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How to Increase Bat Speed
Linear vs Rotational Drills

Lead Leg Drives Hip Rotation

Drills that Increase Bat Speed

Hitting a Softball with Power

Rotation & Stationary Axis

How to Hit a Baseball with Power

Does Bat Speed Equal Power

Rotational Swing Mechanics
Increase Bat Speed

Role of the Back Arm

How to Hit a Homerun in Softball





How to Hit a Baseball with Power

The key to hitting a baseball with power is staying connected to the body's rotational energy. Body rotation is powered by the larger and more powerful muscles of the legs, hips and torso. For a batter to hit the ball with maximum power, his swing mechanics must stay connected and make efficient use of these larger muscle groups. This article discusses the important steps needed to produce a swing that transfers the body's rotational power into hitting power.

Step #1 - Acquire a Powerful Launch Position

Staying connected to the body's rotational energy starts when the hitter steps into the batter's box to prepare the launch position. To acquire a powerful launch position, the batter's upper body and shoulders must rotate to a fully loaded position. An inward turn of the upper torso and shoulders stretches the muscles of the upper body and pelvic region. Some refer to this as loading. With good transfer mechanics, the contraction of these muscles combined with the energy of hip rotation is converted into angular acceleration of the bat-head. The video below shows, and discusses, a powerful launch position.



Step #2 - Initiate the Swing Correctly

There is a very important Biomechanical Principle that pertains to the initiation of the baseball swing. The principle states: "A ballistic motion, once initiated, produces trajectories that can only be changed at its margins." This means, the forces applied to the bat during initiation produce trajectories that will set the tone for the entire swing. If the swing is not initiated correctly - little can be done to compensate for it.

To stay connected to the body's rotational energy, it is very important that the first movement of the hands is not directed toward the pitcher - or inline with the incoming pitch. The batter should keep his hands back and allow the rotation of the body against the lead arm to accelerate the hands. The first movement of the hands will then be propelled more perpendicular to the flight of the incoming ball. This will induce the greatest amount of angular displacement to the bat and propel the hands into the most productive path.

Below is an overhead view of a good rotational swing. We have plotted the path of the hands and bat-head. Although the video discusses plate coverage, note that: (1) the bat-head accelerates rearward (back toward the catcher) about 140 degrees before it swings around toward the pitcher (2) the first movement of the hands are more away than toward the pitcher.



Step #3 - Use Swing Mechanics that Stay Connected

As stated, to hit a baseball with power, the batter's swing must stay connected to the powerful muscle groups. However, far too many batters are taught mechanics that use the arms rather than rotation to initiate the acceleration of the hands and bat. Using the arms to fire the hands ahead of rotation disconnects the swing from the larger muscles and hitting with maximum power is lost.

To learn more about swing mechanics that keep the batter connected to rotation, read Drills that Increase Bat Speed. Also, Batspeed.com's Instructional DVD, "The Final Arc II", contains instructions and drills that help batters develop these mechanics


Additional Rotational Hitting Information

Batspeed.com Discussion Board Archives


1. BASEBALL& SOFTBALL HITTING

A. The Beginning
B. Comparison - Baseball and Softball Hitting
C. Players/coaches/authorities
D. Rotational Hitting Aids/drills/cues
E. Linear vs rotational
F. Video analysis


2. BAT SPEED GENERATION

A. Grip & Wrist
B. Launch Position
C. Weight-shift/momentum
D. Lower-body
E. Rotation/Separation
F. Axis of Rotation


3. ROTATIONAL HITTING MECHANICS

A. Initiation
B. Back-arm & Extension
C. Lead-arm & Casting
D. CHP (Circular-Hand-Path)
E. BHT (Bottom-Hand-Torque)
F. PLT & THT (Pre-Launch & Top-Hand-Torque)
G. Hitting the Outside Pitch
H. Contact/Bat Drag/Follow-through
I. Rotational vs Linear Swing Plane


---------------------

1. BASEBALL & SOFTBALL HITTING

A. The Beginning


Linear vs Rotational cues - Like fitting square pegs in round holes

  • (Video: Mechanics that generate bat speed)

    Purpose of allowing opposing views

    Do we actually teach what we see?
  • The start of my study (Video: CHP & Torque)

    Style vs. Absolutes in the swing
  • All swings will be governed by the same physics principles (the "Absolutes)

    The "Absolutes" to a good swing

    A dads dream come true
  • Hard work and efficient swing mechanics makes up for smaller size

    B. Comparison -baseball and softball hitting

    Pitching vs hitting mechanics (Video: Comparisons)

    Softball swing mechanics same as baseball swing (Video: Comparisons)

    Softball vs baseball hitting
  • Linear MLB hitters lose in softball game against rotational Slow Pitch hitters

