Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Mar 5 16:31:09 2001

>>> It's easy to identify hitters that use rotational mechanics because most of them do. I'm still waiting to hear about one that doesn't.

Most also use weight shift as well--some more than others. Just because McGuire releases his top hand doesn't make him a weight shift hitter. Just because Aaron had a healthy stride sometimes does not make him a weight shift hitter.

I know in the past there have been more pure weight shift hitters than today's game. There are many hitters today that stride to a pre-bent leg and than use the extension of the leg to drive rotation.

In reality, there are too many permutations to clearly classify hitters under either type--although I would say there is a trend to less aggressive weight shift (back to middle rather than striding into the front leg) and smaller strides.

Many times we argue about terminology (we use different words to describe the same thing).

Tim <<<

Hi Tim

“It's easy to identify hitters that use rotational mechanics because most of them do. I'm still waiting to hear about one that doesn't.” --- I would agree with you that there are many similarities of how linear and rotational hitters develop energy for the swing. Either may or may not take a stride, or shift weight, and both rotate around some axis.

But there is a vast difference in the mechanics they use to transfer that energy into bat speed. The batter using linear mechanics initiates the swing with forces that will have the back-hand driving past the lead-hand at contact. So, how he strides, rotates and the forces he applies to the bat at initiation is timed and geared to achieve back-arm extension through contact.

A good rotational hitter has no thought of extending the back-arm through contact. The mindset for his mechanics is to initiate the swing with forces that will cause the lead-hand to arc around a more stationary back-hand coming into contact. So the forces he applies to the bat at initiation will be far different than those of the linear hitter. He will have expended all rotational an torque energies by contact. The power for the follow-through will come from the bat’s momentum – not his arms.

So, to sum it up: The linear hitter sets up to drive (or extend) the back-hand past the lead-hand. --- The rotational hitter sets up to have the lead shoulder and arm pull the lead-hand around a more stationary back-hand. --- The mechanics may look similar, but there is a vast difference in what they produce.

Jack Mankin