Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Thu Dec 19 09:04:04 2002

Tom Guerry talks about this internal rotation of the top hand elbow; is that the thumb turning in to the body at load, then the palm of the top hand going up while the thumb goes back to the catcher and the elbow into the side and then what happens when the elbow is palm up and into the side? does it just get pulled along with the lead shoulder or is it pushing forward or does it stay in the L/bent mode or none of the above - - it looks like to me, different hitters all do something a little bit different, but exactly what they do is hard for me to tell.
> >
> > Internal rotation is much more easily felt than seen.Lots of arm actions are also complex mixtures of rotation/flexion/extension/abduction/adduction,etc.
> >
> > Internal rotation is what ideally happens with the back arm when the hip and bat are cocking.Bart has mentioned the importance of bat cock.The coaching question is how/when should bat cock be accomplished.
> >
> > Here's a video example:
> >
> > www.angelfire.com/80s/baseball1/hitting/bondshrd.html
> >
> > A rear shot of Bonds in the home run derby.
> >
> > hip cocked at frame 11,int rotation of back arm for a few frames leading up to this.Then scap loads/pinching back scap.Max scap load at same time hip "uncocks is at frame 16.
> >
> > Toe touch is frame 15.
> >
> > heel down,elbow down to slot,torso strats rotating frame 18.
> >
> > Ultimately we are teaching/learning feel that needs to become automatic.
>
> Tom seems like bonds had a terrible hr derby do you know where he hit the ball on this swing ,seems like the rear elbow is coming out of L at contact.Also do you feel the scap is still loading here when the rear elbow begins coming down.

rql-

I think Bonds is one who hates going to the derby because he overswings and it messes things up,but still he can't resist the spotlight.However exagerrated his swing,though,the basic form/progression is the same.I don't know the specifics of this swing but I like the clip because it shows the back/hip/elbow relation well.I don't think he varies enough swing to swing to invalidate this as evidence of his basic mechanics.

My thinking of the basic sequence is that you

1- cock the hip:inward turn front knee,internal rotation arms,bat cock as stride begins/stride foot lifts

2- scap load: as stride foot goes out and down to toe touch you are stretching/arching/loading(thrusting the chest out/whatever) the upper toros with the back elbow going back/pinching of the back scapula,

3-key moment ending scap load is: back elbow drop simultaneous with hips uncocking when scap is fully loaded.Exactly when this happens varies depending on location.Timing info is oriented by consistent toe touch.Some players who need to turn really quick may uncock the hip/drop back elbow as the toe is touching,most of the time this move will be at a variable time after toe touch.

4-hip uncocking/ max rotation/deceleration drives the torso launch as the back arches and energy goes up into the torso and reactively down to the legs.These loading arching parts are very important.

Scap(upper torso/shoulder complex) should be loaded by the time hips uncock./back elbow drops at same time which accelerates bat into plane of lead arm before torso turn gets going a frame or so later.This period of time between the hip uncocking and the torso starting(lower spine arching and energy working upwards rotationally) is when THT should be most obvious.Some degree of this "pre-launch THT" may be necessary for great bat quickness.