Posted by: rql () on Wed Jun 6 19:10:25 2001

In reading the Charlie Lau school of thought much is said about hitting the ball slightly downwards to create backspin. In your video you don't discuss this at all...what are your thoughts on this and is there a different technique needed to achieve backspin when swinging with rotational mechanics?
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> > > This is the way it was explained by Epstein on how torque rotational mechanics do this:
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> > > "You need to regulate the swing through "weathervaning" the lead elbow. If a player is taught correctly to get the plane of his swing on the plane of the pitch, he not only increases his contact area immeasurably, but sets himself up correctly to hit line drives. IF, the player is a little "late," he will hit the bottom-half of the ball which will produce a fly ball with "back spin," a desirable combination; a fly ball with "carry" to it. On the other hand, if he is a little "early," he will hit the top-half of the ball, producing a ground ball with "over spin," another highly favorable combination; a ground ball which gains momentum. Now, if the player times the pitch correctly and hits it dead-on, the stronger hitters can actually stop the rotation of the pitch altgether, producing 100 mph "knuckle balls." I did it for nine years in the big leagues, trying to catch these line drives playing first base. They're murder to catch -- no matter WHERE they're hit. So, if a hitter can match the plane of his swing to the plane of the pitch, lots of great things can happen. He has the best of all possible worlds!"
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> > > Hope this helps, it sure makes sense to me
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> > > i don't know much about the weathervaning concept, although it sounds intriguing & i would love to learn more about it....in the meantime, i'll give my 2 cents.....i take exception with lau's assertion that you obtain backspin by hitting down on the ball.....all that might accomplish is ground balls with backspin....and the difference in a grounder with backspin vs. no back spin is that the friction of ball and ground will always cause the ball to slow down, but the ball with backspin will not slow down quite as quick............what you want is backspin with the ball hit in the air.....and this is achieved not by swinging down, it is achieved simply by contacting the ball about 1/2 inch below center of ball...........steve garvey said this is always how he achieved backspin............there was a book published called "keep your eye on the ball", authored by bahill and someone....it goes into much more scientific detail than adair's book ...there is an entire chapter analyzing how far below center of ball to contact it in order to achieve maximum backspin....maybe lau should read that book......respectfully, grc.....
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> grc -
> Thank you. Excellent response. Actually hitting down on the ball to create backspin would require an incredible piece of timing, something no human could accomplish vs. 90MPH+ pitching with any regularity.
> As you state, hitting slightly below center imparts some backspin while hitting the ball hard and in the air - the desired result.
> ALso, any mismatch of swing plane to pitch plane where the swing plane is slightly less (below) the ball causes the same effect.
> Swinging down if done successfully would result in lots of spin but little drive on the ball. You actually see those sometimes- Texas leaguers, bunts 'lined' or lobbed softly into the field, etc.
> I saw Ichiro flair one over Pedro's head by clipping the bottom of the ball on one of his slaps - it cleared the mound and died short of 2nd base - he beat it out.
> But that is not a way to have continued success if you are really trying to do that regularly. I suggest we teack kids to try to hit dead center ball bat contact.when someone can hit that way and get constant knuckleball line drives to all fields then we may have someone able to aim for a part of the ball.