Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Fri Oct 25 08:49:24 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-
> >
> > Have you tried Lau Jr's "open top hand drill" or a variation like Jack's "golf club" drill ?
> Hey Tom
> I am not very familiar with the drills, could you explain them to me, I would appreciate it much, thanks.
> The Hitman

Jack's golf club demonstration of tht is on the final arc tape.It demonstrates to me how quickly the club can be accelerated by reversing the top hand grip and applying force with the open palm at the beginning of the downswing.Check the tape.

From Lau's (Jr.'s) Laws on Hitting,pp126-9,illustrations on pp127-8:

"In the old school....it was believes that...it was the top hand that created power by pushing itself through the swing......This by physical law,forced the hitter to roll over the wrists as he pushed the bat through the hitting zone.This is a no-no.

..we must make sure the top hand doesn't become dominant during the swing.We must make sure the hands and wrists don't roll over during the swing.To tame the top hand,I have a drill in which hitters get into there normal stance and grip the bat accordingly.But then I tell the hitter to open the top hand as he grips the bat.By opening the top hand,the hitter is forced to concentrate on pulling the knob of the bat with both handfs..the top hand cannot dominate or push.


.this promotes the most important aspect of hitting: lead arm extension."


Lau's stuff makes sense except of course for the last sentence.He doesn't see what is really important about extension,which is the sequence.Bathead comes out while hands stay in/connected/in circular path.As bat lines up with lead fore arm,there can be some lead arm extension slightly before contact(outside location or player way off plate),but good connection must be maintained until contact or the bathead will decelerate and create unacceptable timing error.So don't allow the "extension" cue to result in casting the lead arm away from the torso before contact.

In contrast to the style Lau describes,I prefer Jack's belly up to the plate and accentuate rotation with the hooking handpath as in Bonds swing.This is quicker to the ball but still with great power and probably lower timing error.Barry is not emphasizing getting the lead arm extended.