Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Feb 4 08:24:58 2002

>>> Pitchers land open, and they are still able to use their legs to generate velocity. Your hips are less restricted when you land open, that is why the all of the great hitters in the game land with the front foot open while keeping the shoulders back. I think Griffey has the greatest seperation at 45 degrees between hips and shoulders most likely cuz his neck is double jointed, but i think you maximize your legs when you land open and don't restrict your hips. The goal in the swing I believe is maximum seperation, so the large muscles can pull the smaller muscles through and maximize shoulder rotation. The Hitman <<<

Hi Hitman

I would agree with you that opening the hips during the stride would produce optimum results where whipping the back-side forward is the objective. The overhand baseball throw or the ballistics required for serving a tennis ball is good examples where the prime goal is to accelerate the back-side. But, those are mechanics that maximize the trajectories for only one limb or hand. Two hands are used in the baseball swing, so the demands on hip and body rotation are greater than just accelerating the back-side.

The baseball swing requires that both limbs are active in supplying force to the bat. Shoulder rotation must supply power to the “lead-side” as well as the “back-side.” While the back-side is driving (rotating) forward, the lead-side is EQUALLY rotating away or pulling back. This is why the batter rotates his body around a “stationary” axis. --- Opening the hips during the stride does not maximize lead-shoulder action (pull). Would you stride to open hips while throwing a Frisbee or practicing lead-arm drills? Check your hip position for a back-hand tennis swing. --- The hip drive that comes from extending the lead-leg is what produces good lead-shoulder rotation (pull). What is left if the hips are already open at foot plant?

So just because maximum separation produces the best results for throwing a baseball does not mean it does for hitting one.

PS: I was just wondering, which actions would most closely resemble those of the baseball swing? – A baseball pitcher or a softball pitcher. Should the mechanics accelerate the hand-path above the shoulder and downward -or - below the shoulder and upward? - Should the axis move and tilt forward or remain more erect? – Just wondering.

Jack Mankin