Posted by: Graylon (g_dunc@hotmail.com) on Mon Jan 28 14:19:25 2008

> >>> Without the back foot push you would merely be spinning. <<<
>
> Hi Graylon
>
> To clarify your statement, how would you define the difference between “spinning” and “rotation.” Also, is it only the hips that can spin. Or, could the torso and shoulders also be guilty of spinning?
>
> Jack Mankin


Jack,

I will do my best to describe the difference IMO. First let me say that with the written word "rotation" and "spinning" sound very similar, but with the feel in the swing they are very different.

"Spinning": That of a revolving door or a top spinning on the ground. I believe you have used the revolving door analogy before. If I rotate my hips about a stationary axis, the lower spine, the lead hip will travel away from the plate and after it gets perpendicular to the plate it will then travel torwards the plate. The back hip will push towards the plate and after it gets perpindicular to the plate it is now traveling away from the plate. So by rotating the hips without a linear move causes my back hip to travel to far around. Like a pitcher landing with his foot across his body forcing him to get his rear hip around his front hip instead of at the target.

"Rotating": Turning with power. If I clear my lead hip out of the way and give my rear hip some where to go, I will be directing more of my power towards the intended target. It is still rotating but it's rotating because of the power from the push of the rear leg. If I maintain a blocked lead leg then the forward momentum has no where to go but into rotational energy. I am not driving my rear hip into the front hip I am driving it where my front hip use to be. Lets use the ball on the string theory. If I grab the string and allow the ball to lay behind me and I "turn" my hips hard and then "turn" my shoulders hard the ball will fly around my body and pick up speed as you have described, but only after the slack is taken out and the ball will trail. To slow for a MLB swing. Now if you grab the same string and start to open the front hip and move your weight forward into your front leg, you will take the slack out of the string so now as your hands move forward in the CHP that the hips provide the ball will get up to speed much quicker.

I am not an English Major or a Scientist, but I have swung a bat before and the feel of a swing and the discription of a swing are 2 different things.

The feeling I get is the hips do rotate behind my front leg. I do push off with my back leg as my hands start forward. I do feel the lateral tilt and I do feel my hands get launched into the path of the ball (like being launched out of a cannon). Things I don't feel are turning in the same spot I started in and powering with my shoulders. It truly does feel like Hips and Hands or possibly Hands and Hips.

I hope I answered your question.

Graylon