Posted by: Bart () on Wed Sep 11 07:57:20 2002

In a recent post someone (Hitman?)described the launch position as the point when the front heel lands.
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> > > I don't want to split hairs, but for a number of reasons I think it's important to make a distinction between the launch position and the torque position.
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> > > The launch position is when the front toe lands, and at this point the hitter decides swing or not swing. At this point the bat is still cocked, in many cases pointing towards the pitcher.
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> > > By the time the front heel lands, about 1 frame or so later, the swing has already started. The bat has uncocked & in a near vertical position (instead of pointing towards the pitcher). In the meantime, the hips have turned anywhere from 15 to 30 degrees for most hitters. This is Epstein's "torque position".
> > Hey Bart
> > There are many different ways to describe the launch position, but to me I think it is where you are just before shoulder rotation starts. And you are right, the hips do start rotating before the heel lands
> > The Hitman
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> It seems obvious that "launch" can not start when the front toe or heel touches the ground. The front foot moves on every pitch even if there is no swing. Batters move the foot even when they are "taking" the pitch. The observation that the swing is "launched" before the foot hits the ground is an error.
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> I would like to ask, why is this of concern? Whats the point?
>
> S. Procito



One reason I think it's important to understand the distinction is that other concepts of hitting depend on making this distinction. For example,in earlier posts I pointed out that the swing actually starts BETWEEN toe touch and heel drop. After toe touch, the hitter has mentally said "swing" and the swing actually has started. In most clips you can clearly see the bat uncocking as the hips are starting to rotate. By heel drop, plus perhaps 1/2 frame or so, the bat is uncocked & in a near vertical position, and the hips have rotated about 15 to 30 degrees for most hitters.

I think the significance of this is that it tells us what the coach needs to teach or does not need to teach (you don't need to teach something that comes naturally). For example, as I pointed out in earlier posts, if the bat is cocked sufficiently, once the hitter thinks "swing", there is only one way the bat can "turn toward the catcher" and that is the uncocking movement. I defy anyone to, at toe touch & with the bat cocked toward the pitcher, take a swing without the yop hand initially heading toward the catcher. I suppose if one really tried hard they could do it, but the point is that it will happen naturally. Therefore, with a proper cocking motion,there is no need to try to teach a conscious movement if the top hand toward the catcher. That's a concept that, even in Jack's tape is not clear HOW to do it. Again, and I guess I'm repeating myself,but there is no need to try and teach a hard-to-describe, hard-to teach & confusing-to-many concept when it already can & will happen naturally.

Another example of a concept that does not need to be taught is Epstein's Torque Position (TP). In his tape he's having the hitters go out their way to try and land, AT TOE TOUCH, in a position that the hitter will end up in naturally, one or 1 1/2 frames later at heel drop. Epstein makes 1 big mistake. He's trying to get the hitter in a position prematurely (for a position that the hitter would be AT HEEL DROP he's trying to put the hitter in that position AT TOE TOUCH). Therefore the hitters are going through unnatural & unnecessary contortions of the body to achieve Epstein's TP at toe touch, when in fact the TP will be achieved without the contortions at the right time (which is heel drop+).

From Epstein's tapes & materials at his website, to me it is clear that he has misinterpreted the clips he has seen over the years.

I dusted off Emanski's "Teaching of the Major League Swing" (I think the tape was produced at least 10 years ago). I find there to be many similarities between Emanski and Epstein. I'm not suggesting that either Epstein or Emanski got their ideas from the other, but I do think that Epstein's teachings are rooted in a philosophy developed in a different era, long before digital video cameras & GIF animator programs were available.