Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Fri Jan 10 03:29:00 2003

>>> I'm going back under my rock, only to return another day. I read the site often and will chime in from time to time. Keep up the good work and for some the old, "see ball, hit ball" still works. Kids perform much better without thinking, we sometimes need to let them fail and give them the ability to fix problems on there own. They are smarter than we think. Sometimes I'm not as smart as I think, but that's another issue!!! Take care! <<<

Hi Coach C

Thank you for bringing up some good points for discussion. Now that the front leg debate is over, I will give you a brief overview (with comments) of how I interpret your message to us.

(1) “Sitting is the forward/lateral slide that I'm speaking of, the weight transfer that takes place (hopefully minimal), and as the weight transfers, the front leg will resist (locking), thus forcing the spine tilt and the hips to turn. This move......the magic move.....” --- This seems to me much like the “back to center” theory Dave Huggins and others have taught for years. Only Dave would have the batter stride to a posted front leg. – With your style, when during the swing would you have the batter start (locking) the front leg for resistance to cause hip turn?

(2) “I have a real concern with anyone that preaches straight legs in the baseball swing, mainly because straight legs create angles and also lock hips, which contribute to bad balance. In any sport that I lock my legs I get beat.” --- There is a vast difference between striding to a straight leg and striding to a well flexed front leg and using the straightening of the leg to drive rotation.

(3) “Getting into that all too familiar "sit to hit position" is the art of a great athlete and generally a great hitter. In viewing Jacks video I see the kids just straightening the front leg, with never the notion of sitting to hit.” --- You are correct, although I believe the hitter should have plenty of flex in both legs at launch, I do not believe in what you call “sitting to hit.” Sounds very similar to “squashing the bug” to me.

(4) “Normally it is young hitters that create this excessive leg action that never really feel the torso power. In other words they combine the torso turn with the leg thrust.” --- I would say that leg thrust SHOULD combine with torso turn to maximize shoulder rotation. What purpose do you see for hip rotation if it is not to aid torso turn???

Well Coach C, there are a lot of points for a good discussion here, so maybe you can return a little earlier than planned.

Jack Mankin