Posted by: Frank Jessup () on Thu Oct 24 13:28:03 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

Melvin,

deleted -- XXX

F. J.