Posted by: Teacherman () on Sun Jan 14 07:39:04 2007

Last Word?

I thought you just said something like "this is what discussion boards are about"?

Now, you want to end the discussion? Why?

As for Nyman's animated simulation.....Jack, if you think that is accurate you are highly mistaken. Can you point me to a clip of mlb hitters whose hands take the "hard right" or "hard left" every swing? Can you point me to clips of mlb hitters whose "direction of force" is toward the pull base coach or dugout? That is exactly what that animation shows. The lead shoulder pull on the knob is a recipe for failure. MLB hitters reach "palm up extension" into the ball. The hands rarely move toward rotation prior to contact to the degree that animation shows and to the degree of all his examples. Quite simply, the spine is not the axis of the barrel's rotation. It may be the axis of the First Engine but it is not the axis of the barrel's rotation.

www.teachersbilliards.com/hitzone/boggsteve.gif shows the difference. How does Boggs bat take the path it does. The other hitter is demonstrating what you and others teach....the animated swing plane type swing....the lead arm pulling on the knob by shoulder rotation. Show me a mlb hitter that looks like the amateur in that clip. You and others are missing what they are doing at launch to create their bat path and bat speed. It isn't coming from the shoulder's rotation.

Jack, stare at the clip. What is the direction of the force created by Boggs? What is the direction of the force created by the amateur hitter? They both hit the ball, so don't be fooled by that. Try to determine the direction of force created by their body. It is strikingly different. And, it is a major part of being high level or not.

Here's another....www.teachersbilliards.com/hitzone/mannysteve.gif
Manny has a different set up and technique than Boggs.....yet they are very similar and the "shoulder rotation path" hitter is still obviously different.

The diagonal swing plane created by the Second Engine is the high level technique.

I am amazed that I got no response from you regarding the barrel's role in providing resistance to keep the hands at the armpit during the swing. One of the huge benefits of the Second Engine. It is critical to keep the hands there. And it is automatic with the Second Engine. You have spoken forever about how the linear move of thrusting the hands forward is detrimental to hitting. Yet, thousands and thousands of clips show that is what amateurs do. Even those who get rotational instruction. Why? The main reason why is that the shoulder rotation swing that is taught, makes the hands take the "hard right" or "hard left" every swing, BUT THE BALL IS NOT THERE. The ball is over the plate. Try timing pitches thrown at varying speeds to varying locations while your hands take the "hard right or left" every swing and while you attempt to get the double pendulum to unload just at the right time and at the right location. Recipe for failure. CAN NOT BE DONE WITH ANY CONSISTENCY. So, those hitters that you and I and others would shake our heads on and say "they are thrusting their hands....I've told them not to do that"....are not disobeying. They are simply trying to hit the ball. And, it's ugly isn't it. MLB hitters do not do that. And they do not swing with shoulder rotation as the axis of their barrel's rotation.

The common ground, to get a rotational barrel and to have the ability to keep it in front of the ball, so hitters do not need to thrust, is the diagonal swing plane powered by the Second Engine...rotation of the barrel by the forearms. If the hands are rotating the barrel at launch, they will not be thrusted at the ball. They will be occupied with their work and this mechanism, by default, keeps them right where they belong.

I would encourage you to swing a bat and try this out. I saw exactly what you see about 6 months ago. I see much more now. I discovered it after watching JD Drew on tv one night. From the pitchers view I noticed his swing plane was diagonal and didn't "round the body". It just jumped out at me. It was as if the swing plane was "beside him" not "around him". I immediately went to the basement and hit a couple of buckets of balls off the personal pitcher. The results were amazing. Not that a 52 yr old hitting off the personal pitcher proves anything to anyone else.....but it did me. And the results my son is having are much improved. And, now I can't look at a swing clip and not see what I had no chance of seeing before. It took swinging a bat to get it. It is clear and obvious once you see it, but you and others won't "get it" until you swing a bat and duplicate two things......The barrel's direction at launch and the barrel's speed at launch. Create David Ortiz's barrel direction and barrel blur (indicating speed) at launch, video it, and you'll have an epiphany that will lead to great success by all the thousands of people you reach.

www.teachersbilliards.com/hitzone/dortiz.gif