Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Sat Nov 2 09:27:08 2002

Teacherman said the following:
> > No, I don't think "move the striking instrument" when I think
swing. I think rotate a connected torso which happens to be holding
onto a bat. Moving the striking instrument leads to hands and arms
and shoulders pulling the bat forward through the zone. A very linear
movement. However, when you think Moving the striking instrument
leads to hands and arms and shoulders pulling the bat forward through
the zone. Rotate on the tilted spine with the rear shoulder working
under and the lead shoulder working up and the bat is driven by
rotation to the ball. The hands stay in the hit zone much longer
giving a timing error mechanism. You can generate bat speed by moving
the hands forward but your bat quickness is greatly diminished. Your
swing becomes long and the contact point pushes forward leading to arm
hitting and the dreaded lunge. Bringing the bat to contact by
rotation of the connected shoulders/torso/hips is the quickest way to
contact which is deep in the zone giving the hitter an extra 2' or so
to look at the ball.
> > > >
> > > > It is just not possible for the little muscles of the arms and
hands to generate the speed and quickness necessary to hit the ball.
The large muscles of the lower torso and hips are the starter and
driver of the mechanism
> >
> >
> > Bart (me) responded as follows:
> >
> > "It is just not possible for the little muscles of the arms and
hands to generate the speed and quickness necessary to hit the ball.
The large muscles of the lower torso and hips are the starter and
driver of the mechanism". I agree.
> > >
> > > " Moving the striking instrument leads to hands and arms and
shoulders pulling the bat forward through the zone." Sooner or later
the striking instrument has to be moved. The question is in what
SEQUENCE.The correct sequence is hips first, then slightly later
hands. If, while the bat is uncocking the hips are starting to rotate,
this should satisify your criteria of a correct swing, because the
hips are starting to rotate but the hands have not yet started heading
toward the pitcher. Why? Because the hands can NOT head toward the
pitcher until the bat is uncocked.
> > >
> > > "You can generate bat speed by moving the hands forward but your
bat quickness is greatly diminished. Your swing becomes long and the
contact point pushes forward leading to arm hitting and the dreaded
lunge." I agree if the hands are moved forward TOO SOON. Again,
SEQUENCE is key. Hips first (slightly), then hands. That's why bat
cock serves as a useful mechanism for restraining the hands from
coming too soon.
> > >
> > > " Bringing the bat to contact by rotation of the connected
shoulders/torso/hips is the quickest way to contact which is deep in
the zone giving the hitter an extra 2' or so to look at the ball." I
certainly agree (except for the part about "deep in the zone").
> > >
> > > Summary: As the bat uncocks, the hips are starting to rotate &
the bat head is heading toward the catcher. While this is happening,
the HANDS HAVE NOT YET STARTED TOWARD THE PITCHER, BECAUSE THE HANDS
ARE NOT YET IN A POSITION WHERE THEY CAN START TOWARD THE PITCHER. By
the time the bat is uncocked, the stride foot has landed, the bat is
in a near-vertical position,and the hips have rotated perhaps 30
degrees or so. This is Epstein's "torque position". At this point, the
hands are now got started in a circular hand path, and the hitter is
well on his way to a rotational swing.
> >
> >
> > Bart-----When the stride foot lands the bat has not begun to
uncock.It is not until launch commences that the uncocking begins to
occur .Please clarify.Thanks.

Larry-

My observation is that,in general for well timed power swings,the
right muscles are used in the right sequence which results in the best
visual signs of bat "uncocking" being the bathead starting to turn
back toward the catcher associated with the back elbow beginning down
toward the side while the hands are still loading up and in("staying
back").I think I see better results when this starts(bathead
turn/elbow drop) slightly before launch(torso starts circulart
handpath going).However, this means the hands need to stay back(body
continiues stretching coiling) as this "uncocking" is happening.The
handpath circle then starts(launch/uncoiling)after some degree of
"uncocking" is under way.In fact,the later the "launch/uncoiling" the
more the lead arm has time to stretch across the chest,the more the
bat "uncocks",the longer the handpath radius and the higher the "load"
that the torso has to supply.In this way a minimum amount of
adjustment can be made before launch to provide the necessary range of
trajectories to cover the strike zone.As Bart mentions,it als