What Weight Shifting Forward!!!

A flea or a june bug.....

....won't hit the outside pitch, but I'll bet money 'ol Bugsdad will go yard into the mosquitoes! lol

 

Let's Just Say !!

I've worked with one kid (3) times with negative / positive movement ( transferring weight from back through the core to the front foot) ,and she is crushing the ball, and this kid couldn't even hit the ball a month ago.. HMMMMM must work for a few !!!

Guru

 

"squishing the bug" is the RESULT of proper hip rotation. In and of itself it is meaningless. the bottom half leads the way creating SEPERATION between the lower and upper half. This seperation creates a rubber band effect thru the zone as the upper half moves to catch up with the lower half. Rubber band effect otw known as TORQUE. Torque is what produces power. Keeping the top half closed thru the contact zone should be the goal as it keeps the "stretch" of the core muscles at maximum and result in balls back thru the middle rather than pulled. I know saying this immediately turns off some but watch a slow mo tape of Manny Ramirez if you want to learn mechanics.

Any thought process whereby you hear something along the lines of: FP is different/reactions times/types of pitches etc etc should be discarded.

Failure to do so will result in your DD being put at a disadvantage.





ps: this not directed specifically at u BR.

 

None Taken !!!

None Taken !!!

Guru

 

Rotational vs Linear

More info on the subject from Sparky Parker- Happy Reading! ROBMILL


Sparky Parker

Sparky has been coaching baseball and fastpitch on the Eastside since 1988 and has experienced high levels of success. In 1993, Sparky coached a Kirkland U-18 girls fastpitch team to a World Series Championship and followed up with a fourth place finish in 1999 and a 2nd place finish in 2001. He has continued to produce quality teams and players year after year.

Coach Parker prides himself on "always learning" and is a true student of the game. Coach Parker holds a Masters in Education and thoroughly understands the essence of hitting and the art of teaching.

I have been coaching for 22 years and have attended 100's of seminars on hitting over the years. Out of every clinic and seminar that I have been to, no one has ever once said "would you like to know how Edgar Swings, how about Barry, Arod or Jr". It wasn't until I came across Mike Epstein that I truly learned what hitting really was all about. Life is all about choices and when it comes to hitting there are choices, rotational and linear . You have a choice , look into it , educate yourself and then ...make a choice . It always amazes me when I hear instructors claiming to teach a combination of the two. If an instructor really understands the difference between the two styles they will know that the properties that make-up the rotational swing are polar opposites of a linear swing on every aspect. In fact ,the only similarity that the two styles may share would be the stride to toe-touch, after that , you are either linear or rotational. Here at ParkerTraining we teach rotational hitting 100% and believe in every ounce of the style . We are dedicated to educate anyone that wants to learn what the best hitters in the world already know! You have a choice, look into it and then decide what is right for you!

Sparky is one of only two certified Epstein hitting instructors in the State of Washington and has worked with 100's of players over the years.


Rotational v Linear

Why is there such a fuss when it comes to rotational mechanics versus linear? Well, let me tell you...there is a huge difference, and if a coach, parent or player is telling you that they are really one in the same or there is a combination of linear and rotation or anything else creative, they are simply wrong!

The hitting process is a series of linked body movements regardless of style. However, it is these same series of movements that clearly separate the two, and if you know what is actually happening in the swing you can see it as clear as the day is long.

The following is a comparison between the two styles and differences that set them apart!

Shared Movement

The Stride is the only movement that the two styles share. A soft stride to toe touch; the back to front movement that initiates the swing. After that, the two styles are as distinctly different as a lemon and an apple. You can determine which one is the lemon!



Difference #1

This is where you will see the first of several different movements that define the players hitting mechanics. After the stride and prior to launch, the rotational hitter drops the front heel, locks out the front leg, establish a tilted axis and leads with the hips pulling the upper half around the body; the big pulling the small, torque.

The linear hitter is taught to take the hands in a downward path towards the ball. Whether they are taught to throw the knob, or punch with their fist... whatever, that is irrelevant. What is relevant is the fact that the hands start before the hips, thus negating any type of torque. Granted the hips do rotate, but it is after the hands are released. Once the hands start before the hips, a hitter will never regain that lower body force and diminish a large majority of the lower body, bat speed and power. This is called separation and the body becomes unlinked. The hips are trying to play catch up and it will never happen. Linear hitters are labeled as upper body hitters because they separate from the lower body at the beginning of their swing.