    Differences in baseball and golf swing
  • Golf grip induce wrist- roll prior to contact

    Difference, golf & baseball (by Tom Querry)

    C. Players/coaches/authorities

    Mankin // Epstein differences
  • Body rotation still requires efficient transfer mechanics to generate bat speed

    Epstein torque (lower body) vs Mankin torque (upper body)
  • Torque that induces hip rotation - Torque applied at the handle

    Epstein - lead elbow

    Epstein's box - 90 degree elbows vs straighter arm

    Yeager vs Mankin's analysis - Conservation of Momentum

    Robert Adair's linear weight shift vs Mankin's rotation about a stationary axis

    Bat test data and why Robert Adair may have discounted handle torque
  • (Video: Physics and Acoustics of Baseball & Softball Bats)

    Steve Ferroli - Ted Williams & Flattened hands

    Daw - Rubber band analogy
  • (Video)

    Yeager's whip theory vs Mankin's rotational model

    Jim Lefebvre's book - Axis, front-hip vs spine
  • (Video: Giambi momentum & lead leg)

    Zig Ziegler's - Segment deceleration vs Load on rotation causes the deceleration

    Tom Querry - "Whipping action" vs BHT

    Hudgens' knob first vs Mankin's CHP

    Lau To Jack - Firm front leg discussion

    Paul Nyman vs Mankin (1) (Video: Misleading THT)

    Paul Nyman vs Mankin (2) (Video: Misleading THT simulation)

    Dusty Baker - Throwing the bat-head; Crack-of-the-whip theory

    D. Rotational Hitting Aids/drills/cues

    One-handed swings - Physics Lab test findings

    Motion study computer (1) - Findings verify video analysis

    Motion study computer (2)

    Staying inside the ball
  • What does staying inside the ball mean?

    Motion study computer (3) - Torque & pressure seniors

    The plane & the hose drill

    Bullwhip - how it works
  • There is no "Crack of a whip" with a ridged bat

    Power: 50% CHP & 50% Torque - Clarification

    Tom Waz - KE= 1/2(MVV) - Bringing JJA up to speed on Physics Calculations

    E. Linear vs rotational

    Linear vs Rotational - Clarification - What constitutes

    Linear = Low load to rotation
  • Zig Ziegler's segment deceleration vs load induced

    Linear vs Rotational - Pendulum effect vs Whip action
    Problem with Linear Mechanics
  • (Video: "Whip Effect" vs CHP & Torque)

    CHP & Torque vs Whip Model


    Linear vs Rotational mechanics
  • Yeager vs Mankin (Video: pendulum effect v. whip action)

    Linear vs Rotational - Loading (weight on legs) & inward turn

    Linear Mechanics and the minus 11 bats
  • Ted Williams & lighter bats effect on mechanics

    Linear & Fastpitch Softball hitting mechanics - College coaches teach rotational??

    "Swinging too late"
  • Bat speed from linear theories relies on nonexistent whipping action

    F. Video analysis

    Key points I look for in video analysis
  • Requires more than a single view point

    Hips or hands first?
  • Think of rotating hips or the bat-head rearward?
  • (Video: Sosa & Strawberry)

    THT & Bat drag

    Once shoulder rotation is depleted
  • Bat drag - Without THT, bat rotation does not stay in sync with body rotation

    Front view & Side view
  • Reasons for need of each view

    Video Camcorder
  • Recommended camcorders for video analysis with Batspeed's video analysis software - MotionView



    2. ENERGY DEVELOPMENT (LOWER-BODY MECHANICS)

    A. Grip & Wrist


    The Grip - Tight or loose?
  • (Video: Bat manufactures test results on the grip)

    Wrist droop
  • Does one "knuckle alignment" work

    Grip & elbow to the belly button

    The Grip - Bat in fingers or palm

    Bonds' Grip (both wrists flex) - straighter wrist & loose grip

    Separate the hands = More torque?

    Wrist snap? Role of the wrist in the swing

    Extension (wrist snap) vs BHT (push/pull of forearms)?

    Premature wrist roll - what causes it

    B. Launch position

    Hands to launch position
  • Hitters have many different styles in how they arrive at launch position
  • (Video: Bonds, Griffey, Sosa - Hands to launch)

    Is "elbow up" a flawed position?

