Posted by: Zig Ziegler (HmnMotion@aol.com) on Sat Sep 21 08:19:18 2002

Yes this site is called batspeed. And more batspeed is better.
> > > > > > > > > > My question is:
> > > > > > > > > > How important is it how quickly you can get your bat up to speed?
> > > > > > > > > > Which is more important - highest batspeed or how quickly you can get your bat up to a lower but reasonably good batspeed.?
> > > > > > > > > > Or would you rather have greater accleration or greater top end batspeed.?
> > > > > > > > > >***************************************************
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > I would suggest the following:
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Good contact on the bat. You need to find the sweet spot.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Speed or reaction time to the pitch. How else can you hit a 95 mph fastball, split finger, curve etc. a long swing might produce more batspeed but no contact.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Batspeed. How else can you hit it over a 400 ft fence?
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > They all all important for success.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Your right but neart the top of the list would also be skawshing the bug and not having the hands to low or high Also finishing high helps to.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Skawshing the bug?!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Yep, squashing the bug, also known as PIVOTING.
> > > > >
> > > > > Xian, I'm fairly sure I understand the technique, I was simply referencing your spelling. I'm also fairly certain that you won't find many bug "skawshers" here. On the original question, am I correct that bat speed is relative to rotation?.
> > > >
> > > > Is batspeed relative to rotation? I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. I don't think batspeed and rotational speed are equal. I suspect that quicker rotation leads to greater batspeed.
> > > > Ultimately shoulder rotation speed and batspeed should be related.
> > > >
> > > > In relation to my original question, can different techniques of rotation/ lower body mechanics lead to 1) different shoulder rotation speed? 2) faster or slower acceleration to maximum shoulder rotation speed?
> > > > Which is more important? would you trade top end rotation speed for quicker accleration? or visa versa?
> > >
> > > I can tell that rotation refers to torso rotation, I too might question what batspeed is ultimately related to. Is it correctly related to torso rotation or shoulder rotation?, and does bat lag increase batspeed to greater than that of the unwinding torso. Is there actual seperation between upper and lower torso?.
> > > >
> >
> > I think the question might be better discussed as "early batspeed" rather than maximum batspeed since what you do after contact is unimportant. Early batspeed logically should translate into how quickly you can get your bat up to speed. But rather than discuss how quick you can get your bat up to speed, I think the question is how much time do you need, with your chosen mechanic, between rotation launch and contact. The less the better obviously. Now, what mechanics give you minimum time from launch to contact along with enough batspeed to drive the ball over or at least to the fence along with some ability to adjust to speed changes etc.? I'm well satisfied with a combo of Epstein lower body and Mankin arms, hands and bat. Probably add in Nyman but I'm still trying to figure him out. : )
> >
> > As to pivoting (squashing the bug), I can hold my shoulders and bat perfectly still and pivot my rear foot back and forth in excess of 90 degrees so it would be my opinion that rear foot rotation is a result rather than a cause to be focused on. As to the high finish, let the swing and the pitch location determine the finish. Where it is is where it is.
> >
> > Mark H.
>
> Squashing the bug is something little leaguers do. You look at major league swings, and players dont twist their foot. They use their back knee to drive through which cause their foot to elevate. Squashing the bug is good for young kids learning how to hit, but it decreases power. Ultimately, driving the back knee forward will make you hit against your front leg which in turn increases power.
>
> Also, I'm pretty sure batspeed is defined as the speed of your bat at the point of contact. I dont think their is such a thing as initial or early bat speed.
>
> Batspeed is not everything. Because if it was everything, major leaguer players would not be swinging 35-36 ounce bats. Heck, Lance Johnson swung a 42 ounce bat and was a hell of a leadoff hitter. Hip rotation and driving through the ball would be on the top of my list.


A quick response to the issue of bat weight. There is such a thing as early or late bat speed. If we are able to track and record the acceleration of the bat monitoring speed throoughout the entire swing, we would see a number of things. 1) Most young players reach maximum (peak) bat speed early or late in their swing. Bat speed at contact is important. A player's bat should be accelerating through the contact with the ball or a player has lost contact with it.

Over the past 12 months I have analyzed over 10,000 swings of over 1100 baseball and softball players using the Sports Motion Trainer. This is a great website and all of the things being taught here are true and accurate. But measuring all aspects of the swing will help coaches know what to teach.