Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Jan 28 14:04:20 2006

>>> Every picture I look at of Albert Pujols swinging, I am amazed of how low his back knee is to the ground after he swings. Is this very good to have in your swing and how can you teach someone to do it? I am sure it is good because he is one of the best hitters in baseball (if not the best). <<<

Hi Mike

The height of the back-knee during rotation and the follow-through depends on how far the feet are apart and the height of the hips during rotation. Note in this clip of Pujols (http://home.comcast.net/~karla.mcnurlin/2b1b.gif ) that both knees are closed and well flexed at toe-plant. Also note the rotation and extension of the lead-knee during the swing.

Using the rotation and extension of the lead-knee to drive the front hip rearward allows his hips to remain low and rotate about his spine – not rising as getting out of a chair. Since the hips remain low as the lead-leg straightens, the back-knee rotates lower. And, since his axis of rotation is about his spine rather than the front hip, the back-hip rotates less distance forward to contact leaving the knee lower.

Since the back-hip travels farther with batters whose axis of rotation is around the lead-hip (rather than the spine), they normally have their back-leg straighter and often the foot is sliding forward at contact or the follow-through.

Jack Mankin