Posted by: ray porco () on Thu May 3 19:04:32 2001

anybody,

definition of balance can be complicated or simple. is balance "physical equilibrium"? if so, am i balanced with my feet together, with my feet 12 inches apart from each other, with them spread as far as i can stretch? how about balance with regard to time? to achieve a position of balance do i have to hold this position for a determined amount of time - say 10 seconds, or can it be just a mille-second, or perhaps not even discernably recognized as "holding" (just passing through the balance point on you way to the other side).

How about shifting? is it hitting the right key on my keyboard in order to capitalize? (comic relief!) how about changing the place of something? or the position of something? or the direction of something? and then when we combine the two - balance and shift. doesn't THAT complicate things! do we just think of it as weight of one side in excess of another? is it that simple?

AND THEN, balance and shift with respect to the baseball swing.

a simple experiment:
round 1 - stand facing a mirror and place your feet tightly together. lift your left leg (or right) and watch the position of your head in relation to the right (balancing) foot?
round 2 - this time start out with your feet 12 inches apart (with your head centrally located - between your feet, that is). lift your left leg (or right) and watch the position of your head in relation to the balancing foot AND the distance the head must travel.
round 3 - the further you spread (with your head centrally located between your feet), the further your head must travel to balance when you lift one of your legs.

NOW, what the hell is the point.
i think watching the head in relation to the feet and the distance the head travels, is the key to defining weight shift and balance.

take 3 hitters (all RH). all start with their heads centrally located between their feet, which are spread apart shoulder width. the first, strides forward 6 inches with the left foot (he does not shift his head PRIOR to lifting his stride leg). as his stride leg goes forward, his head must go forward, but this hitter tries to keep his head centrally located between both feet. the second hitter DOES shift his head (over his right leg - balancing in the process) PRIOR to lifting his stride leg. now he steps. his head does not have to shift (or go forward). the third hitter shifts his head OVER his stride leg upon striding.

call me crazy, but i call the third guy a "lunger", the second guy - "rotational", and the first guy - "weight shift". bonds is an example of hitter number two and palmiero is an example of number one. yea, there are varying degrees to each, but watching the head in relation to the feet determines the degree.

just trying to create a model for definition and comparison. feel free to throw darts.

ray porco