Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Tue Jun 12 20:29:40 2001

>>>Do we advocate 50/50 percent split between linear and rotational?
Weight Transfer

The is an ongoing argument that some hitters may be more weight transfer than rotational. Linear hitters are thought to hit more singles and doubles. I read somewhere that George Brett was a pure weight transfer hitter, do we think so? If you can see Brett on Esptein's video you can see that he is definitely a combination of the two. Many argue that Frank Thomas is more weight transfer than rotation. He might be, but he also uses rotational power. However, he is not purely weight transfer. So what is he, 60% weight transfer, 40% rotational? or viceversa and if so, doesn't that make Alex Rodriguez the same type. Some like Jim Edmonds would seem to be more of a pure rotational hitter or even Griffey, I would think?

A total rotational hitter will have more power than the weight transfer hitter simply because he uses his hips and legs more. However hitters who are rotationally are generally thought of having a longer swing, tend to pull off the ball more and be more inconsistent. So I think that there has to be a ratio of both closer to 50/50 for the batter to be consistant. In the "Blast" video by Jim Schwanke, he believes in stepping forward and driving thru the ball, however the hand path and technique is rotational and you see his hitters rotate and generate torque from the same cues as Epstein advocates and his drills display the same principle as Mankin's in that the swing generates a very easy and powerful swing. That seems to be a good adjustment between power and consistency. What do you all think?

Also, I believe that as you approach contact your hands stay close to your body in a rotational hand path till you are getting close to contact point, in front of the plate, there you extend the power V towards the pitcher, maybe add Lau's one hand extension to the equation and end the rotation of your shoulder and the swing.

Opinions, thought? <<<

Hi Roby

To answer your question we must first define which segment of the swing you are referring to. --- The stride and weight shift segment is completed before the swing is initiated. Or, in other words, the forward movement of the body’s center of mass comes to a stop (or near stop) before rotation starts. So to say the batter is “50/50 percent split between linear and rotational” really has little meaning.

During the transfer segment of the swing, a batter may start with a circular hand-path and then extend his hands lineally to bring the bat-head to contact. – This 50/50 rotational/linear split, which most average hitters do, I do not agree with. Great hitters are rotational all the way to contact (including George Brett), and they only extend the back-arm on pitches to the outside part of the plate.

Jack Mankin