Posted by: Mac () on Fri Dec 20 20:47:16 2002

If in fact the hip cock is an essential early phase of the swing as described by Williams,then others should notice it.Charley Lau Jr,Lau's Laws,pp61-2:
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> > > ".......We just thoroughly discussed the most widely recognized one[trigger]-the trigger of the hands and arms.However,after thorough study of today's best hitters by using slow-motion video,I have discovered a second hidden trigger that enhances the swing that nobody has ever mentioned.And the majority of the new generation of sluggers possess this second trigger.....The other trigger moves I detected are in the lower half of the body.........This causes the hips to slightly trigger back before exploding with rotation squarely through the hitting area...."
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> > > I guess JR. never read SCIENCE OF HITTING and the concept of the rhythmic cocking and uncocking of the hips.
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> > > In general,to cock the hips,the hands are brought in closer to the body(more important to bring them in than drop them) as the spine flexes,then the hip cocks with the internal rotation of all 4 limbs.A distinct sequence necessary for all to set up for generating power.Just like a pitcher who raises the hands with the back arched,then drops/pulls them in as the body flexes early in the windup.The end of the windup phase is the "hip cock".
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> > On the earlier thread regarding Lau, you (TOM) said that "Lau is describing an "off the plate"/accentuate THT/ make everything an outside pitch near extension type swing". What are disadvantages of this swing? No power or cannot handle the inside pitch (but they are "off the plate" so you cannot exploit this weakness, so do you go out) or what? If I were playing/pitching against on of these type hitters, what should be my plan of attack and where is the Lau hitter's weakness and what is so flawed about what he teaches? What is the general consensus about change-ups, off-speed against this kind of hitter?
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> The questions of an excellent student. I look forward to the answers. : )
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> Mark H.


>>>All hitters have strengths and weaknesses, not just Lau hitters. To strive to make all pitches be away, you have to be off the plate and stride in towards the plate, which leaves you in a position to be beat by an inside fast ball. Off speed pitches are no better or worse against a Lau type of hitter, just the fastball in. If you set up in a position to cover all of the plate and your stride is back at the pitcher and you have good rotational mechanics, you should be able to handle all pitches if you have talent. Most teachers who teach the Lau SR.-Hriniak method, preach going to the opposite field, and having the head go down at contact, and if the head goes down, you will have a very hard time rotating your hips. If you can't rotate your hips, you can't pull a ball in the air and keep it fair. When George Brett won his first batting title, he was 23 years old and had 7 home runs and 67 RBI in 645 AB's. As he got older, he learned to turn on the ball and get it in the air and hit with a lot more power. Todays game is a power game, and unless a hitter is a blazer on the basepaths, he best learn rotational mechanics and with it the ability to pull the ball in the air and keep it fair.