Posted by: george stanley (saint_george13@yahoo.com) on Wed Dec 19 16:45:00 2007

> Hi All
>
> Over next the few weeks, I will post video clips that address many of the topics of our latest discussions. The first clip will address the assumption that pitching and batting mechanics are so similar that the principles that apply to one are also true for the other. Below are exerpts from our discussion and a video clip that illustrates our differences.
>
> ##
> (George)
> hitting is just like throwing.. the mechanics are pretty much the same. when you throw a pitch, you use the rubber to push off your power or back leg...imagine pitchers who just stood there with no forward stride & just slung the ball up there... shouldn't you do the same thing when you hit?.. yes! bend your knee & push off your back toe... DO NOT STAND FLATFOOTED! REMEMBER MASS X SPEED = ENERGY. so just like throwing a pitch, push off your back leg & get your body mass going forward.. the faster, the greater the energy you are generating toward the ball..to stand stock still with no forward motion means you are generating NO energy whatsoever!!! HELLO?!?!?!
> ##
>
> (Jack Mankin)
> This illustrates just one of the problems of equating the mechanics of pitching a ball to that of swinging a bat. To say that since the development of forward momentum is required in pitching, it must also be true for hitting is misleading. Keep in mind that in hitting, forward movement of the body ceases at foot-plant and the batter rotates about a stationary axis. Whereas, in pitching, the upper-body continues to move forward after foot-plant and the pitcher rotates about a forward tilting axis.
>
> Many of the posts I have read appear to claim that the mechanics of pitching and hitting are basically the same and therefore what is true for one is also true for the other. I have always had trouble with comparing principles found in pitching a ball to the mechanics of the baseball swing. It seems to me that the dynamics of throwing a 5-ounce baseball with one hand would demand very different body and limb trajectories than those required to swing a 33-ounce bat with two hands.
>
> Look at the clip and draw your own conclusions.
>
> <a href="http://www.batspeed.com/media/Momentum_Pitching-v-Hitting.wmv">Pitching vs hitting mechanics</a --
>
>
> Jack Mankin

my dear jack,
your theory about what i said about the differences between hitting & throwing are splitting hairs, & basically are not the problem which seperates most hitters from MLB..if that was the only problem confronting hitters, there would be far better hitters in MLB.. but there ain't... right? so it must something else which is causing so many guys to get so close, yet so far away.. LET'S LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE..

the point i was trying to make was.. say what you want, do what you want, swinging the bat with no forward step is not going to help you generate ANYWHERE NEAR as much lower body torque as you will by bending your back knee, raising your front foot & pushing off your back toe as hard as possible... WHEN YOUR FRONT FOOT STRIKES THE GROUND THIS FORWARD MOMENTUM IS DISSIPATED SOMEWHAT, BUT A LOT OF FORCE WILL BE TRANSFERERED TO THE ROTATIONAL AXIS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU CAN TIME THE START OF YOUR TORQUEING TO COINCIDE WITH THE FOOT CONTACT... & START CORKSCREWING YOUR TOES INTO THE GROUND & ROTATING YOUR HIPS!! GRAY HIT IT ON THE BUTTON WHEN HE SAYS IT HAS TO BE A NATURAL SMOOTH MOVEMENT, RATHER THAN TRY TO HAVE A 1, 2, 3 MENTALITY.. IT IS A BALLET MOVEMENT WITH MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR BODY GENERATING ENERGY IN A CHAIN REACTION OF MOVEMENTS..FEET, LEGS, HIPS, SHOULDERS, ARMS, HANDS...THE BETTER YOUR ATHLETIC ABILITY, THE BETTER YOUR ABILITY TO COORDINATE THE MOVEMENT & GENERATE THE GREATEST BATSPEED... TO ELIMINATE THE BACK FOOT AS THE INITAL SOURCE OF THE STARTUP POWER IS TO SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT.
that is far as i want to draw the similarities of hitting & throwing.. THEY BOTH START WITH PUSHING OFF YOUR POWER OR BACK FOOT!!! without that, you are not generating all the power you can with the most powerful part of your body.. YOUR LEG!! YOU MUST INVOLVE YOUR LEG IN THE SWING... you want to start picking nits about comparing what happens after you plant your foot when pitching.. you are off an unimportant tangent which has no consequence...
you must concentrate on overcoming inertia (look it up) by initiating
as much force as possible, much like the shuttle.. you must BLAST OFF!!
if you can't agree with that, then what can i say..

i read a lot of stuff about you guys arguing about nomenclature & splitting hairs about alotta stuff that really ain't the thing that puts most guys in the toilet. like this hitting vs pitching silliness.. a lotta nothin that's gonna either help you or hurt you about nothin that's gonna either help you or hurt you..

i don't see anyone talking about too wide, too open stances & buggywhip swings that slow your bat & make you late more often than anything on far too many pitches in far too many spots... THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEMS LIE & THAT'S WHERE THERE IS THE MOST ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.. but that's not what the vast majority of the people on this site have been able to figure out... yet. they'd rather argue about inconsequential things like pitching vs hitting mechanics... yeah that's gonna straighten you out... NOT!!
but i have my hopes for all of you