This is from Hank Aaron's book,
The reason you pivot your hips, shoulders, arms and hands backwards as you prepare to swing is based on the same principle as that of a coiled spring. Wind it up correctly and it can be released with lightning power,
The pitch is on it's way. You've made your stride and coiled your power rearward. It looks as if the pitch is in your strike zone and you've decided to swing at it. You uncoil your power. You hips begin opening toward the pitcher, as you push off your rear foot, your shoulders open and your arms and hands spring forward. drawn by your hips. Your bat, flattening out a level arc toward the pitch, follows your hands. with the speed increasing as you get closer to the hitting area. Your weight shifts to your front foot, and you whip the bat into the ball.
How much power you bring to the swing will depend in great measure on how well and quickly your hips and arms rotate. Maximum power depends on their quick action, so they've got to swing free. On inside pitches, it's advisable to bring them around particularly quickly.
The quicker you are with the bat, the longer you can wait on a pitch and the less likely you are to be fooled. Bat speed is especially important when you're swinging at a slowball. Some people recommend swinging at the last possible instant. I've done it a lot of times. Ted Williams was a master at it.
The reason you pivot your hips, shoulders, arms and hands backwards as you prepare to swing is based on the same principle as that of a coiled spring. Wind it up correctly and it can be released with lightning power,
The pitch is on it's way. You've made your stride and coiled your power rearward. It looks as if the pitch is in your strike zone and you've decided to swing at it. You uncoil your power. You hips begin opening toward the pitcher, as you push off your rear foot, your shoulders open and your arms and hands spring forward. drawn by your hips. Your bat, flattening out a level arc toward the pitch, follows your hands. with the speed increasing as you get closer to the hitting area. Your weight shifts to your front foot, and you whip the bat into the ball.
How much power you bring to the swing will depend in great measure on how well and quickly your hips and arms rotate. Maximum power depends on their quick action, so they've got to swing free. On inside pitches, it's advisable to bring them around particularly quickly.
The quicker you are with the bat, the longer you can wait on a pitch and the less likely you are to be fooled. Bat speed is especially important when you're swinging at a slowball. Some people recommend swinging at the last possible instant. I've done it a lot of times. Ted Williams was a master at it.