When is the proper coil?

[Wellphyt]

Ok so you're saying that we are coiling as we stride forward, do we continue to coil once our toe touches? If I am trying to feel the pressure in my rear foot as I coil against my rear hip, I have a much better sensation of tension in the foot if I keep my weight back until toe touch then begin weight shift forward as I continue to coil before thrusting my rear hip. I just feel better tension or force if I continue to coil as I shift weight forward and I drop my front heal. If, on the other hand, I coil completely during the stride I find less weight, less force, less control in that back foot because it seems like I am unable to keep pressure there.

As I said, I believe the uncoil is the forward weight shift. That generally occurs somewhere between toe touch and heel plant. Keep in mind that when hitters stride, they do not shift their weight from one foot to the next and then swing (assuming they are not badly fooled). The weight shift or unwinding of the hips is what weights the front foot. The reason why pro hitters maintain such good balance...in space...as they stride, is because they coil their hips. Hitters that don't have a good coil will either keep too much weight back or they will get too much weight forward.

FYI - I view the term hip cock and hip coil as the same action.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

JeffK ... the 'stride', or movement 'forward', is a 'result'. It is a result of 'coiling' the rear hip into/against/around the rear leg and the creation of opposing rotational pressure at the rear foot. That is, we move forward by 'coiling' ... 'forward by coiling'. I used to refer to this as 'forward by turning', until BM used the term 'forward by coiling' ... to which I said "of course" ... that is exactly what it is.

IMO you really don't want to have a linear forward push ... a purposeful linear-push based forward stride. The "stride", if it is taught, IMO should be taught as a result of 'coiling'.

The transition from 'coil' to 'uncoil' is important. You don't want to blow by that important transition point by using a forward linear stride. Instead, have the entire stride fueled by the coil ... 'forward by coiling'. I recommend not teaching a stride ... but teaching 'the move' and accepting the 'stride' that comes along as a 'result' of it.

The rear leg is in charge of the lower body running start. It is the muscles in the rear upper leg that will initiate the initial cocking of the rear hip ... not a move back towards the catcher, but a move back behind your rear butt cheek ... as in loading your rear hip flexor. As you continue to coil you should feel a continued increase in pressure about the rear foot ... a 'rotational' pressure ... that for a right handed batter would have the a pressure directed at turning the rear foot clockwise (but not actually turning the rear foot, just a pressure build-up between the rear foot and the ground). Because the rear foot is anchored to the ground with cleats, the body will move forward rather than have the rear foot turn clockwise (RH batter). That is, as the coil pressure increases, the pressure of the rear foot turning clockwise (RH batter) increases.

Simply try this sequence.
- initiate a coil in the rear hip using the muscles in the rear upper leg ... feel the "gathering of energy" in the rear foot (which should have a pressure building up and directed clockwise for a RH batter) ... and then 'uncoil' the 'rear leg' by continuing to exert clockwise (RH batter) pressure with the rear foot, and finally 'thrust' the rear hip off of this springboard like platform that you have established.

Coil & Uncoil.

Coil & Uncoil.

Coil the rear hip, feel the "gathering of energy" with the 'rear foot', Uncoil the 'rear leg' with clockwise pressure of the rear foot (RH hitter) against the ground, and 'thrust' with the 'rear hip'.

Do this ... and let the stride you get be a 'result'. Don't purposely stride or impact the 'coil' and 'uncoil' process.

p.s.
If it helps any, think of taking your rear butt check to the pull-side defensive middle-infielder during your coil ... that is, if you are right handed, direct your rear butt check towards the SS during the coil ... that may help you gain the 'feel' of 'forward by coiling'.

p.p.s.
Another popular queue to induce 'forward by coiling' is to direct the hitter to 'show the pitcher the front pocket' while coiling the rear hip against/into/around the rear leg.

 

[Jeff Kneiert]

FFS- Thank you for all your help. I guess the question I have is related more to the hip movement seen in these 2 videos. Is this something we should teach? In the Williams video, is she continuing to coil after her stride or is she just holding the coil or neither? Do we teach this hip movement, weight shift?

