Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Thu Dec 7 11:33:58 2006

>>> I am having trouble getting a stiff front leg during my swing. Are there any tips anyone has or drills I can do to help myself do this? Because this is important right?? <<<

Hi Mike

I would need to study your swing to be sure, but I have found that a “soft lead-knee” usually indicates “back-side dominate” mechanics. Meaning, the batter relies mainly on the drive of the back-side to accelerate the bat. Great hitters generate higher bat speeds because their mechanics rely as heavily on the pull to lead-side as the drive from their backside.

Once the swing is initiated, a good hitter’s head (and neck) remains still during rotation. For the head to remain still, the lead-shoulder must rotate rearward at the same rate as the back-shoulder rotates forward. For most pitch locations, the better hitters lead-shoulder will have rotated passed the “facing the pitcher” position. At contact, the lead-shoulder will be pulling rearward to the 105-degree position.

Note: If the batter rotated his back-shoulder about a posted lead-side, the head could not remain still. It would have to swing forward with the back-shoulder.

Now that we have set the stage, let us get back to Mike’s soft lead knee. – In order for the best hitters to get their lead-shoulder to be pulling rearward at contact, most will have ample flex in the lead-knee at foot-plant. They use the extension of the lead-leg to drive the lead-side (hip and shoulder) rearward at the same rate the back-side is rotating forward. Therefore the lead-leg is fully extended (firm) at contact.

The back-side dominant hitter uses the rotation of the back-shoulder to extend the top-hand with far less emphasis on pull from the lead-side. Since there is less demand for the lead-shoulder to be pulling rearward (less "hook in the hand-path), the lead-knee can remain “soft”.

Since these mechanics is not efficient (less CHP,THT & BHT) in transferring the body’s rotational momentum, a video analysis will normally show the bat still 30 to 60 degrees from contact as shoulder rotation is deplete. Once body rotation is depleted, the batter has only the extension of the top-hand passed the bottom-hand to bring the bat to contact.

Note: For the “soft lead-leg” on outside pitches, read this post I wrote in 2000 -- http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/897.html

Jack Mankin

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> >>> I am having trouble getting a stiff front leg during my swing. Are there any tips anyone has or drills I can do to help myself do this? Because this is important right?? <<<
> 
> Hi Mike 
> 
> I would need to study your swing to be sure, but I have found that a “soft lead-knee” usually indicates “back-side dominate” mechanics. Meaning, the batter relies mainly on the drive of the back-side to accelerate the bat. Great hitters generate higher bat speeds because their mechanics rely as heavily on the pull to lead-side as the drive from their backside.  
> 
> Once the swing is initiated, a good hitter’s head (and neck) remains still during rotation. For the head to remain still, the lead-shoulder must rotate rearward at the same rate as the back-shoulder rotates forward. For most pitch locations, the better hitters lead-shoulder will have rotated passed the “facing the pitcher” position. At contact, the lead-shoulder will be pulling rearward to the 105-degree position. 
> 
> Note: If the batter rotated his back-shoulder about a posted lead-side, the head could not remain still. It would have to swing forward with the back-shoulder. 
> 
> Now that we have set the stage, let us get back to Mike’s soft lead knee. – In order for the best hitters to get their lead-shoulder to be pulling rearward at contact, most will have ample flex in the lead-knee at foot-plant. They use the extension of the lead-leg to drive the lead-side (hip and shoulder) rearward at the same rate the back-side is rotating forward. Therefore the lead-leg is fully extended (firm) at contact. 
> 
> The back-side dominant hitter uses the rotation of the back-shoulder to extend the top-hand with far less emphasis on pull from the lead-side. Since there is less demand for the lead-shoulder to be pulling rearward (less "hook in the hand-path), the lead-knee can remain “soft”. 
> 
> Since these mechanics is not efficient (less CHP,THT & BHT) in transferring the body’s rotational momentum, a video analysis will normally show the bat still 30 to 60 degrees from contact as shoulder rotation is deplete. Once body rotation is depleted, the batter has only the extension of the top-hand passed the bottom-hand to bring the bat to contact. 
> 
> Note: For the “soft lead-leg” on outside pitches, read this post I wrote in 2000 -- http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/897.html 
> 
> Jack Mankin

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