Role of the front leg in hitting

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Jan 13, 2012
693
0
This is going to open another can of worms, because there are at least three different beliefs.

1. The front leg doesn't matter. It catches the swing.
2. The front leg aids in creating stretch. It has to be taught.
3. The front leg blocks and pushes back.

I fall in between belief 1 and 3. By Newton's Third Law, the lead leg has to push back with a force vector of equal and opposite magnitude. I'm not convinced that it's anything but a natural reaction.
 
May 23, 2012
365
18
Eastlake, OH
This is going to open another can of worms, because there are at least three different beliefs.

1. The front leg doesn't matter. It catches the swing.
Is catch synonymous with block or resist?

2. The front leg aids in creating stretch. It has to be taught.


3. The front leg blocks and pushes back.
It doesn't just dangle there does it?

I fall in between belief 1 and 3. By Newton's Third Law, the lead leg has to push back with a force vector of equal and opposite magnitude. I'm not convinced that it's anything but a natural reaction.
I am no physicist but at least you mentioned something scientific.

Everyone seems to speak in terms of one hip at a time. The pelvis is a unit so if one side is rotating so is the other, no? If there is another femur socket on the other side surely something is happening that affects the swing process. Is that not correct? Except in an SNF drill. Maybe that's not even the correct understanding.
 
Oct 10, 2011
1,572
38
Pacific Northwest
This is going to open another can of worms, because there are at least three different beliefs.

1. The front leg doesn't matter. It catches the swing.
2. The front leg aids in creating stretch. It has to be taught.
3. The front leg blocks and pushes back.

I fall in between belief 1 and 3. By Newton's Third Law, the lead leg has to push back with a force vector of equal and opposite magnitude. I'm not convinced that it's anything but a natural reaction.


I hope during the duration of this thread that you try to use the front leg in as many ways as possible to figure out what the role of the front leg, and the front hip, truly is Pstein.
 
Dec 19, 2012
1,428
0
The role of the front leg is to initially stop forward momentum, whether is be a stride weight shift or a no stride weight shift. During this time of the swing, both the front leg and the rear leg aid in tourqing the hips via the muscles in the leg and leg sockets, along with muscles in the lower torso. In other words, the tourqing of the hips begins with the process of planting the heel into the ground from toe-touch. Both legs are used in this process. The tourqing continues up the spinal column, each vertebrae it's own individual axis, to the shoulders. Since this thread is about the front leg, we can talk about the shoulders at another time. Anyway, the front leg is indeed important and it's use is vital in a swing.
 
Dec 19, 2012
1,428
0
pstein,

Ask yourself a question. Why use one if you can use both? The potential power in muscles is additive. If you want to jump as high or as far as you can from a stand still position, are you going to use one leg or both? If you want to see how much weight you can possibly lift, will you use one arm or both? A torque is a twisting force, utilizing both pull and push forces, like in a rotating armature. To think that the hip turn in a HL swing is rear leg only driven is ludicrous.......it is just not true.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
I tend to agree with Lenski on this topic. The extent and purpose can be debated, but I believe a truly efficient swing will utilize both sides of the body. Just like throwing a ball. If you attempt to throw a ball while "locking down" one side of your body (arm or leg), you will not throw as well. There are things your glove side does in order to aid the process.
 
May 3, 2014
2,149
83
If you look at pretty much every swing in the pros - as the front foot touches the front heel lands closer to the mid line of the body (said another way the front foot lands open). This is done as the rear leg resists being pulled forward - creating a stretch of muscles. Don't ignore the front side of the body or think it's just there to catch.
 

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