Posted by: Coop (coop1983@comcast.net) on Fri Jan 7 11:34:21 2011

Chuck,
The law of angular momentum tell us that if we pull the knob to the ball with flat hands being in a good hitting position (slightly bent at the waist) there is a connection between the back elbow which comes into the body and the rotation of the hips. This connection provides more power than prefabricating some sort of hip turn that in the most part generates a casting of the bat around the ball resulting in ground balls and missing outside pitches.

In terms of the weight shift think of it as driving into a firm front side not against the front side. Lifting the back leg or at least getting your laces to the pitcher, heel to the sky (not squishing the bug) allows you to finish a complete weight transfer and drive the ball to all fields!


> Have you read and do you have any commentary on the chapter in Jane Leavy's new book "The Last Boy" that analyzes Mickey Mantle's swing mechanics? Is it fair to say that the analysis has many strong rotational elements but also includes some flawed linear components?
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> On page 410 - "And , in the argot of hitting coaches, he kept his hands inside the ball, which means he kept them to himself. In so doing he was obeying what physicists call the law of conservation of angular momentum..."
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> Page 411 - "Striding forward, Mantle threw all the accumulated force against his locked front leg, which is typical of left-handed power hitters."
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> Page 412 - "As he moved forward, he lifted his back foot as much as 3 to 6 inches off the ground, prima facie evidence of a complete transfer of weight onto his front side."
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> Thanks,
> Chuck