Posted by: Andrew (drog29@aim.com) on Fri Mar 3 16:45:32 2006

> My son rolled over his foot and a coach who gave him a batting lesson said its fine, even great because he has the flexibility to do it.
>
> But who are these MLB hitters who do this? I've seen Miguel Cabrera and Pujols actually lift their back foot off the ground completely in home runs swings so perhaps putting the weight all on the front foot isn't so bad.

Dear Hitter's Dad
When the back foot comes off the ground, it is not a result of a push from the back side. In other words, it is not a mere weight shift frm the back foot to the front foot. It is a result of the front hip initiating the rotation of the swing and eventually turning back towars the catcher. This move creates an illusion of a strong push from the back side. I have found when I initiate rotation with the front hip, my bat speed increases 6-10 mph, whicj is significant. If you have any footage of a great big league hitter, watch it frame by frame. Notice how much the front hip has opened up by contact. Hope this helps.