Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Mon Feb 3 12:52:25 2003

Teacherman,
>
> Bad description on my part. Now, how to teach it. A very good, hardworking student of Paul's worked on it for month's and still had trouble with it.
>
> Nick

Nick-

Paul's stuff is starting to catch on,moreso in pitching recently.See the info/videos/newsletter at pitchingcentral.com.

The way the other pitching instructors have reacted to Paul,given they can keep an open mind and are able,is to realize that coaches have taken the athleticism out of the skill,much to the detriment of the kid.This is exactly the problem that is so horrible in women's fastpitch.It is less of a problem in baseball compared to the pitching problem,but still a big problem that is just lots more obvious in the girls.Nyman offers the rationale and the method to put the athleticism back in the swing along much the same lines.See the pitchingcentral stuff to understand the basic approach.

I believe the swing is a fluid action very similar to throwing as I have tried to describe here comparatively.Bond's shows phases of this fluid action particularly discretely so you can see what goes on.It is much more obvious onm same of the oldtimers swinging heavy lumber,but as you minimze your action with a light bat,you should not lose the basic rhythm and sequence.

1-hip cock(analagous to pitcher's "windup").The hip cocks with the simultaneous internal rotation fo all 4 limbs as the heel leads the second part of his stride(just after he lifts front foot for second time after the initial "click back").

2- stretch(analagous to symmetric "early cock" of pitcher scap loading to "W" position).The hip cock is held as the body stretches out with the stride foot going forward to toe touch and the back shoulder/arm scap loading.

3-separation.at some point the "stretching" turns into a different feel which Jack describes as tht.Epsteing describes it as drop and tilt.The symmetrically stretching body does a very complicated motion following a principle Nyman calls "mapping".I would describe this from a video analysis/biomechanical perspective as an assymetric(stretching was happening after the symmetric internal rotation of all 4 limbs "hip cock")motion.In separation(winding the rubberband)the back leg and front arm are internally rotating and the front leg and back arm are externally rotating as the hip "uncocks" (begins to "separate"/turn forward).In addition to Jack's info and Epstein's description,think of this as the arms forming "the box" to create tight connection(during separation before launch).

If you look at Bonds against the typical 90 mph average delivery,about 13 frames from release to contact,he will start the first piece of his stride 5 or more frames before release and get the hips cocked(lead with heel after second stride foot lift)about 2 frames after release.He stretches for about 4 frames,then he drops and tilts/separates for about 2 frames(tht) then get from launch to contact in under 5 frames(mighty quick).

The asymmetric box forming separation motion is what biomechanically prevents bat dragging or getting the back elbow ahead of the hands(instead of externally rotating into slot and staying there,elbow pushes forward toward belly button).

Try drop and tilt with this added feel of the front arm internally rotating as the back arm drops in the slot and you might get better separation and tighter connection.See Epstein's description in the weight forward thread of the drop and tilt action that prevents lunging and just think of working the front elbow slightly up via internal rotation.