Posted by: Alan () on Fri Feb 7 15:23:12 2003

> 1- if you use Quicktime and look at 'good girl' frame by frame you will see that the back hip is still turning into the ball at contact. Where it goes from there is irrelevant. I don't think this girl's hips are a very good example of 'static hips' or 'limited rotation' for that reason.
> > I don't know much about U18 Gold but I've seen the Chicago White Sox (MLB) and Phillies (AAA teams) both use the 'pop the hips and throw the hands' swing - limited hip rotation. It is good for contact, limited power.
> >
> > What I see in 'good girls' swing is that her hands are too far away from her body, her top elbow starts to work under a bit too much and though she 'saves it' from collapsing, it forces her to extend her arms a bit into contact. You can see some reach. At contact her top hand elbow is not against her ribs but not fully extended either.
> > If she kept her hands in better, her body rotation would take the bat to the ball more quickly and contact would be deeper.
> > As it is, it is semi-disconnect: could improve. But I don't see the hip turn as being insufficient into contact.
> > What I believe you are seeing is the early decelleration of the hips due to the arms/hands disconnecting before contact. The swing doesn't finish properly due to this...
>
> Dan-
>
> I can't yet view these particular clips.In general hip deceleration can be very good or not so good.
>
> If as you say it comes from the arms taking over and reaching for the ball(good description!)this is the slow long linear swing for contact.There is not good sequencing/separation,so the hips and torso move together,then come to a halt as the arms reach.reaching is a strong trigger to suck energy out of the body/torso.
>
> In a good rotational swing you would like to get good some separation and get the bat started("tht" is synchronized with separation,hands stay back,hip opens,back elbow drops,front elbow starts to work up,back shoulder dips-often mistaken for torso rotation-front heel drops,weightshifts back,etc.)then start the torso turning when the hips are at maximum angular velocity.Then hips decelerate instantaneously transferring momentum to torso which then boosts ongoping bat turn preferably with bat already turning in a tight circle.If you set your torso angle and handpath and axis of rotation right at launch,then you should not have to get the arms invovlved to "reach" for the ball.The torso should keep on turning into contact as momentum continues to transfer to the turning bat.Assuming the handpath "stays in",the quickness/amount of torso turn will depend on how wide the handpath radius is set at at launch.
>
> The first case is the linear/upperbody swing,really an enbloc move of the body with the en bloc motion stopping,then the bat pulling the torso around after extension.
>
> The second case is the lower body rotational swing where there is sequenced rotation/acceleration/deceleration of the body to transfer energy from the lower body to the bat in stages.In both cases hip deceleration must happen.
>
> From a rotational perspective,hip deceleration from reaching-bad.
>
> Hip deceleration from torso and bat sucking energy out without reaching-good.

Thanks Tom, I see what your saying. I even went back to the USA Today's Bonds at bat to test your theory, because he gets his hips way around. What I was suprised to find was his hip rotation slows dramatically at contact (almost stops)and the remainder of rotation is the follow through.