Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Thu Nov 10 18:57:36 2005

>>> From moving your lead leg off of the ground to the toe touch position, are your hips internally or externally rotating? Also, what happens after the toe touch at the hip, internal or external rotation? I've been debating with someone about this. <<<

Hi Mike

First, I think we need to clarify my interruptions of “internally” and “externally” rotation. For the purpose of this discussion, I will refer to “internally” rotation of the hips as generated from the contraction of muscles of the upper-thighs and lower back. By “externally,” I will mean hip rotation that is generated from torque applied as the hip joints are driven in opposite directions.

Most of the best hitters have little-to-no hip rotation (internally or externally generated) during the stride until after toe touch.

In order to keep my post as short as possible, I will address “what happens after the toe touch” with a few of my thoughts.
(1) I have found that batters that predominately use “internally” rotation of the hips, stride to a straighter front-leg.
(2) Since there is less extension from the lead-leg, their back-hip rotates around a more posted lead-hip.
(3) This could be referred to as “swinging like a gate on hinges” – lower axis moves forward (“Back to Center”).
(4) An example -- http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/Chipper01.mpeg
(5) #
(6) Batters that predominately use “externally” generated rotation, stride to a well-flexed lead-leg.
(7) They use the extension of the lead-leg to drive the lead-hip-joint rearward as “internally” generated rotation drives the back-hip forward.
(8) This could be referred to as “rotating evenly about a fixed axis” ( like a revolving door)
(9) Examples -- http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/bagwell1.mpeg
http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/bonds600.mpeg

Many batters may fall somewhere in between predominately “externally or internally” generted.

Jack Mankin