Posted by: Coach Tom () on Thu May 3 13:35:28 2001

Major Dan:

I generally or used to agree with you and you primarily agree with Jack, but this time I do not agree with you; therefore, in reading your last post I should first say that I come as a friend and I hope that you too will think before deciding.

Without rehashing everything that has been said and said again, your premise that the body slightly moving forward at only a few miles per hour builds up this additional energy for the swing is illogical and unconvincing. This small movement would generate very little energy compared to the energy necessary to get a 34 ounce bat (not a whip or a towel) to 70 – 90 mph. Equally unpersuasive is comparing a whip like effect or that of a pitcher throwing a ball to the forces that are applied to the bat. There is no whip like effect in the baseball swing or a bat for that matter.

My question to you is: if these additional few inches of hip movement are necessary to attain an extra 10-15 percent, then why do all of the awesome homerun power hitters (Sosa, Mac, Griffey, Bonds, etc) rotate about a point and use a stationary axis or even an axis moving backwards? Name one hitter who has more power than any of these stationary axis hitters, and moves the hips forward (to rotate around the front leg) such as you suggest? Name one golfer who hits it farther than Tiger and moves the hips forward before initiating the down stroke part of the swing or during the swing?

Video analysis shows us that all power is derived from the body’s tremendous rotational forces, not that of the body’s slight linear forces. Review the hitters during the home derby with a keen eye and I think you agree that these hitters do not move their hips forward. For the sake of this discussion and discussing power hitters, Nomar and lightweight weight hitters of his caliber are out of the discussion, since we are referring to what mechanics generates the greatest power.

In the future, I hope that you rethink your examples so that we may avoid these distractions and smoke screens involving whips, chains, high jumpers, etc. and get to comparable examples such as the golf swing or other similar movements.

Coach Tom