Rotational Hitting

[ang4yanks]

I giggle everytime I watch the number of views and posts increase on this thread. It is a great exchange! I have learned a lot from reading it. My dd said, Mom! I could only read one page at a time.

She played the best tournament I have ever seen her play, and I think she has gleaned some great tips from different areas of the forum. Team won the championship.

We need to come up with a book title for this particular thread. Pops and Mark H, I appreciate you...

Keep smiling,

Ang

 

[Mark H]

Hi Mark H,

Top 20 D1 school would be great. We'll see how things develop in the next couple of years. If opportunity knocks we'll open the door. If not we'll be content with whatever God provides. She'll study the ACT/SAT prep courses and take the tests Junior year of H.S. so if scores need to be improved the tests can be taken again Senior year. The Prep school she'll be attending is very highly regarded nationwide.

Pops

Good on all that. Take the SAT and or ACT early and often. And email me some clips when she's a junior.

 

[Pops]

Titles

Hi Ang and Mark H,

Ang, thanks for your kind words. As I've said previously this thread has taken on a life of its' own. The only book title that fits has already been taken and that's "War & Peace".

Mark H, thanks for your interest. I'll send you stuff as she progresses, maybe you can pass it along to someone who can help out. I know that the next few years are critical and we'll find the best situations that are available here in this area.

Thanks,

Pops

 

[Pops]

New Update

Hi All,

Had a game last night dd went 2 for 3 including a bases loaded 3 rbi blast for a double. Overall she's 4 for 7 with 6 rbi's 1 walk and 4 runs in the last two games. She's got a private hitting lesson with the Epstein's later today and one next week. Rotational hitting is showing some impressive results so far.

Pops

 

[Mark H]

As you use the terminology, keep in mind "rotational hitting" has at least close to a half dozen different definitions depending on who's talking. One of these days that will come up in your discussions so be aware. Latest redefinition comes from RightView whose take is, the stride part is linear and the swing part is rotational. Yeah whatever is my thought on all the terminology. Continue to study the clips on Siggy's site and follow up the links as you seek more understanding. Would love to see some clips of your DD's success. Glad to hear of it.

 

[Teacher]

Pops, If you really want to see some great swing motion analysis look up Preston Peavy, he has some awsome free downloads of A-Rod and Vinny Castilla. They show every movement of the body.

 

[Pops]

Thanks Teacher

Hi Teacher,

Thanks for the heads up. I'll take a look.

Best Regards,

Pops

 

[Amy in AZ.]

What bat is she using?

I am an empty nester and am interested to see, if you guys that are studying hitting are also studying bats?

I have my favorites, that I use for coaching.

DD is 5'7" and had a new bat every season. She didn't ever go with what was popular, though.

I have a dozen bats in the garage.

What's in your DDs bag?

 

[ifubuildit]

How did you let me miss this Mark? LOL

Wow, I just spent an hour catching up. Some pretty strong opinions being tossed out on this thread but your not going to go wrong with Marks advice.

What I can promise you is that I do not instruct my hitters to push with the back leg into foot plant. They more or less fall into foot plant based on forward momentum of the stride. That is linear movement. Can we all agree on at least that point? At or even slightly before toe touch into foot plant the hips begin rotation. This is what Pujols does oh so well.

If you watch Al his front foot will come up on its toe. With this movement he is loading his back hip. You have to watch this in slow motion to even see it. As he takes a small stride and his toe touches he starts unloading the back hip. By the time he gets to full foot plant his back hip is accelerating at a very rapid rate. So quickly that the back foot starts raising before the front foot is fully planted. This movement coils the core of the body. Some refer to it as the Elvis movement. This is what Elvis did on stage when he moved his hips. If that is a natural movement then why are there so many kids who cannot figure it out?

The energy of that core coil is then transfered to the shoulder complex which in turn is rotating following the hips. The shoulder complex is rotating the arms. The arms and hands stay in place. The knob of the bat never leaves the center of the axis of his body. In other words if his body is rotating the arms how could the hands not take a circular hand path to the ball?

IMO its the hand path that is important in the swing. It is also the hand path that truly defines a linear or rotational swing. If your taking your hands to the ball with your arms in a straight line then its linear. If your taking your hands to the ball in a CHP then its rotational. I have been swinging a bat for well over 40 years using both methods. I have also taught both. You will hit with more power, have better coverage of the hitting zone, and be more consistent with your swing plane using rotational hitting. This is based on my experience as a hitter, coach, and instructor.

All swings are made of of linear and rotational movement. The method by which you apply those movements is what is at debate here and on many other threads. I will chime in with Marks favorite line. Look at what the best in the world are doing today.

We all think we know the best way to hit based on experience. I would have sworn 30 years ago that Williams had it right. 20 years ago I thought Lau had it down. 10 years ago I thought I knew it all. 7 years ago I realized I didnt know Jack. So I started with Jack again. Jack Mankin in my case. Then it was on to a view at Epstein with a touch back on Williams. From there I discovered Nyman and Englishbey. Today I am sharing hitting ideas with a well known hitting instructor of an Olympic player of very high caliber. I will not drop names.

Do not close your mind to the ideas of others is what I am trying to convey here. Even if you have a TON of experience and have played at a very high level. You might find yourself left behind on some very innovative ideas and concepts which can help you and your students.

If its one thing I have learned its those who refuse to learn are destined to fail. Why do you think Candrea and Enquist changed their minds?

Elliott.

 

[Pops]

What Size?

Hi Amy in AZ,

My daughter has a 34" - 22oz. Easton that I bought her when she was 10. She used to be impatient with the less than accurate pitching she faced and sometimes she went fishing on the outside corner and beyond. She also has a 32" - 21oz. Rawlings Liquidmetal 2 that she uses for faster pitchers.

She's 12 now and will be 13 in late July. She's grown to 5'5" tall and a solid 160 lbs. I'm thinking about getting her a heavier bat. She likes the 34" length the best, but the heaviest fastpitch bat I can find is 26 oz. = -8 drop . I think she could swing a -3 like the boys do in baseball but I don't think that would be legal.

I've been advised to find the biggest heaviest bat she can swing without losing bat speed. I'd like to see her use it to swing for the fences.

What's the biggest heaviest bat that can be used for fastpitch legally?

Regards,

Pops