Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Tue Nov 27 22:40:16 2001

>>> I read that Ken Griffey Junior rotates his upper body further than most by using abdominal strength.From what I heard by doing this he generates tremendous batspeed. How much does abdominal strentgh affect batspeed etc.... <<<

Hi Thomas

Welcome to the site. --- The “Keep your shoulder in there” and similar linear cues has most coaches gun-shy about referring to “shoulder rotation” in a favorable light. I am surprised they even included the abdominal region – they normally can’t bring themselves to mention anything higher than the lower-body or hips. The truth is, full shoulder rotation supplies the power for the swing of all great hitters including Griffey. The lower-body and hips (and the abdominal region) aid in the swing by contributing to shoulder rotation. – The hips can explode (or pop) all they want, but if it doesn’t add to shoulder rotation – it’s wasted motion.

Jack Mankin