

I am under the impression now after reading a lot that the lower body is just an effect of what you do correctly with the upper body. Or even better then that what you do correctly CLOSER TO THE BAT. Stemming from the hands and forearms. How you CORRECTLY use these body parts in the swing could "set everything else up" in the swing. Meaning if you have great "connection" mechanics and you really connect the bat to the body and do the correct things with your arms and hands then everything else should be on auto pilot. You shouldn't have to train your hips to do what they need to do or your legs to do what they need to do. I think your mind/body will naturally find a way to achieve the task at hand (which is of course swing the bat head as fast as possible).

I think of course connection is THE most important element in the swing. Just using Jack's analogy of the 1000 horse power engine that slips is genius really. You can practice lower body mechanics all you want but if you don't properly connect the bat to the body then it will all be a waste of energy. This is why I think connection is the most important element of the swing. Practicing proper use of the arms and hands and feeling what it should feel like to swing the bat is first and foremost in my most honest opinion.

A lot of my ideas came from Jack here so I hope you don't think that I just came up with this. I credit Jack for everything I know about the swing. I just wonder what you (Jack) and others think of "my thinking".