Posted by: Jimmy () on Fri Jan 5 12:10:31 2007

> >>> Thank you for the comments and your story. Jimmy
> In the rose clip the 2nd frame has the bottom hand and the forearm in line with the
inside chalk line of batters box,from that point on the bottom hand is never in line with
the chalk again until it passes back across the other way at end of swing as it creates the
top half of the circle in the hands rotation.What is interesting to see here is how the rear
elbow is away from ribs in this swing and the extension out across the plate with lead
arm,this creates the wider arc to reach the outside pitch while staying connected.notice
the hand position at contact ,though they are ahead of the body they seem to be on edge
of body to the inside of plate.Now if that was a inside pitch he would have broken his bat
with this timing and arc,however if he was earlier on an inside pitch he could have pulled
the pitch with same arc but it would have pulled foul and thus he could of been accused of
hitting around the ball and not staying inside the ball,even though I could see him staying
inside the ball while not hitting around the ball on this particular clip even though he is
rotational,so I do believe that the cues can be adapted to linear or rotational [knob to
ball ,and stay inside ball]if understood in the context of the type swing method used. <<<
>
> Hi Rql
>
> You state, “What is interesting to see here is how the rear elbow is away from ribs in this
swing and the extension out across the plate with lead arm,this creates the wider arc to
reach the outside pitch while staying connected”. – That is a very keen observation.
>
> A great hitters mechanics (forces he applies to the bat during initiation) produces
trajectories of his limbs and bat that allows him to remain connected to rotation as the
hands take a wider path for outside pitches. Below are clips of Sosa’s swing on an outside
and middle-in pitches. Note the different trajectories of his back-elbow in the two swings.
>
> http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/sosa_sammy.mpeg (outside pitch)
> http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/sosa_sammy2.mpeg (middle-in pitch)
>
> Below is a 2001 post where I discuss the mechanics that produce those trajectories.
>
> Jack Mankin
> ##
> Re: outside pitches
>
> Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Jul 29 19:21:25 2001
>
> >>> I just can't seem to hit em. How do get the outside pitch without losing any bat
speed and where do you hit it in comparison with the position of your body? <<<
>
> Hi Maximum
>
> Below is a post I made some time ago on the mechanics of hitting the outside pitch. A
couple of years back only a few hitters like Big Mac used those mechanics for hitting balls
on the outer portion of the plate. Most of the better hitters rotated with the lead arm
staying close to the chest and applying bottom-hand-torque to bring the bat to contact.
But lately, I have noted a growing number of hitters who start with higher hands (like A-
Rod) and pull the top-hand back in a wider arc (11 o'clock) as mentioned below. They are
using this mechanic for hitting a wider range of pitch locations. Therefore I see more
hitters who have their lead arm casting away from the body much earlier in the swing. ---
The video explains this better than I can write.
> ##
>
> The bat speed of a great hitter requires both torque and the transfer of the body’s
rotational energy via the circular-hand-path. Torque supplies about 50% of the bat speed
and comes from a combination of top-hand-torque to start the swing and bottom-hand-
torque to bring the bat to contact. Most average hitters have only a fair CHP and also lack
both THT and BHT.
>
> I think one of the main reason the better rotational transfer hitters (torque plus a CHP)
are leading the performance stats is because they do not need to change their basic swing
mechanics due to pitch placement. They are able to use the same mechanics regardless of
where the pitcher throws to them and still hit the ball hard. The only adjustment they need
to make is a slight change in how they initiate the swing. Once that change is made - their
mechanics for the balance of the swing is on autopilot regardless of where the pitch is.
>
> The change in the batter’s initiation that programs the swing is controlled mainly by the
direction of pull of the top hand. In other words, the direction of pull of the top forearm
and hand at initiation sets up trajectories (of the bat, limbs and body) that control the
balance of the swing.
>
> As an example - say the pitchers mound is at 6 o’clock and the plate is at 12 o’clock -