[/QUOTE]

 

[RayR]

Jeff - it is hard to tell since these are both clips not showing any initial coil of the hips. But, in both they are showing the hips and rear upper leg connected. That's all it really is. This creates the shift that you see. You could look at it as the rear upper leg and front hip are connected. They both move laterally into front heel plant and then rotation starts when the back heel releases.

In my case I get into rotation quicker because I am already at heel plant on this pure unload practice swing.

The rear femur is not internally rotating. It is locked into the rear hip joint.

 

[Jeff Kneiert]

MTs
I see what you mean. What i had thought of as the front hip shifting forward was actually the back hip thrusting. This could be an AHA moment.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

MTs
I see what you mean. What i had thought of as the front hip shifting forward was actually the back hip thrusting. This could be an AHA moment.

Take note of the crease in pant uniform at the top of the rear leg and how it disappears into the thrust.

In the first frame the 'rear foot' has already pushed the rear leg … sort as if the rear foot has forced the ‘uncoiling’ of the ‘rear leg’. One could potentially describe that as further tightening the ‘rear femur’ to ‘rear hip’ coil. But from the first frame onwards we see the ‘uncoil’ or ‘thrust’ of the ‘rear hip’.

 

[Jeff Kneiert]

For me, given a well-timed pitch, the reversal of the rear hip from ‘coil’ to ‘uncoil’ feels like it is taking place into toe-touch.

For me, the “fire” is into heel plant. The “fire” is what causes my front heel to become planted or at least weighted.

So are you beginning to uncoil a fraction of a second before your toe hits the ground or a fraction of a second after?

 

[Jeff Kneiert]

Take note of the crease in pant uniform at the top of the rear leg and how it disappears into the thrust.

In the first frame the 'rear foot' has already pushed the rear leg … sort as if the rear foot has forced the ‘uncoiling’ of the ‘rear leg’. One could potentially describe that as further tightening the ‘rear femur’ to ‘rear hip’ coil. But from the first frame onwards we see the ‘uncoil’ or ‘thrust’ of the ‘rear hip’.

If you back the video up 3-4 frames it appears as though she is shifting her front hip forward and thereby shifting her weight. Is that just earlier uncoiling?

 

[RayR]

In the first frame the 'rear foot' has already pushed the rear leg … sort as if the rear foot has forced the ‘uncoiling’ of the ‘rear leg’.

Does the rear leg really uncoil? Is the rear leg ever really coiled?

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Does the rear leg really uncoil? Is the rear leg ever really coiled?

MTS ... I'll take a shot at this.

First, I believe you meant 'rear hip' ... but just in case I'll try to answer the question from the perspective of both the 'rear leg' and the 'rear hip'.

IMO the 'rear leg' both 'coils' and 'uncoils'. It can be felt as a 'twist' and 'untwist' of the 'rear leg'.

For a RH hitter the rear hip is turned clockwise into/against a resistive rear upper leg. I consider that to be 'coiling' of the 'rear hip'.

So far I've answered 3 of the 4 cases ... yes the 'rear leg' 'coils', yes the 'rear leg' 'uncoils' and yes the 'rear hip' 'coils'.

The 'uncoiling' of the 'rear hip' can be a bit tricky. Often people loosely refer to the reversal of hip rotation (from clockwise to counterclockwise for a RH hitter) as 'uncoil' of the rear hip. But technically, is that really 'uncoil' of the 'rear hip'? Perhaps not.

So let me talk my way through the 'uncoil' sequence.

As the 'rear leg' 'uncoils' from the ground up, the 'rear hip' turns counter-clockwise (for a RH hitter). I believe your point is that initially the 'uncoiling' of the 'rear leg' from a ground up perspective results in further tightening between the 'rear hip' and 'rear femur' ... and thus the 'rear hip' can't be technically considered to be 'uncoiling' at this point. That is, even though the rear hip has reversed from moving clockwise to counter-clockwise (RH hitter) the 'coiling' in the 'rear hip' could be said to have actually increased or tightened. From here we 'thrust', which occurs at approximately 'Go!', and that 'thrust' IMO is the 'uncoil' of the rear hip.

So yes, I believe there is an 'uncoil' of the 'rear hip', but that it occurs after we've initiated the 'uncoiling' of the 'rear leg' and that is occurs as a 'thrust'.