Posted by: Mac () on Fri Jan 10 09:13:39 2003

This post, which is going to cause alot of debate, is the talk
> about balance. Every person looks different doing similar
> activities. Take a look at a golfer, gymnast, baseball player, etc.
> The fact that some hitters in baseball look differant hitting than
> others is intrinsic to their style. In reality, the ball-arch complex in
> the foot and the hands holds the most sensory nerves in the
> body short of the tongue (why a baby learns by putting everything
> in their mouth). Why is the proproception of the hands and feet
> so important? Because, they send information to the inner ear
> where your balance center is located. So, if the body is not
> capable of maintaining a position, the brain tells the body to
> make adjustments. Now, we have a pitcher who can not
> maintain proper balance through his throwing motion even
> though he throws 100 mph. The problem is core strength, ergo
> the postural muscles. If you want expert info in regards to this,
> log on to tomhouses.com and he can go through the whole
> process if you e-mail him. So, if young hitters have a problem
> with the positioning of their body through a swing, a good portion
> of that is core strength. Of course you cannot rule out genetics.
> If a kid has terrible balance and postrue and can't make
> adjustments the ability might not be there. Most hitters can get
> into the position to hit if they work on it but don't kid yourself,
> todays youth is the most uncontioned in the last 20 years and
> that is a fact from our medical community not just from me.

John, Balance is the most important thing a hitter can have. Without good balance, you can't produce a quality swing. The Japanese have long taught core strength as a key to performing an athletic movement well. Mac>>>