    High back elbow - good position for rotational mechanics, but not for linear

    Inward-turn & PLT to THT mechanics
  • (Video: Bonds/A-Rod side by side)

    Lead-arm
  • (Video: lead arm of 4 good hitters)

    Hands go back with stride vs. Hiding the hands

    Shrugging lead-shoulder
  • Lead-shoulder rotates 150+ degrees while torso rotates 90

    "Loading defined"

    Inward-turn & pre launch torque
  • (Video: Bonds/A-rod side-by-side of PLT/THT/BHT)

    Inward shoulder turn hides the hands from pitcher
  • Griffey Jr. and David Wright illustrate the importance of the inward turn and hiding the hands(Video)

    Problems with hands creeping forward or into pitcher's view

    C. Weight-shift/momentum

    Pitching vs hitting mechanics - (Video: comparison clips)
  • Pitcher's forward momentum after foot plant not productive for swinging a bat

    Does weight shift = momentum

    Weight shift - Truism or fallacy?

    Weight swift & the "Conservation of Momentum
  • Hip rotation attained from linear weight shift is negligible

    Momentum & Gyro Action
  • Weight on back-foot & discussion of p=mv (Video: Bonds & gyro)

    Is linear motion transferred into angular momentum??
  • Theories on forces that drive hip rotation - (Video: Pathfinder demo; CHP vs. extension)

    What drives hip and shoulder rotation

    Hip rotation
  • Legs/pelvic momentum - Swivel chair analogy

    Welded wheel vs. depleting rotational momentum model

    D. Lower-body

    3 camps on hip rotation - (Video: Giambi - "Whip effect" disproved)

    Role of the hips - 1000 hp engine analogy

    Front foot open or closed

    Why Mark McGwire's lead-leg may remain bent at contact on out-side pitch

    Lead-leg extension
  • Hip rotation straightens led-leg & George Brett & THT

    Body drifting foreword
  • The cure

    Body tilt - Does not necessarily mean weight on back leg

    Batter fully rotates, but bat drags. Why?

    No THT creates bat drag

    Sync body rotation to bat rotation

    E. Rotation/separation

    Questioning shoulder rotation & CHP
  • Mechanics that generate bat speed - (Video: Griffey, Bonds & Rose analysis)

    Rotation & un-shrugging shoulders

    Lead-shoulder shrug discussion

    Hitting the inside and outside pitch mechanics
  • Lead-shoulder rotates 60+ degrees more than back-shoulder - (Video: Pete Rose)

    Hip rotation must stay connected
  • Hip rotation must contribute to shoulder rotation

    Kinetic chain; separation; free wheeling

    Muscles fire in unison
  • Is hips leading the hands due to sequential timing?

    Load causes separation -- No load = one-piece-swing (no separation)

    Role of hips - Does maximum separation equal disconnection?

    Separation/unison - Bowling ball analogy

    Pulling head out - Premature rotation & no separation

    Why not maximum separation - The 3 step swing (1-2-3)

    Hips lead shoulders, but then all rotate in unison
  • At initiation, all the muscles in the legs and torso are contracting in unison

    F. Axis of Rotation

    Axis tilt vs. shoulder rotation - (Video: Bonds' tilt and rotation)
  • add Howard clip

    4 axis of rotation

    Spinning and rotation
  • Revolving door vs. swinging gate (blocked lead-side) - (Video: Rose hip/shoulder comparison)

    Is there a difference between spinning & rotating?
  • (Video: Giambi's lower-body mechanics)

    Weight-shift - Stationary axis vs. back to center



    3. ROTATIONAL HITTING MECHANICS

    A. Initiation


    Focusing on the whole swing - Not just forward movements

    Envision the bat's rearward trajectory
  • Subconscious mind will set up a motor program

    Its CHP/THT/BHT - But you can't think your way through the swing

    Sync body rotation to bat-head rotation
  • Think: Rotate heel, rotate bat head

    Obtain your optimum contact position
  • The mind will provide a motor-program to accomplish the body trajectories you envision

    Don't "explode" - Think smooth ever accelerating power

    B. Back-arm & Extension

    "L" position at contact - Few average hitters attain correct position

    Elbow to the belly button - not remaining in the "slot"

    "L" in back-leg and arm
  • What drives back-arm -- (would you rather be hit with boxers hook or jab)
  • (Video: Back arm of 4 good hitters)

    C. Lead-arm & Casting

    Lead-arm - Should boxed elbow extend hands to contact?
  • (Video: Lead arm of 4 good hitters & Pete Rose clip)

    Defining "Casting & Extending


    Role of the lead-arm
  • 4 prong tire wrench analogy - (Video: Rose, Bonds & Burrell)

    Is casting bad?
  • Linear theme: All straight movement is good, all circular is bad

    Does barring = casting?
  • If so, does not "casting" = circular hand path

    Barred arm & shrugging lead-shoulder
  • Role of the lead-arm

    "Keep hands inside the ball" = linear cue?
  • The 'cue' and the resulting hand-path

    What cause counterproductive casting
  • Extending "barred arm" without shoulder rotation

    D. CHP - (Circular-Hand-Path)

    Pulling off the ball
  • "Bat drag" = "Pulling off the ball" - (Video: Rose example)

    How to practice developing a CHP
  • PathFinder & Rubber hose drill

    One-handed drill for generating a CHP

    Hook in hand-path & Tilt-a-whirl analogy

    Why hide your hands?

