Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Tue Dec 17 15:58:15 2002

Come on guys!
> >
> Where do you see the bat undergoing "a good amount of angular displacement before the hand-path is accelerated" (Jack's quote).
> All the video I watch, the knob turns WITH (as opposed to BEFORE) shoulder rotation.
>
> Frame by frame anylysis does not show this; if it does, then give us a specific reference. What is "a good amount"? The window of timing between cock and launch is not a "window"; it is non-existent, except for purposes of theory and discussion. There is no independent movement of the hands in this phase that is not associated with upper torso/shoulder rotation IMO. And for people to state that a batter "sets his swing radius" and determines the arc of the swing between toe touch and launch based on the location of the pitch (inside or outside) in this phase is beyond belief to me - NO WAY. Maybe the hitter pre-determines his swing arc/radius before the pitch is thrown and just executes it; I still doubt it very seriously. Now, tht maybe is something that "increases the swing arc" in an attempt to create early bat speed - o.k., but varying arcs based on pitch location in a "window of time" that I find hard to believe even exists is stretching it a little bit and overemphasizing the importance and significance of (tht) a movement that is questionable in and of itself. Rotational better than linear, no question; but then to take it to an extreme seems silly.

Ted Williams Science of hitting.Many frames between bat starting/uncocking and when torso starts turning,which he highlights with little lines to show when the hips and torso start.

Barry Bonds angelfire clip,home run derby,Bat uncocks after frame #11,torso starts frame #16.5 frames of bat motion at 30 frames per second before torso "launch".