Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Thu May 12 00:18:16 2005

Hi Tom

I was just reading a post you made on another board. You were discussing the role of the front hip during rotation. Below is part of that post and I am wondering if my interpretation is correct.

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“When the uncoiling then launches the bathead, almost all weight is on the front foot. Forward progress of the center has stopped. The front hip must then be the main axis of rotation and the front hip socket will go UP to help send the momentum preferentially up.

During unloading/uncoiling/launch/approach to contact, you do not want the front hip socket going back (spinning) or forward/down (hip slide). “
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I teach my hitters to have ample flex in the lead-knee and use the extension of the lead-leg to drive the front hip rearward as the backhip rotates forward. This generates rotation about a stationary axis. If I read your statement correctly, you think this is wrong. It appears you would call this “spinning.”

I have noted that many of the best hitters have their front hip socket going back at contact. So, I went to youthbaseball and studied frame-by-frames of the first batters viewed across the plate. They are Bagwell and Bonds.

http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/bagwell1.mpeg

http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/bonds600.mpeg

Tom, it is evident that these hitters are using the extension of the lead-leg to drive the front hip socket back. Therefore, are you saying “spinning” is a positive or a negative? I would appreciate the clarification.

Jack Mankin