Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Mar 25 16:16:46 2000

>>>I have a couple of players that have what I would call (common term in golf) a reverse pivot. As they swing, their head moves backward/down, they drop their back hip pocket, and they don't get a good hip turn. Getting the weight transferred from the back loaded position to the front is a problem. Any suggestions on drills from coaches who have cured this problem? Please email me at jftcst@aol.com<<<

Hi jcat

In order to find a solution to the problem you describe you first need to understand what the batter is doing that cause the head and back hip to drop. I most often found this problem (golf and baseball swing) with hitters who “loaded up the top hand” at the start of their swing. This means they lowered the back forearm to horizontal before they start body (hip and shoulder) rotation. This would be similar to a boxer setting up to deliver a blow to the opponent’s midsection. The batter feels he is in a more powerful position to drive or extend the top hand. --- Read “The Elusion of power” from the site map below.

The dropping of the forearm is accompanied with rolling the wrist and bat from vertical toward a horizontal position. This action breaks down the backside and accelerates the bat head in too much of a vertical angle resulting in an uppercut.

The swing should be initiated (body rotation starts) with the hands near the armpits. The back forearm should not start lowering until well after initiation. --- Have the batter stride to a well-flexed front leg. From this position he can use both legs to rotate his body around a stationary (unbent) axis. The rotation of the shoulders will cause the lead arm and hand to exert a good deal of force on the bat and help keep the back arm from becoming to dominate.