Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Jun 25 19:53:11 2005

Hi Tom

You stated, “I personally have/would describe the desired rotation as more around the front hip during the actual firing of the bathead ("unloading") which might be the last 2 or 3 frames (30 fps) going into/through contact.The advantage of this non-centered axis is that the body can then send momentum referentially/efficiently UP to create more/better bathead acceleration.”

I disagree with your observation and conclusion. But that is what a good debate is all about. The reader can now study the clip and make up their mind on the two analyses.

You stated in closing, “If axis doesn't keep you busy,I would say Bagwell also makes a typical posture adjustment to get up for the high ball in this second/front clip which includes getting the lead arm more up off the chest (as well as more lead scap elevation and a number of total body associated last fraction of a second posture and weight shift adjustments-but still likely to be "best" felt in lead arm) which I would think of as weathervaning (Epstein term),but then there's a whole nother can of worms for when the axis dust settles.”

I agree with you that Bagwell does get the lead-arm up more to adjust for the high ball. However, below is a copy from Epstein’s post on “weathervaning®”.

##
From: Mike Epstein
Date: 4/5/2001
Time: 12:02:34 PM

When the hitter is able to match the plane of his swing to the plane of the pitch, his lead elbow works in an approximate 4-6" slot: if the pitch is perceived as "down," the lead elbow works up in the slot. If the pitch is perceived as up, the lead elbow makes the instinctive adjustment and works down. The “weathervaning®” of the lead elbow allows this to happen. The proper swing allows for this dynamic adjustment.
##

Note that he states, “If the pitch is perceived as up, the lead elbow makes the instinctive adjustment and works down.” At first I thought this was just a mix up in typing until he reiterated the statement in other post. – But as you said, that can be discussed in a future thread.

Jack Mankin