Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Thu May 25 12:53:42 2000

Grc,SAbrams et al-
I think the swing you are describing is the traditional"inside-out" swing to take the outside pitch to the opposite field,but with reduced power.This is quite different from the mechanics that I think Jack is illustrating and talking about on this site.See,for example,Jack's posts on5/18 and5/8.
In my opinion,Jack has really advanced the understanding of the most productive type of swing which the great hitters have evolved over the years.They take the outside pitch more to center field and with power.They do not use greatly varied mechanics based on location except in a protective/2-strike/hit behind the runner-type of situation where they may not use the power swing.Jack stresses the importance of ongoing shoulder rotation and the maintenance of a circular handpath to best turn the bat coupled with arm and hand motion to torque the bat throughout the swing.Mechanics are similar,but with a wider handpath for the outside pitch and a narrower handpath inside,even to the point of bending the front arm to bring the handpath in closer when the batter is jammed.
The term weight shift swing as you use it to describe hitting the outside pitch seems to resemble the "fence-drill"swing where the arms become overactive pulling the hands closer to the body,dragging the bat more,thereby losing the power of the body and usually associated with cessation of shoulder turn before contact in an attempt to power the pitch by whipping the arms and snapping the wrists(not torquing the bat about a point between the hands).This results in a "lag" position as grc describes it with the bat lagging further behind the handsthan on the inside pitch and the hands near the front foot in this lag position with subsequent contact at the front of the plate sending the ball to the opposite field(weakly).
I think the swing Jack describes is shorter,quicker,faster by contact and provides good plate coverage without excessive adjustments for location.