On an inside pitch the direction of pull of the top hand is in tight, say at 1 o’clock, the
back elbow will come almost straight down to the batters side before little rotation of the
shoulders can occur. The pulling back of the back-hand keeps the lead-arm across the
chest and generates a tight hand-path and thus a low-load resistance to shoulder
rotation. The back elbow coming fairly straight down with little body rotation means less
top-hand-torque was developed and the batters finishes the swing with a lot lead
shoulder pull and bottom-hand-torque.
>
> On a pitch more in the middle 2/3’s of the plate, the pull of the top hand is more
straight-away - or at 12 o’clock. With a more straight-away pull, the shoulders rotate a
few degrees as the back elbow lowers to the batter’s side allowing a greater amount of
top-hand-torque to be applied. This direction of pull also causes the lead arm to cast
slightly away from the chest and generates a somewhat wider hand-path. A wider hand-
path generates greater bat speed and a higher load resistance to rotation. Less shoulder
rotation means less bottom-hand-torque. So on the pitch in the mid-part of the plate,
what we wind up with is greater bat speed from a wider hand-path and more balance
between bottom and top-hand-torque being applied.
>
> On recognizing an outside pitch, the batters pull of the top hand is more away from
center - or at 11 o’clock. This direction of pull causes the back elbow to sweep some
distance before full body rotation begins and the elbow lowers. This allows top-hand-
torque to be applied over a much greater portion of the swing. This direction of pull also
causes the lead arm to cast out farther and develops a wide hand-path and thus a heavy
resistant load to rotation. The greater load limits shoulder rotation which equates to less
bottom-hand-torque being applied. So, on the outside pitch the swing produces a wide
hand-path with a lot of top-hand-torque and little bottom-hand-torque. – With less
shoulder rotation on outside pitches, the lead leg may not be fully extended while the
back-arm becomes more extended.
> ##
>
> >> The front knee seemed to bent on that swing, and a tape my mother made of the
home run McGwire hit--which I saw personally at Shea--showed McGwire making contact
with a firm, but bent front leg rotating in a circular pattern (my mother taped it while I was
away).
> >
> > Any thoughts on this Jack? Now that I have given example how a person can hit the
ball a long way with a firm, bent, rotating front leg at impact, are you still going to argue
that the front leg must be locked at contact? <<<
>
> Hi BHL
>
> Good observation and Question --- I do not think of the front leg as being “locked” at
contact. I think it would be more accurate to think of the leg as being fully rotated and
extended. A fully extended lead leg indicates a full rotation of the hips and shoulders were
required for the swing. This is usually true for pitches from the-middle-in where a tight
hand-path is needed to get the meat of the bat on the ball and much of the bat speed is
generated from bottom hand torque. To apply maximum bottom hand torque, the lead
shoulder needs to be pulling back toward the catcher at contact. This requires the full
rotation and extension of the front leg. In this case the hips rotate about 90 degrees and
the shoulders about 120 degrees.
>
> On outside pitches the hands must take a wider path to get the meat of the bat on the
ball. This means the lead shoulder can not rotate as far. On pitches on the outside part of
the plate, the shoulders rotate about 70 or 90 degrees and the hips around 60 degrees or
so. Therefore, full extension of the lead leg would not be required to rotate the hips to
that point."
>
> Jack Mankin

Jack,

On different locations of the pitch the shoulders rotate to different degrees as a result of
the hand and bat path, not the other way around. Through the point of contact the
bottom hand is more a fulcrum for the top hand to apply leverage to the bat. If the front
shoulder was intentionaly pulled back towards the catcher to increase bottom hand
torque, the top hand would lose force and drive on the bat. In the Sosa (middle-in) clip, if
you click back and forth between the frames of contact and just before contact, you will
see that the most action is comming from his top hand and the barrel. In both frames both
front and back shoulders are in the same area allowing his hands to finish the job.

To say that Sosa intentially pulls his front shoulder back towards the catcher to gain more
bottom hand torque is a rediculous statement. I'm sure if you asked him he'd probably
say the same thing.

Jimmy