Posted by: Shawn (mariner0324@yahoo.com) on Fri Oct 28 18:50:56 2005

> Jack, you are much more patient than I could ever be. I've re-read Shawn's post about six times, and I can only come to the conclusion that he's just trying to pick a fight to try to prove someone wrong on something. Looking at the excerpts I've listed above, you can see he's throwing out jargon like "weight shift", "mass" and "force" without tying them to particular body parts or movements. And, as you note, there are some statements that are flat out wrong based upon empirical observation. For example, how can the stride be part of "force production" when the bat does not even move until after the stride is completed? (Unless you're Ichiro...)
>
> I'm not saying that you need to be impolite to someone like Shawn.


Until he make it clear what he means by "weight shift" and by what mechanism this "shift" translates into power, it may not be worth everyone's while to engage in a debate. As I say, your gentlemanly response deserves commendation.

I do not see where you have gotten Jack and I are being any less then fair to each other.

I have a problem with Jack saying that a weight shift doesn't contribute to power.

The clip he provided is a poor example to use or try to rebute weight shift. I have clip of Vlad that show his weight shift rather well.

The stride is part of the force production and isn't a useless timing device. Anyone who has remotely studied hitting knows that the weight shift back is the begining of force production, beginning of the swing process. During the "stride" there is both a weight shift back (loading) and a weight shift forward (positive move). The unloading starts as the stride ends, and when the swing begins (bat moves forward). Just because the bat doesn't begin forward until toe touch, doesn't mean that is the start of force production. This is rather basic biomechanics.

If there was no weight shift into the swing, the weight would remain on the back foot. And everyone know this is not the case in a high level swing.

I'm sorry but you simply do not understand the agruement or the swing.

If Jack doesn't believe that weight shift contibutes to power is one thing, to deny it's existence is completely different. Jack does not deny it's existence, he merely doesn't understand how it's used in the swing. He is so wrapped up in an unmoveable axis that he doesn't see how the weight shift is used in the swing.