Posted by: Melvin () on Wed Oct 23 21:59:04 2002

Hey Jack, I've been having some trouble getting off of my back leg in the swing. I try to imitate Bonds lower body, by staying back more, but I collapse the back leg a little too much. I was wondering how much of a factor this is in batspeed putting too much weight on the back leg, and what your Ideal lower body mechanics are for a power hitter? Thanks for the help
> The Hitman

Hi folks

I have been working on understanding the mechanics Jack describes for
about two years now as a former small college player and current summer amateur.

Jack has said before that a dropping back side isn't caused by what
most people attribute it to. Most coaches ty to fix posture, the
dropping shoulder or spine angle.

That doesn't work. Posture is a product of the energies the hitter
creates.

I think Jack is correct when he says too much weight on the back leg
stems from the top hand wanting to drive forward. It wants to fall
into what the hitter feels is a stronger position for pushing. Every-
thing else falls down and in too to support this motion.

Changing this is a monstrous problem. Before anyone can worry about
getting the bat moving before starting the swing, he must be able
to start a static bat with rotation only. Jack calls it "oarlocking"
the bottom hand near the shoulder, and spinning, letting the rotation
carry the arms and bat around.

That keeps the posture from sagging. It takes time and the heavy bag.
I kind of laugh when people write in and say they taught this or that
to a youngster on Tuesday and he was hitting homers on Saturday.

Only when the top arm and hand are roped in and tamed can a hitter
begin to experiment with getting the bat head moving before deciding
to swing. That is actually easier, and when learned, earns the hitter
the big dream: a one-motion swing that starts out on a foolproof
trajectory every time.

That is the dream: a one-motion swing that starts before you know
where the ball is. What Jack calls top-hand torque (I think a better
term is something more ordinary, like maybe "early bat movement," or
something equivalent)is what separates great hitters from the rest.
Almost every great hitter has it, an no one who has it isn't a great
hitter.

But getting off the back side -- not with a lunge or weight shift,
but with balanced rotation that keeps the top arm from pushing --
-- is the first step.

Melvin