Posted by: Willy Boy (lineman4@sbcglobal.net) on Fri Jan 23 05:43:06 2009

Thanks Jack,

I think you understod exactly what I was trying to explain. From what I can tell, and what they acknowledged as "good job", the weight is mostly balanced prior to the pitch. There is an obvious, gradual weight transfer to the front leg in anticipation of the pitch, which I am used to seeing the hands and weight transfer backward slightly.

Once the batter takes his step, at least for my son, the weight is slightly forward and transfers through center and to rear at contact and follow through.

You may be right with the goal simply being to have more weight on the front leg on stride, but as your video and discussion points out, that movement is not transfered into contact because the forward progress stops prior to the swing.

I wish I had the ability to film it Jack. I would like your opinion on it!

Thanks.


> >>> My son plays baseball for a fantastic training facility. His entire team is being taught a different style of starting their swing.
>
> Instead of the traditional "load back and push back to the middle" they are being shown to lean forward, towards the pitcher, actually pressing forward! From there they step and swing and still swing with the weight on the front leg but their body centered, and later transfering weight to the back side (as in a usual swing).
>
> Is this something anyone has heard of? My son seems to like it. He was always very good at hitting, pressing back.
>
> If you didn't see the press, you wouldn't knwo anything changed. The swing is still rotational and strong. The weight never transfers back prior to launch however. <<<
>
> Hi Willy Boy
>
> I am not sure if they want the body's axis still leaning forward during rotation, or if they just want good weight on the lead-leg at foot-plant. Arron had a fairly vertical axis, but most of the better hitter's axis of rotation is tilted rearward. However, I do teach my hitters to have ample weight on a well-flexed lead-leg at foot-plant.
>
> The post from my Archives and video clip below explains some of my thoughts on this topic.
>
> <a href="http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/9666.html">Hips drive legs - or - Legs drive hips</a>
>
> <a href="http://www.batspeed.com/media/Giambi_rotation_momentum.wmv">Giambi -- momentum & lead leg</a>
>
> Jack Mankin