Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Sep 24 15:53:31 2001

>>> I have already stated one specific error on the frame-by-frame. The text of the frame by frame states that the torso, hipt and shoulders, turn at the same time. I have listed 4 specific reasons this is in error and that the hips are the first part of the torson that turns.

In a responde you stated that that I was "preaching to the choir" implying that you agreed with me that the hips turn first. But you also stated that you would add the words "in unison" to the text. I took this to mean that the hips and shoulders turn "in unison." In a response I clarified my position and asked for your response. I have not received one.

I await your reply. Joe A. <<<

Joe, it is quite obvious to anyone who has studied the baseball/softball swing that the hips are ahead of the shoulders or hands at the start of the swing. The hips leading the shoulders start well before the swing is initiated. In the Frame-by-Frame (Swing Mechanics) I wrote, “The batter has rotated (inward turn) his lead shoulders away from the pitcher.” So the hips already lead the shoulders by 20+ degrees as the batter prepares his launch position (look at Frame #B).

Frame #C shows that some (not all) batters develop even more separation during their stride. I stated, “The lead knee has started rotating around toward the pitcher;” (not all - after Barry Bonds' stride his lead knee still points more toward the plate than the pitcher). This means the hips now lead the shoulders by approximately 30 degrees. All of this occurred before the swing was fully initiated. From viewing the “Frame-by-Frame” section, everyone should see and understand that the hips lead the shoulders at the “start” of the swing. ---But we must also remember that at the “finish” of the swing, the shoulders will have rotated past (and now lead) the hips. And after full initiation, the hips and shoulders do rotate at the same time. When studying the swing in frame-by-frame motion, you can really see this happening.

I used the term “unison” to denote mechanics, where at initiation, all the muscles in the legs and torso are contracting in unison to drive shoulder rotation. This is to distinguish it from “sequential” mechanics where the batter first contacts the leg muscles to rotate the hip (while holding the shoulders back) and then later fire the torso muscles.

Note: There is a 3-stage type of mechanics being taught where the batter is taught to (1) stride, (2) use the leg muscles to fully rotate the hips while keeping the shoulders closed (3) fire the arm and torso muscles to bring the hands and rotate the shoulders. --- I refer to the hips rotating while keeping the shoulders closed (no load rotation) as “freewheeling.” For there to be a “kinetic chain” (or rubber-band effect) that continuously supplies energy from the ground upward to rotate the shoulders, all muscles in the legs and torso must be contracting in “unison,” not “sequentially.”
--- Although all the muscles are contracting in unison, the hips will still open ahead of the shoulders due to the increased load of accelerating the upper-body mass and overcoming the inertia offered by the bat – not sequential timing.

Joe, you can either respond to this post or bring up the next of the “many errors” you claim to have found.

Jack Mankin