Posted by: Chuck (jtsherwood8458@sbcglobal.net) on Fri Mar 16 11:06:34 2007

> "CC Based upon my knowledge of Epstein's rotational swing, I think his weight transfer is not right. He is transfering his weight forward as he swings. He appears to get up on his front toe, but his weight appears to be all back at this point, and then goes forward with his hands and weight. Notice how he gets up on the back toe, but never forms the perfect L with the back leg, the back leg breaks down. This is because his weight is not sitting back at this point. I think Epstein and Jack woould say transfer weigh to the front toe when the shoulders and hands go back in their inward turn. Then front heel drop triggers the hips, hips lead hands, as the hands rotate forward, transfer your weight back to the inside of the rear thigh, sit back into the L, as the front elbow works up and around. So it's back-forward-back with your weight. I think this explains why he is late with the very fast pitchers, front leg (weight)is never established properly. Hope this helps."
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> I don't see any signs of hip slide.
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> Also, this comment...
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> "He appears to get up on his front toe, but his weight appears to be all back at this point."
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> ...doesn't make sense. If you look at guys like Pujols, this is exactly what he does. His weight is over his back foot, but not being borne by his back foot.
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> His sequencing is also good.
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> He doesn't form the L because he's a little more erect in his set-up and because he's hitting the ball a little out in front.
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> I think he's ahead of the game for his age and really wouldn't mess with him.


It seems like there's some agreement that he's hitting the ball outfront, that he is erect and that he will have trouble with offspeed. The bottom line is "is he transferring his weight only from back to front as he hits?" This is classic linear mechanics and hardly Pujols like. Study the details and sequence. Great hitters like Pujols launch their weight forward, block their front side, turn all of the momentum into rotation as they launch their hands and then sit back with their weight on the inside of their back thigh forming the classic L. Launching your hands with your front foot in the air is hardly great sequencing. His upper body shows some elements of a rotational swing, but he doesn't have it all together. If he finishes with his weight on his front side, not his back side, he's fundamentally not rotational.

I've studied Jack Mankin and his dvd, I've taken my son to a weekend clinic put on by Mike and Jake Epstein and observed how they worked for 8 hours with a small group of kids, I've watched their dvds, I've taken my son many times to an Epstein certified instructor for group rotational sessions and have watched him work with the kids. I have at least 5 baseball facilities within 20 minutes of my house and none of them completely understand the mechanics that Mankin and Epstein teach - the mechanics used by the games greatest hitters for nearly 100 years. So I drive an hour each way to get my son on the right track. Rotational hitting is very simple, but the core movements have to be followed in the proper sequence. When you learn the sequences and the body positions along the way, you train your eye to know what to look for, and then your not fooled by swings that appear rotational but truly are not. I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging or preaching because I'm just feeling enlightened after years of being frustrated by the incomplete and inaccurate information that gets perpetuated and parroted by well-meaning coaches. I see guys on this website arguing over petty points all the time while they don't understand or lose site of the core principles of rotational swing mechanics. It's just a wild goose chase if you don't have the basics down. Preachin' again, I guess.

Chuck