Posted by: The Hitman (ahsnumber3@aol.com) on Tue Jun 11 00:09:25 2002

Frank-
> > > > Thanks for sticking with this.This type of communication is very difficult.Sometimes a yes/no question isn't as simple as it seems.For example how about the old "Did you stop beating your wife?"
> > > >
> > > > Not something you want to answer necessarily,since the assumptions behind the question may be something that you don't agree with/are different between questioner,answerer and observer.
> > > >
> > > > With respect to hitting,it is hard to have a dialog unless there is a shared model of how the swing works and a shared terminology associated with it.This is rarely the case.
> > > >
> > > > As for the vision question:
> > > >
> > > > Can the ball be tracked from release to contact?
> > > >
> > > > Not by the traditional smooth pursuit/saccade system.
> > > >
> > > > Probably by another visual system that exists but is not well studied since the money has been mostly in mediacl related research where this has not been associated with disease enough to get lots of study.
> > > >
> > > > What matters for the hitting student?
> > > >
> > > > Don't try to stay focussed on the ball.Go from soft to fine focus at release.Don't turn the head back.Swing when it feels right.
> > > >
> > > > Compare the head turning of pro vs minor leaguer in this thread:
> > > >
> > > > http://www.setpro.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000667.html
> > >
> > > Frank-
> > > You are probably right that most who post here are teaching hitting or are serious students of the science of hitting.
> > > I think what you miss is that these discussions are among the instructors and serious students. So the discussions can get very detailed, scientific, etc. You are correct that there is a difference between knowing 'stuff' and teaching that 'stuff'.
> > > Consider most of the discussion here in the 'knowing' category.
> > > I think you need to specifically ask 'how do I teach that concept' to get the answers you are looking for.
> > > I think most here feel that you have to know and understand in depth before you can simplify and teach.
> > > And the simple answer to your question is 'no'.
> >
> >
> > Good post and the right answer. Teaching is not just a side bar to "knowing" its a whole other category of skill requireing another site. Knowledge without the ability to teach is useless unless you are a player and are simply going to use it.
> >
> > Teaching is a skill in it self. Besides the errors in "knowledge" the lack of teaching skills are a fatal flaw in this, and most sites. Its Jacks fatal flaw.
> >
> > F. J.
>
> Frank-
> Why do think Jack lacks teaching skill? This site has informed so many and affected many swings for the better. Isn't that the mark of a good teacher?
> I think Jack has taught most of us something, in many cases a lot.
> Where do think he has failed?
Hey
Jack has really made great findings in his quest of disecting the similar traits of baseball history's successful hitters. The only thing is that he may not simplify the process, or break it down in drills such as Mike Epstein and his numbers drills. Which may or may not be a good thing. But Jack offers his readers a fuller understanding of the swing from a more technical perspective. I wish newcomers would browse through the message board archives, and read all the pages about truism's and fallacy's and check out the swing mechanics so they wouldn't complain about people who are too technical, or complain because they don't understand what everyone else is talking about.
The Hitman