Posted by: The Hitman (ahsnumber3@aol.com) on Thu May 23 15:30:59 2002

I'm relatively new to this site.
>
> However, I've got some pro baseball
> experience(Angels organization) and I'd like to
> think I'm a little knowledgeable about the
> swing.
>
> I'm interested in some opinions on this topic.
>
> Would you say it's fair to say that rotational
> mechanics maximize bat speed but minimize
> the amount of time the barrel of the bat stays
> in the hitting zone? Therefore, rotational hitters
> will hit for more power but will often strike out
> much more.
Hey Patriot
Of course the faster the bat moves the less time it will spend in the strike zone. It is not worth it to have slow batspeed with a dragging bat. The Mindset is vitally important for minimizing strikeouts. You have to anticipate pitches, as Ted Williams says. Almost anybody can avoid striking out if they just slap at the ball. I rarely swing at curve balls if I'm looking for a fastball, unless i happen to pick up the spin really early. I think many people confuse rotational mechanics with a long swing. Barry Bonds who probably has the shortest swing in the history of the game is the most rotational out of anyone. The Longer the swing the earlier you have to commit yourself which also leads to more strikeouts. But it is possible to have a long swing, and an inaccurate swing with linear mechanics. Also, with whatever mechanics you use you still need hand eye coordination.
The Hitman

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