Posted by: Sly (silvas-36176@mypacks.net) on Mon Feb 28 22:11:54 2011

Hi Jack,

I recently read something about gyroscopic precession and its role in balance of batter during the
swing. But I was wondering if Newton's 3rd law explains it well enough?

Doesn't Newton's 3rd law (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) adequately explain
how the batter can have all their weight on front leg, be leaning back, and back foot lifted off the
ground -- and still achieve balance as he swings the bat rotationally but generally forward?

As he swings the bat forward -- the equal opposite force pushes his body back, and thus he achieves
balance since the forces cancel each other out. But, If he has shifted his weight forward, onto a firm
front leg as the swing is launched, doesn't this create an unbalanced force in more of a forward
direction rather than rearward? Isn't this what allows the batter to appear to defy gravity for a split-
second as he is leaning back, with rear foot off the ground?

Also, if a batter does not have a weight shift forward, but rather stays balanced in a motionless state
until he swings, wouldn't it be easy for a batter to confuse the role of the rear leg? I have heard
people say "The rear leg drives the swing". Aren't they r e a l l y feeling the muscular effort exerted
by the leg muscles to counterbalance the (rotational but generally forward) swing of the bat?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Sly