Posted by: Jimmy () on Sun Feb 18 09:57:25 2007

> Jimmy -
>
> Don't get me wrong I understand that the back foot starts first, but what always works
for my athletes is the simple fact of getting the hips through. From a teaching stand point
this automatically turns the back foot into the upright position (Heel up).
>
> I have clips of several big league guys and one of my college clients that plays at Dallas
Baptist University where they are making contact, the hips are about to finish, and the
back foot is only half turned. Granted it does come through after contact, but "squishing
the bug" is a term I don't like to use because some literally turn their foot and the heel
never comes up. Which causes a shortage in full hip rotation.
>
> I know it's right the way what you are telling me, but it's just easier to get an athlete to
rotate his hips, correctly, than to concentrate on the foot itself.
>
> Coach Matthews

Coach,

I hear your point, but the problem that I have with having the hitter concentrate on
rotating their hips is the tendancy to rotate too soon and too hard.

The hips come through at different degrees depending on the pitch location. When the
hitter puts too much emphasis on hip turn, his hips will end up working too soon, too
hard, and too much. The legs help to rotate the hips and the feet help to rotate the legs,
so this is why I would rather have the hitter work from his feet up instead of just right to
the hips. This also helps with the natural progression of the swing in terms of rythm.

Jimmy