Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Fri Mar 1 11:33:52 2002

RQL-
> > > >
> > > > My response to your Bonds question in February disappeared into the ether between months.
> > > >
> > > > When I heard Bonds talk about hitting last year he talked about knowing where his(entire)body had to be to hit any pitch he had seen before.No specifics in terms of body parts or lean back.
> > > >
> > > > He seems to lean back more in recent years.The front leg is often at 40 degrees back when the front knee straightens.
> > >
> > > Hey Tom
> > > I don't understand. You state that using backside mechanics enables Bonds to pull balls with little hook, while Jack says that Backside mechanics lead to a major hook.
> >
> > Sorry,theses terminologies can be very confusing.
> >
> > As far as I can tell,Bonds is what Lau Jr. would call a back foot hitter.He classifies them as front foot or back foot.It isn't crystal clear from his book exactly what the criteria are,but Bonds is a back footer in his classification.I think this is somewhat related to how the axis of rotation is set up.Leaning back to set up the axis creates what looks like a "back foot hitter" whether they rotate well(Bonds) or not(dreaded reverse pivot and/or never get off of backside).
> >
> > In Jack's terminology,not getting off the backside is a rotational flaw,at least as I interpret it.I'm not sure how significant/useful he thinks this term is.The idea is that the usual sort of emphasis on pushing things open from the backside usually results in suboptimal rotation because there is not a balanced assist from the front leg.The legs need to support hip rotation around a stationary axis that is in the middle of the body as much as possible if you want to be as quick as possible to the ball(this allows the shortest possible swing radius if the hands are kept in).When you keep some weight back then try to push things open from the back against a firm front side,either you never get off the backside(bad)or you sway the hips with weight going from back to front instead of into optimal rotation(some degree of lunging).You are also likely to create an axis of rotation(once forward shifting of the axis/lunging/excessive sliding forward has occurred)that is further forward,rotating the body(more slowly)around the front hip-a longer swing radius regardless of how much the hands are kept in.
> >
> > So Bonds is a back footer(Lau class)who still gets off the backside-doesn't lunge,rotates beautifully around an axis giving the shortest,quickest possible swing.If he didn't "get off the backside",then he would be more likely to hit the ball further out front and further on the outside of the ball with a hook.Instead,he keeps the hands in and hooks the handpath in front of the body for the inside location.Batspeed can then be achieved without releasing the bathead so early.The result is making contact further back,perpendicular to the flight of the ball and more toward the center of the ball than the outside so it doesn't hook.
> >
> > Clear as mud?
>
> Hello
>
> Can you explain what you mean by ``releasing'' the bat head? What is being ``released'' and so forth. Also, you referred to a ``reverse pivot.'' What is that in your view? And aren't these both golf terms?
>
> Melvin
>

Good questions.Everyone's definition will probably be different.If you believe the optimal swing happens the way Jack describes it here there my be some room for agreement on definition or we could find some common ground.

In golf,the reverse pivot is similar to what Jack describes here as the linear swing.The hips sway from front to back instead of striding to balance,setting up a stationary axix of rotation and rotating around it. The hands usually extend out(cast) lengthening the swing radius and sucking energy out of the torso before the lower body has fully energized the torso.The torso stops as the hands extend(the shoulders don't keep rotating into contact.The bat(club) extends,makes contact and follows through pulling the body around with weight going back to the backside again.This also happens if the weight never gets off the back side to begin with,and again the follow through pulls things around so all the weight settles on the back foot.The followthrough after good sequential rotation and transfer is more balance with most energy depleted in the collision and balanced coasting into the followthrough.

"Release" is most likely the "feel" asociated with maximum acceleration/"release velocity" for this type of ballistic motion.

For the inside pitch,the torso turn is delivering the bat and the circular hanpath with the bat in plane is allowing transfer of force to swing the bat out.If you lean back/pull back with the bottom hand/bht/hook the handpath(decrease radius of the handpath)this keeps the ball fair with less hook,but still creates lots of batspeed,however,contact is still probably before "releaes"/maximum acceleration.Contact is close to?at release for the outside location.The more you pull back,the more you can keep the inside ball fair because the bat angle remains favorable prior to "release".

In the suboptimal situation of "linear mechanics" there is relatively low and late maximum bastpeed,maybe even deceleration before contact(esp. if the front upper arm has casted much before contact).The bat is delivered more by arm extension,less by torso turn.The bat "releases" with relatively less turning of the torso and contact is made well out in front for the inside location,often giving a dead pull.

Comments?