Posted by: jima (andyii@cox.net) on Tue Jun 20 08:57:23 2006

tonyd, thanks. It sounds like your son has a good feel for how to use rotational mechanics but adjust for changeups, etcs. I think that one of my problems with rotatioanl instructors is that they set the students up to keep the hands relatively close to the body and move in a strictly circular motions. Its my feeling that the better hitters swing is more eliptical until contact. I also don't believe that spinning the left hip and shoulder without connection to the hands is the best way to hit. I agree with the rotaional position of the arms and hands during the load; I also agree that the hands should be flat as they move to the ball...but here is where I depart and where my son has improved hitting since leaving the rotational instructor. He now uses his right hip and the momentum of his arms to strike through ball; right at contact and follow through is totally rotation. This method has allowed him to keep his weight evenly distributed until after contact when he moves to his left side...there is no more of the weight being primarily on the right side as he uppercuts trying to match the balls plane. Now his timing is better and he hits the ball solidly to all fields...as with your son, he waits on pitches on the outside.