Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Mon Oct 7 09:02:07 2002

Bart could you explain your fence drill,I must have missed it.Tom can ou explain your higher load idea for o.s. pitch,I think I feel it been trying to describe it.

rql-

This is my interpretation of what Jack has called high load.This is in the context of trying to learn the fewest possible swing programs to fully cover the strike zone.This allows more time because you can save time matching the pitch to the swing program and starting the execution of the program because each swing is as much as possible a generic one with a minimum set of adjustments to match the pitch.

Ideally you have a plan for each pitch of a given pitcher,but in general you get the generic swing underway the same way.When a specific pitch is recognized,then the matching program is picked and the go-nogo decision is made.

High load is a feature of the adjustment for outside location.I like Epstein's approach which is to look/anticipate inside out unless you are in a 2 strike or other specific situation because with the timing difference between inside and out,it is very difficult to cover both without shortening the swing/making a 2- strike adjustment.

But still,for inside and out you would start the swing the same way,show your pocket when he shows his/dance with the pitcher,whatever.The basic feel for inside is "turn on the ball".you want to get the body rotating fast with the hands in,a "low load" situation.For outside,you are going to have the feel of "wait longer" or "let the ball get deep".These cues are limited in the sense that they should just be interpreted as ways of altering handpath and swing timing,but should not be interpreted as trying to make contact with the ball deep and going to the opposite field.For power hitting,this gives too big a change in mechanics and timing to possibly stay sharp and hit consistently with power.

Whiole hip turn can start generically for inside and out at the same time,when outside is recognized,the start of torso turn is delayed relative to the inside pitch.Usually this is controlled by flex of the front knee.The knee should not flex further after front toe touch but the flex comes out of the knee more slowly giving the feel of weight transfer TO the front side as opposed to the rapid knee straightening and transfer against a firm front side as Lau Jr likes to describe the difference.While the hips are turning and waiting slightly longer to hook up then decelerate,the upper body is setting up a handpath radius that is wider so when the torso does get turned/energized/"launched" by hook up and deceleration of the hips,the wider handpath sucks more energy out of the torso.

This is where the danger of "letting the ball get deep" can cause yo to "give up on the swing" if you try to take this intentionally(train yourself to respond this way) to the opposite field.You have a situation where there is going to be less torso turn,yet you have to fully transform the torso energy into batspeed.The only way to do this is to extend the bat more fully and quickly(but still in sequence where bat head turns out before lead elbow straightens a little(front bicep staying against torso when "L" comes out of back elbow).This combo of wider hand path radius at launch with slight extension of the hands as the flex comes out of the lead elbow quickly sucks the torso dry,so there is the danger of deceleration(big timing error) before contact).This is why Lau(who basically describes the tht/outside location/batter off the plate swing)has to emphasdize extension to the point of flat hands then top hand release after contact.The advantage of this swing shape,of course is that this lines up the sweetspot for good contact via less torso turn and more extension.Make sure you extend(not prematurely) or "don't give up on the swing" and make contact more out front about perpendicular to the pitch to send the ball to center field or opposit side power ally as Jack suggests.

This "lau" approach gets high batspeed,but with a swing that is less quick to contact and with higher timing error than if you belly up to the plate and try to turn on pitches as much as possible.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.