Posted by: Brian (support@batspeed.com) on Mon Feb 19 20:57:17 2007

> > Linear hitters are able to keep the bat on plane longer than the rotational hitters. The linear hitters generate more back-spin which get you more distance. Rotational hitters tend to hit a lot more balls with side spin or top spin. It's harder for a rotational hitter to stay inside the ball. If they let the ball travel into the zone they will get hit on the hands.

> The linear hitter can let the ball travel deeper into the zone and go to all fields without getting jammed. The longer you can wait the better you will be at seeing the spin and reconizing the pitch. Your hands need to stay flat through the zone and back to the pitcher to stay inside the ball.
>
> Rick,
>
> Great points. I'm glad that someone understands what it means to stay on the ball as long as possible. Bravo! However, I do believe that there are some rotational characteristics that should be applied along with the linear. Do you agree?
>
> Jimmy

Rick and Jimmy:

Rotational mechanics allow the bat to stay on the plane of the swing for a longer period of time than pure linear mechanics. I'll explain why, but to understand it easier, please review Jack's post/video below and you'll have a better understanding of why this is true:

http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/51094.html

So rotational mechanics generate early bat speed and get the bat into the hitting plane much sooner, and thus, the bat stays in the hitting plane longer. If a batter is a little early, the ball will be pulled. If the bat is a little late, it will be hit to the opposite field.

In contrast, pure linear mechanics cause the bat to drag behind (toward the catcher) until the hands reach full extension and then the bat flips around to contact as the hands begin to roll. This causes the bat to be in the swing plane for a short period of time.

Hitters who hit for a high average like Gywnn and Boggs generated early bat speed with rotational mechanics to get the bat into the swing plane early, but then they slowed their shoulder rotation, allowing the hands to stay on the swing plane longer. This produced excellent average numbers, but low power numbers. The great hitters who hit for average and power continue with shoulder rotation, which creates more bat speed, but causes the bat leaves the plane quicker (i.e., more bat speed), creating lower average numbers.

Finally, it is simply incorrect to suggest that linear mechanics create backspin causing the ball to travel further. By this statement, you are implying that the bat strikes the ball on a downward angle with linear mechanics. To the contrary, the best hitters keep the bat on a upward angle to match the plane of the ball. The video in the link above will help you understand this much better as well.

Brian