Sequencing the hip load/coil and scap load!

[bamajeff]

Here's a good slo-mo view of Vlad showing the overlap....

Notice how the hands/elbow are still going up/back as the stripe on his rear leg is turning in. You can see the tightening of the stretch between the rear hip and the hands. Look at the wrinkles in the jersey under the rear armpit. That's where the stretch is.

 

[pstein]

It's part of the move out. People have been saying "hands go back as you stride forward" for years. The reason they're saying that is that you pinch the scap as you move out. There are a few great clips of Braun doing it from the front, where his rear elbow "pokes" out behind him as he moves forward.

I don't know exactly why this happens, but if you coil, pull back with the back, you'll find that the rear knee will start down and in.

 

[OzOl]

Good discussion.
Good description.

 

[Lenski]

Here's a good slo-mo view of Vlad showing the overlap....

Notice how the hands/elbow are still going up/back as the stripe on his rear leg is turning in. You can see the tightening of the stretch between the rear hip and the hands. Look at the wrinkles in the jersey under the rear armpit. That's where the stretch is.

Could you please define "hands/elbow going up/back"? I put my mouse cursor on his hands at the beginning of the clip and I do not see it. I do see his front shoulder going down and in and his hands remaining static with the coil of his torso/shoulders, but I cannot see his hands going up/back independently.

 

[straightleg]

It's part of the move out. People have been saying "hands go back as you stride forward" for years. The reason they're saying that is that you pinch the scap as you move out. There are a few great clips of Braun doing it from the front, where his rear elbow "pokes" out behind him as he moves forward.

I don't know exactly why this happens, but if you coil, pull back with the back, you'll find that the rear knee will start down and in.

Good description Pstein.
I have been trying to teach this move for years, using different cues, different drills. It takes work on the hitters part away from a lesson to get the hips going before the upper body.
Just practicing loading and stepping out, with out hitting, is one thing I ask them to do in front of a mirror.

If they can master the lower half without thinking about it much, they hit it hard.


Straightleg

 

[bamajeff]

Could you please define "hands/elbow going up/back"? I put my mouse cursor on his hands at the beginning of the clip and I do not see it. I do see his front shoulder going down and in and his hands remaining static with the coil of his torso/shoulders, but I cannot see his hands going up/back independently.

Yes, the shoulder is moving down and in because everything is connected. In this clip, the ball is down in the zone Vlad is tilting over the plate to get to it, so his hands are moving up and back relative to his head/body. If you drew a line the at the top of his hands parallel with the ground at the first frame of the clip, it would intersect with his deltoid. If you drew the same line just before the unload begins, the line would be slightly above his shoulder. Notice how his elbow begins to poke out more and you can see his scap load through his jersey.

 

[bamajeff]

Here's another good clip showing overlap. I don't necessarily agree 100% with the commentator's description, but it's good to watch and 'feel' what's going on under the hood.