Posted by: Bart () on Sun Nov 3 07:31:12 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.
>
> Hi Folks
>
> Interesting discussion.
>
> I must quibble, however.
>
> Someone said "the small muscles of the hands and arms can't
> generate enough bat speed to hit the ball hard."
>
> I disagree.
>
> They can generate plenty enough bat speed in a linear fashion.
>
> We all know golfers with bad swings who can bang it way out there.
> Maybe it is way right, but pushing the hands can get out there
> 250-300 yards. The better ones rotate, but the others can do it.
>
> Squash, tennis and handball players can do the same.
>
> The point in baseball is that TIME presses more than in those
> other sports. Not that racquet sports players don't face the same
> pressure at times. But they don't face it every time.
>
> Baseball players do. EVERY time. The small muscles of the hands
> and arms CAN create the bat speed.
>
> They just do it too late.
>
> Too late to pull and too late to catch up. Too late to to the
> opposite field with authority.
>
> The point of good rotational mechanics is early bat speed. Linear
> pushing of the hands gets you enough bat speed. It's just too late
> to be consistent.
>
> Melvin
>
> I think the key is a combination of compactness of the swing & doing everything in the right sequence, yielding more time and power. Add the lesser power of the arms/wrists later in the swing to the greater power of the lower body earlier in the swing, and you achieve the the most efficient sequence,yielding more power. Keep elbow in the slot & finish with the "L" in the top arm and you achieve compactness, yielding more time.