Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Apr 9 20:07:45 2001

>>> I agree that most hitters I see in the majors drag the toe behind the front foot.This is an equal and opposite reaction to the momentum transferring up from the hips to the torso. Virtually all successful ballplayers have learned to do this to generate power for the throw or swing.

However, as Jack has pointed out, not so many transfer this to the bat in a way that efficiently creates batspeed. Ideally you want good transfer mechanics sequenced after sufficient power generation which means contact after the toe starts to drag and before the hips go "up"(stop).

At lower levels of play, especially in fastpitch, you do see kids just squishin the bug and leaving weight back and not coming up on the toe and not starting toe drag before contact. These kids not only transfer energy poorly from the torso to the bat, they don't get much energy in the torso to begin with, or they start sucking energy out of the torso before the hips can get it into the torso which gives you this dead backside. <<<

Hi Tom

I have often stated that weaker hitters allow their bat’s to get behind the power-curve. But your post very wisely points out that batters can also swing ahead of the power curve - if they indeed developed much rotational energy.

Jack Mankin