Posted by: FiveFrameSwing (lyons.chris@yahoo.com) on Fri Nov 28 08:47:18 2008

> turn>>> I’m not sure I’m understanding your comments about the cues "you must go back to go forward" and "walk away from the hands". In my opinion having the hands move back towards the catcher during the forward stride has multiple benefits, one of which is obtaining early lead arm extension and the promotion of a semi-circular hand path.
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> Are you advocating a 30-degree inward turn as opposed to obtaining early lead arm extension? <<<
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> Hi FiveFrameSwing
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> Hope you and your family are enjoying this day of Thanksgiving. – I do not find a 30-degree inward turn and having the lead-arm extended to be exclusive. Although some may like a more boxed lead-elbow, I encourage my students to have an extended (or more barred) arm in their launch position. Even with a straighter arm, a 30-degree inward turn should rotate the hands far enough back to hide them from the pitcher.
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> “Hiding the hands” in the launch position has always been one of the key thinks I look for in my swing analysis. This was reinforced this past spring from my analysis of over 400 hundred college hitters. All the hitters with 700+ slugging percentages (top 5 rounds material) exhibited well-hidden hands at launch. Whereas, not one of the 28 hitters whose hands were brought back less than straightaway exceeded 440. -- It is next to impossible to generate a highly productive CHP when the hands are not rotated back past the straightaway position.
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> Jack Mankin


Jack,

Thank you for the explanation. IMO the “negative move” is extremely important and I’d like to review the topic a bit further.

There are various approaches used to get one’s weight back. All have the objective of getting the weight back to load the inside rear leg, prior to carrying a loaded back leg forward, and then unloading at swing initiation.

A hitter can start with their head balanced between their feet and shift their weight toward their backside to load their inside back leg.

A hitter can start in a pre-loaded position with their weight toward the back leg, and head closer to their back leg, … in which case the hitter is starting with their weight on the back leg before striding.

A hitter can perform a high front leg raise. Some combine this with an inward knee pinch to cock their hips.

A hitter can perform a tap-back in which they perform an inward knee pinch to cock their hips.

In all cases, IMO, the hands/arms should move back during the forward stride.

Many hitters have their hands approximately 6-10" out in front of their chest in their stance. When they move their hands/arms back, as viewed from the pitcher’s viewpoint, the upper portion of the lead arm will appear to be across the hitter’s chest, and the hands will be in-line or inside the lead elbow. I have been using a guideline that during the movement of the hands back, that the amount of shoulder counter rotation should not exceed roughly 12-degrees. From my perspective 30-degrees seems a bit excessive and I’m wondering if I understand this recommendation correctly.

Could you please comment further on the "hiding the hands" concept versus a 30-degree inward turn?

-FFS