Launch Movement

[Buttermaker]

Well, its not the shoulder blade.

It's gravity as part of the weight shift which is part of the anterior sling wanting to return to normal from its lengthening and from the posterior sling wanting to return to normal from its shortening. It's from the timing of the hitter to start the swing.

Which is to say - it's directed by the core muscles engaging and then relaxing to start the swing.

My simple answer is that if I can get a hitter to cock the front leg using the core and pivots into the rear hip - the rest is natural.

 

[Buttermaker]

You are looking for a conscience thought when a hitter should be learning to track the ball and determine where the barrel should be to drive it or lay off.

 

[jryan15]

You are looking for a conscience thought when a hitter should be learning to track the ball and determine where the barrel should be to drive it or lay off.

I'm not talking so much about the way it touches the ground. That can get into the whole toe touch / heel plant debate. Coil won't keep it up forever, gravity usually wins and brings it down.

But what plants it? What drove Pujlos' heel down? His toe was on the ground. Never left the ground. He could have stayed in toe touch, regardless of gravity.


This is what I think. The single action of launching with his scap kicked of an automatic mechanical sequence of events that drove his heel into the ground. Thoratic interactions resulting in pelvic tilt which allowed the IR'ing rear leg to win and pull rear hip. Rear hip moved and affect front hip. Front hip interacts with front foot and plants it. All triggered by a single scap move.

I wish I could describe all the mechanical events, but I can't. It was all I could do to butcher it above.

I've done it. I've witnessed my front foot get planted as a result of a single conscious all-in move with my scap.


I don't think a high level hitter can afford to have a synchronous chain of events to do in order to swing. I don't think hitters are conditioned into learning a muscle memory pattern that requires mastering (10,000 cuts). I think they do a lot of loading things right. Then they watch the ball and launch the bat with a single conscious action. Everything else just happens...

I think Pujlos' scap launch planted his foot. I don't think Pujlos could have not planted his foot.

 

[Buttermaker]

Let me try again.

His front leg cocks/adducts as he pivots into the rear hip.

His front leg/hip then abducts and once that happens his heel will plant regardless of what happens next.

 

[redhotcoach]

Pujols' scap is resisting against what planted his foot.

 

[Buttermaker]

The scap does not resist - it is a bone. His heel plants due to his weight shifting from the back foot. It shifts because his front leg/hip abducts as part of the natural sequence just like throwing. Even if he checks his swing the heel plants.

Pujols' scap is resisting against what planted his foot.

 

[redhotcoach]

I agree......the muscles of the back resist. Also agree that his heel plants do to weight shift. Do not see how a front leg that has not been planted can pull the weight off the rear side tho.

 

[jryan15]

Let me try again.

His front leg cocks/adducts as he pivots into the rear hip.

His front leg/hip then abducts and once that happens his heel will plant regardless of what happens next.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I see on abduction, it is what moves the foot out to stride. Are you discussing it in this context? If yes, can he not stride into toe touch and stay there?

 

[jryan15]

Pujols' scap is resisting against what planted his foot.

I agree, scap resists. I agree that is demonstrated in the clip, but does that exclude it from being the trigger? Can you not launch the scap backwards to launch? Like you would pull the slingshot pocket backwards until it slipped from you hand...

Stepping back and commenting on launch, if the scap wasn't the trigger, what was? Hands?

 

[redhotcoach]

I agree, scap resists. I agree that is demonstrated in the clip, but does that exclude it from being the trigger? Can you not launch the scap backwards to launch? Like you would pull the slingshot pocket backwards until it slipped from you hand...

Stepping back and commenting on launch, if the scap wasn't the trigger, what was? Hands?

For me, the back can not be the trigger, because the back is the adjuster. Fooled on off speed and the back can continue to load/coil against the rear leg. For me, the hands have to be the trigger.