Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Fri Mar 31 14:06:57 2006

>>> Where should the shoulders / chest be positioned at contact??? Should they be pointing towards the pitcher (parallel to the pitcher) or pointed more towards 2nd base??

My daughters softball coach keeps telling her she is pulling her shoulder out, but to me (based on what I have red on this site), she is performing the correct shoulder rotation. <<<

Hi Softball Dad

With the best hitters, shoulder rotation supplies over 75 percent of the energy for the swing. The arms-wrists-hands-bat are linked at the shoulders – not at the hips. There is no way for the large muscles of the legs, hips and torso to supply energy for the swing except through shoulder rotation.

For most pitches, your daughter’s shoulders should rotate 90+ degrees from launch to contact. The more her shoulder rotation is restricted, the more she must rely on the smaller muscles of her arms. See the article below I previously wrote on this topic. But rather than just taking my word for it, study frame-by-frame the shoulder rotation of some of the best hitters in clips shown at - http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/swings.html

Jack Mankin
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Truism or Fallacy
Rethinking Old Baseball Hitting Theories

"Keep Your Shoulder In There"

I am firmly convinced that the rule, "Keep your shoulder in there," has been a major deterrent to the development of good hitters. It leads to a slower development of bat speed and, along with creating other biomechanical problems, it can cause the wrists to roll prematurely. The rule certainly has merit during the stride and pre-launch positioning, but far too many coaches think it also applies during the swing. They contend that rotating the shoulders at the start of the swing will cause the players head and body to "fly out."

Many coaches also claim that shoulder rotation leads to problems of seeing the ball and reaching the outside pitch. Ironically, at the same time they claim that shoulder rotation will cause the swing to go wide. Additionally, many coaches contend that the main role of the shoulders is to provide a platform for the arms to swing from. Lastly, they believe that shoulder movement is intended to "clear out" the front side and allow the hands to come through.

I think we can all agree that a great deal of the energy for the swing comes from the hips. However, I would ask that you consider the following: what would happen if I picked up a bat and "popped" my hips while holding my shoulders still? Would I develop any bat-speed? -- Energy cannot just mysteriously jump from the hips to the bat. It would seem logical to conclude that for energy from the rotating hips to be transmitted up and out to the bat head - the torso and shoulders would also have to rotate. But, implying that shoulder rotation may be just as (or more) important than hip rotation may cause some coaches to challenge your credibility.

Now suppose that I pop my hips and rotate the shoulders, but had enough slack in my arms that the hands did not move. Did I generate any bat speed? -- The point I'm trying to make is this: No matter what batting mechanic you choose, it can only have an impact on bat speed when it causes the hands to exert a force on the bat. This is why I have trouble with mechanics that would have the batter opening his hips while keeping the hands back. Hip rotation without a corresponding acceleration of the hands would be nothing more than a positioning move, not to generate bat speed. The same could be said for "clearing out" the lead shoulder.

When we consider the mechanics that a great hitter uses to generate bat speed, it is important to keep in mind that the bat does not know if a superstar or a machine is swinging it. The bat can only react to the forces being applied to it. The objective should be to define the forces acting on the bat that generate bat speed. Then, and only then, can we understand and develop mechanics that deliver those forces.

The "keep your shoulder in there" rule does have merit during the stride and balance procedure a batter takes in preparation for the swing. However, any premature opening of the shoulders before the initiation of the swing will result in a loss of power. It is a valid argument for coaches to be concerned with a hitter "bailing out," which leads to many problems. But the solution is not to have the batter keep his shoulders in place and become an arm swinger. Generating higher bat speeds requires the energies developed by the large muscles in the legs, hips and back to be transferred up and out to the bat. That transfer can only take place by the rotation of the entire torso - shoulders included.

I will conclude by pointing out that the shoulders (and body) should rotate around a stationary axis (the spine). Therefore, the head and center of balance will also remain stationary during the swing. When batters rotate around the proper axis, they will not have a problem with "bailing out." The problems begin when the center of rotation is not the center of the body.