Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Thu Sep 27 15:06:00 2001

>>> My pet theory based on the visual evidence of what the back foot does is as follows.Each swing has consistent timing for a given pitcher. Stride foot comes down at same time (assuming no situational adjustments).Separation occurs before and after toe touch. Recognition of unique pitch happens just prior to stride toe touch. Inside pitch requires turning on the ball. Body rotation is maximized by early deceleration of the hips(early meaning sooner after toe touch)sending momentum upward as evidenced(in right circumstances)by reactive torque going down back leg causing toe drag. Body rotation is less and later for outside location. Hip deceleration is delayed. Toe drag commences later(longer after toe touch)and is of less duration. What happens to handpath in the meantime for the outside pitch while there is a relative delay before hips decelerate? Ideally top hand torque continues and a longer swing radius is set.Feel/proprioception/ "control" is probably mostly in the upper body program and the hands which demand the proper type of lower body action and timing-top down control of a ground up sequence.

I agree with major Dan that "pulling off the ball" is often early (premature) shoulder rotation caused by lack of separation so that the hands don't "stay back", and there is less timing error built into the sequence as a result of a more "en bloc"/one-piece rotation of the body.

Another cause is "poor connection" where the shoulder has to pull out to compensate for the premature arm extension and extension of the bat which then has to be dragged back across the body. <<<

Hi Tom

I think we can all agree that regardless of where the pitch is located, to generate maximum power for the swing, the hips must at least maintain the separation developed during the inward turn. Tom, to keep the proper hip-to-shoulder relationship, the hands should stay back, as you indicated, and allow shoulder rotation to accelerate them. That separation is reduced when the batter extends the hands ahead of hip and shoulder rotation.

On an outside pitch the weaker hitters extend the hands almost straight away from their body instead of toward the pitcher as for middle-in pitches. This outward thrusting of the hands (ahead of rotation) not only ruins the hip-to-shoulder relationship, the combination of an increased load and weaker position also has the effect of nearly freezing both hip and shoulder rotation before they begin. The batter winds up with a weak arm swing.

So the basis of the problem lies with the premature extension of the hands ahead of rotation. The poor hip-to-shoulder relationship is more of a result than the cause.

Jack Mankin