Posted by: Dave P (cdpaetkau@telus.net) on Sun Apr 16 22:20:12 2006

> >>> Jack-
>
> I think motionanalysius would be good at getting at this with the perspective that mechanics are much as you describe them with certain predictable variation that goes along with pitch location.
>
> Certainly we want to see the seqeuntial acceleration/deceleration of segments with associated migration of the swing axis and the "sped gains" seen with Zig's equipment for example.
>
> I would think that in the case of inside/high ball the head would come more forward to set axis and shoulders would turn more with central axis. Outside/low ball, head stays back and swing might have more off center axis. Field studies might be good to sort this out. <<<
>
> Hi Tom
>
> I would agree that using a Motion Study Computer would give more exact data. But not having one presently available, I went to the swing clips at http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/swings.html . I framed forward to initiation (shoulders starting to rotate) and placed a card at the nose of each hitter that showed an across-the-plate view. I then framed each clip forward to contact.
>
> As I stated earlier, “If the back-shoulder were to rotate around a blocked lead-shoulder (like a gate swinging), then the spine, neck and head must also swing around and forward.”
>
> I am not sure of pitch location, but not one of the following swing clips showed the head move forward during rotation. . - Bagwell – Boone – Bonds – Jones – Giambi – Glauss – Griffey – Guerrero – Gonzalez – McGwire – Palmeiro – Renteria – Snow – Soriano – Sosa – Tejada – Thomas – Walker – . This means these hitters shoulders are rotating (or “spinning”) about the center of their body.
>
> Note that even Frank Thomas, the hitter linear enthusiast point to, does not take his head forward during the swing. The only clip I could find that would better fit the “swinging like a gate” analogy was the clip of Bernie Williams.
>
> Jack Mankin

Hi Jack

If you watch most hitters there is some head movement forward during the initiation of the stride. As the heel plant starts the front shoulder slightly elevates (a process that helps to slow forward momentum of the front shoulder)and the head stops moving forward as the hands begin their forward movement. The hips are now completing their rotation and the motion is more of a hip drive (back hip and knee going towards the pitcher) then a spinning rotation. So at this moment in time prior to getting the bat to come through the hitting zone the back hip is driving forward, the shoulders are rotating on an axis around the spine and the head is remaining still as to allow the most energy transfer to the bat. If the body continues to move forward the energy is distributed over a longer time frame and more distance and thus decreases the energy and speed distributed ot the bat (ie a figure skater trying to spin the fastest must pull everything tighter to the center of gravity to spin faster).

Hip drive allows for more extention through the swing (the opposite is squishing the bug which drecreases exstention because the weight is going backwards once the bat reaches the middle of the body or between the legs ((I want to thit the ball out front and there fore I am losing velocity the time I would like to hit the ball)) and this would be spin out. The shoulders are rotating around a single axis to generate the most power and the head is staying still to assist in hand-eye coordination (try to catch a ball while your head is moving forward).

Then of course there needs to be wrist snap (bht) to help transfer circular hand path created from the previously descibed swing motion to insure maximum hitting potential.


The best view to see this would be an overhead camera in combination to a sideview camera. Maybe a setup for one of my summer projects with my top hitters. I will keep you informed.

Dave P