Posted by: Joe A. () on Mon Jun 25 18:30:24 2001

> Whom Ever,
> >
> > If you don't know if you are using your hips, you are probably not. If you think about it when you swing in practice you should be able to tell if you are using your hipts to start the swing.
> >
> > You will increase bat speed if you use your hips. The swing unwinds from the feet to the shoulders creating torque. If you do it right you will develop greater bat speed.
> >
> > If you are not using your hips, and you proably aren't, do on the tee and start working on turning the hips first and allowing the upper body to follow.
> >
> > You must remember most of the information on this site is for hitting homeruns not for the methods for developing good hitters. Even for that most of the information is wrong.
> >
> > Joe A.<<<
>
> Hi Joe A
>
> It would be more helpful to all if you would point out where the information on the site is wrong and what the true is.
>
> Jack Mankin
>
Jack,

Good idea.

I might mention just a few of the things I have read recently.

1. That batters swing up on the ball. This is a common beleive.

2. That the best hitting mechanics are used in hitting homeruns

3 That because someone played in the majors they can tell others how to do something. I know a few. Most are natural athletes who do much on instinct and are not articulate enough to explain what they do or saw done. Not many athletes make it as coaches in college, HS or any where. Their biggest claim to fame is that the played in the "big show."

4. That striding is a necessary part of the swing. (most players do not stride in the sense that they move the foot forward. They may pick it up and put it down but they dont move it forward. The few who do have the stide completed before the bat starts to move forward.

5. One person commented that hitters should try the hit the ball a little higher then where they want to hit it because gravity will pull the bat down. (Acutally i was so amazed that the stupidity of this comment that I could not even make my ususal ridiculing comments. I will point out that gravity starts working on an object when the support of the object is removed. In this case the supports are the batters hands)

Who thinks that a hitter can try to hit the ball in such a way as to account for the pull of gravity?

6. That a pitch thrown underhand can curve up. This is an physical impossibility documented by every study and laws of physics and matamatics. But, people on this site insist that the science is wrong and they know, and have see, the ball "curve up." This is the best example of how too much of what is said here is based on nothing but silly supisitions and conconted theories.

Joe A.