Posted by: ray porco (rporco@verizon.net) on Sun Jul 10 17:20:56 2005

> > Hitter,
> >
> > Sorry for being so blunt, but:
> >
> > 1. you did not answer my question.
> >
> > 2. you are not correct with what contextual interference seems like.
> >
> > 3. you are not correct with what schema theory means. if you were, you would know exactly how it applies to this discussion.
> >
> > 4. you are welcome (for the thanks you gave me trying to help you understand) but, either I am not doing a very good job or you are not trying hard enough.
>
> Honesty may not be the best to hear, but it gets the point across best, so I'm perfectly fine with it.
>
> I'm hesitant to say, "OK, I get it now," but the articles gave me a better idea. You're basically telling me to try and practice using different methods rather than repeating one single method many times? That is what I got from reading the articles.
>
> Sorry for not answering your other question. No, I don't think it's the only way. I learned this when I practiced throwing mechanics. I tried different things until one worked really well, and then I practiced that one way until I became comfortable with it. I think this is what you're advocating with hitting.
>
> Before we go any further, is that correct?


***********************************

Hitter,

you ARE getting closer.

so now we have come full circle to your original question:

"How exactly do the legs function in the swing? Does the hitter consciously straighten the front leg and consciously push with the back leg, or are these natural occurences due to sound early mechanics?"


What you may think is a single joint movement (i.e. rear knee turning down and in) is really a multi-joint movement (i.e. hip, knee, ankle). You can isolate your focus on the rear knee turning down and in, just like you could isolate your focus on the front knee straightening, or what your right or left ankle is doing, or what your right or left hip is doing, or you can just focus on turning your belly button in the direction of the pitch to get ‘em all workin’.

During multi-joint limb movements, rotational forces arise at one joint due to the motions of limb segments about other joints. Central control signals to muscles are adjusted to compensate for interaction torques - loads arising at one joint which depend on motion about other joints.