    E. BHT - (Bottom-Hand-Torque)

    "L" in back-leg and arm
  • What drives back-arm -- (hit with boxers "hook" or "jab")
  • (Video: back arm of four good hitters)

    Lumberjack analogy - Energy expended at contact
  • What powers follow-through

    Rotational Hitting Mechanics that generate bat speed
  • Rearward rotation of lead-shoulder
  • (Video: Hitters Exhibiting Good & Poor BHT)

    BHT - Applying torque by pulling the bottom-hand back
  • (Video: Bonds & Burrell BHT mechanics)

    Tony Gwynn - Full Extension vs "L" position at contact

    Add BHT to CHP
  • Lead-shoulder rotation - torque & CHP - (Video: Griffey analysis)

    Lead-shoulder shrug
  • A form of "scap loading" the lead-shoulder

    Back-arm "L" position - Percentage of torque applied (BHT to THT)

    F. PLT & THT - (Pre-Launch Torque) & (Top-Hand-Torque)

    THT applied in 2 Phases
  • Hitters like Bonds and Sosa accelerate the bat-head rearward in two phases
  • (Videos: Demonstrating THT w/PathFinder & Sosa - PLT to THT)

    Rearward bat-head acceleration
  • Shawn v. Mankin analysis - (Videos: Sosa & overhead clips)

    Bat accelerating from PLT into THT
  • (Videos: PLT to THT mechanics; THT w/PathFinder; Sosa - PLT to THT; 2 Bonds clips)

    THT - same mechanics, different names

    THT-- Key to a great swing

    THT - Thumb of top-hand raking shoulder

    THT & BHT - Do great hitters knowingly apply?

    THT - Rotational hitting & Transfer mechanics
  • When I first saw THT being applied (George Brett)
  • Video:Bonds and Burrell example
  • (Video: Overhead of John Elliot)

    THT & PLT - Sheffield PLT to THT maintains good linkage to rotation

    THT - Keeps lead-arm across chest - "A ballistic motion"

    THT mechanics
  • Shoulder tilt & lowering of the elbow
  • (Add Video: Ryan Howard's mechanics)

    THT & Wrist binds

    Mechanics that can cause Wrist binds

    THT - Can you see THT being applied

    THT & slotting the elbow
  • (Video: Bonds pre-launch torque mechanics)

    PLT - Bat vertical or wrapped

    PLT - Bonds mechanics

    PLT - Loading or un-loading?

    PLT - Discussing advantages of applying PLT

    G. HITTING THE Inside AND Outside Pitch

    Inside/outside mechanics
  • (Video: Lead-shoulder rotates 60+ degrees more than back-shoulder)

    Mark Teixeira - inside/outside mechanics
  • (Video: Lead shoulder rotates 150 while back shoulder rotates 90)

    Hitting the outside pitch

    THT & plate coverage
  • (Video: Reaching the low outside pitch - John & Rose overhead)

    Pulling off the ball
  • Little power to the opposite field are all indicators of "bat-drag"
  • (Video: Rose and plate coverage)

    Big Mac's front knee
  • Why lead-leg remains bent during contact

    The outside pitch - linear vs rotational mechanics

    Outside pitch - BHT mechanics vs PFO

    Ron Gant & Matt Williams - Limitations of BHT on outside pitches

    H. Contact/Bat Drag/Follow-through

    "L" in back-leg and arm
  • What drives back-arm -- (hit with boxers "hook" or "jab")
  • Insert video - 4 good hitters' back arm

    Pulling off the ball not caused by shoulder rotation
  • (Video: Pete Rose)

    Best hit balls pulled foul
  • Linear mechanics = Bat drag - (Video: Sosa)

    Hitting mechanics & the Follow through

  • (Video: WCWS hitters contact position)

    Big Mac's top-hand release
  • Conditions that make releasing the top-hand necessary
  • (Video: Animation - McGwire vs Amateur Hitter)

    Lumberjack analogy - Energy expended at contact

    I. Linear vs Rotational Swing Plane

    Swing plane like a tilted flat disc

    Lead-arm plane & the swing plane

    A-Rod & The Swing Plane
  • Discussion of frontal and across the plate view - (Video: comparison clips)

    PLT & the swing plane
  • Wrist-binds & waves in the swing plane

    THT & the swing plane
  • Rearward force must be inline from lead-arm

    "Swing down vs swing up at the ball"
  • (Video: bat up slope to contact)

    Swing down - But behind not in front

    Looping swing - Collapsing back-side

    Causes of plane flaws - Discussion of initiation problems
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