Posted by: BatMan () on Mon Dec 10 17:36:27 2001

>>> Does the front leg stay stiff on the outside pitch? <<<
> > >
> > > Hi Jim
> > >
> > > Striding to a stiff front leg is associated more with linear weight-shift and extension mechanics. Most rotational hitters have a good deal of flex in the lead-knee at foot-plant. He then rotates and straightens the lead-leg to aid in driving hip rotation. On pitches from the middle-in, the lead-leg will have fully extended (straightened) for maximum hip and shoulder rotation.
> > >
> > > On pitches on the outer portion of the plate, hip and shoulder rotation is more limited. In order to allow the lead-arm to cast out in a wider arc, the shoulders can not fully rotate. Therefore, hip rotation is also limited and the lead-leg may still have some flex (not fully extended) at contact.
> > >
> > > Jack Mankin
> > >
> > Jack-
> > while I don't have statistics or clips to back this up, your suggestion that the lead leg may have some flex at contact on outside pitches rings true to me. I remember seeing that happen frequently.
> > I believe in addition to your reasoning, this may also allow the hitter to make adjustments to reach low outside pitches he would otherwise pull off of or 'stand up over' if his lead leg straightened completely.
> > While that may be suboptimal, there is already less hip rotation (as you suggest) and may not in fact degrade the swing significantly.
>
>
> Thanks guys. That helps. From what I know, the lead knee does tend to flex on outside pitches. My favorite hitter, Manny Ramirez, flexes his lead knee quite a bit on outside pitches, so I figured that was right. Are there any kind of drills you can recommend, possibly that have helped you, on hitting the outside pitch? I'm a dead pull hitter. I find myself casting out over the plate and pulling the outside pitch to left field. Thanks

Jim, I remember years ago (maybe 12?)Dr. Bragg Stockton, head baseball coach at Texas Christian University promoted what I thought and still think is a useful drill. Take a basketball (or any suitable substitute). Press the hands on each side of the ball, stride and throw the ball to the opposite field. Remember, at release point the hands will now be on top/bottom of the ball rather than on the sides of the ball.

The assumption with this drill, of course is that you want to hit the outside pitch the opposite way. The drill is good for inside pitches (throw to the pull field) because it seems to help getting the hips into the "throw". The drill is equally good for outside pitches because it promotes the necessary in "pushing" the ball the other way as opposed to trying to pull the outside pitch.

One time at a May Company autograph session (free, I might add)I asked Steve Garvey his opinion of the drill. He said he had never heard of Dr.Bragg Stockton but that he (Garvey)himself had thought of this drill and had used it. And in that era, no one could go the other way with power the way Garvey could.