Difference #2

As a rotational hitter drops their front heel, lock out the front leg and fire their hips creating the lower body torque, the tilt and slight dip of the back shoulder allow the front elbow to move cleanly up and around the body. The front elbow has to move up and around the body in order to get the barrel of the bat into the path of the pitch. Tilting, the shoulder dip and moving the front elbow up allows the hitter to lay the bat level to the pitch. The barrel will always be below the hands, always! The bat is in the path longer, they hit the ball square on the nose and the follow through and extension remain on the same plain as the pitch. Short and quick to the ball and long through it. Having a slight bend in the elbow at contact allows the arms to extend through the ball on the same plain as the pitch into the power v and then, finally the wrists roll over, well after contact is made. Power, line drives and shots over the fence are preached...Not, hit it on the ground!

A linear hitter is taught to keep the front elbow down and the shoulders square. Their hands make a path to the ball and the barrel is above the hands. The amount of time that the bat is in the path of the ball is a blink of the eye and then it is out again. Because the hands lead to the ball the front arm gets completely extended, when this happens the top hand has no place to go except over the bottom; the wrist roll into the ball or through it. The rolling of the wrist is happening just prior to contact , at contact or immediately after. Either way, the bat path gets altered to the path that it was originally on. Linear hitters are taught to hit the top half of the ball to create back spin giving the ball its loft. Line drives & grounders is heavily preached.



Up through the ball or down through the ball

Difference #3

Rotational hitters are taught to hit the ball dead center. The swing is level to the ball in a slightly upward direction. So, if the pitch is down then the bat head has to drop to the path of the incoming pitch and match the barrel level to the ball. This principle is applied to every pitch, top of the zone to the bottom. A pitch up on the letters will be a much flatter approach then one that is on the knees and everywhere in between. Rotational hitters are trained to hit he ball square on the nose and take it back through the path in which it came. Level at contact, and slightly up.

A linear hitter is taught to hit down through the incoming pitch and are relying on the back spin to create loft and flight of the ball. This approach produces groundballs galore. Hit the ball in exactly the right spot with perfect timing intersecting the path of the incoming pitch and results are more favorable. Line drives and deeper balls. The pitch on the letters and the pitch on the knees has the same downward approach path to the ball. Getting the ball in the air on low pitches relies 100% on slicing the ball and creating backspin.

Rotational Approach



Linear Approach



Last words!

Over the past several years, hitting styles have been re-defined, or should I say defined, largely due to the work of Mike Epstein and his development of the term and hitting technique, rotational mechanics. Even though the exact same principles were written some 37 years ago by Ted Williams, Mike has coined the term and took it a step further with a teachable system.

I understand that linear coaches truly believe and stand by what they are teaching, I get that. But, what I don't get is why they refuse to accept there may really be a better way of teaching. As long as I can remember, every clinic I have ever attended over the past 20 plus years were all the same. No one ever showed me, told me or explained what the best players in the game were doing! They would avoid it like the plague and would become defensive and attempt to explain it away. Well...that is no longer the case, we do know and we are teaching it!

So, if linear coaches choose to ignore and avoid the fact that professional players are using different mechanics then what they are teaching, that their philosophical approach contradicts the laws of physics, hitting the ball into the ground is a desired result, and having less than optimal power is what they aspire to teach - then what can I say...have at it.

 

Just curious...

What are high school, travel ball and college colleges that frequent this forum teaching their players- linear or rotational?
I'll start it off by saying my dd's travel ball coach is teaching the linear method; with mixed results.

 

Baseball, softball, linear, rotational. . . . .

A combination of rotational and linear movement is needed to tap into the most amount of power an athlete/players body can produce. All of one or all of another is not beneficial. Rotational movement allows the body to unlock so it can travel in a linear/forward direction. If you consult physicists and kinesiologists they will tell you that power does not come from rotational movement. Even in a movement where there is a lot of rotational movement there still is at least the slightest bit of linear. Rotation of the feet/hips is based upon pitch location. Rotation should not just mean turning the back foot either. The hips and back foot have to work together. On an outside pitch there has to be minimal rotation with the feet/hips and more forward/linear motion through the ball. This is to make sure you stay on the ball longer as to increase extension time to drive the ball. Outside pitch has the potential to go the farthest when it is hit to the opposite field. If a lot/to much rotation occurs this will not happen. Pitches that are more down the middle there has to be more equal amounts of rotational and linear movement through the ball. Rotation/unlocking of the body to contact and then linear/forward motion through the extension part of the swing. Inside pitches there has to be more rotation/unlocking of the body to get it to go forward. The back foot turns more/unlocks more to get the body traveling forward in the right direction for the inside pitch. The rotation should be emphasized as back hip around front hip. If you believe in "squash the bug" or staying back throughout the whole swing think about boxing. Boxers don't punch and lean back at the same time. There would a huge lose of power. Here's a test you can do own your own, have someone stand in front of you. Take your arms and shove/push them. On one try lean back/stay back and/or squash the bug and examine results. On the next one push/shove them, but pivot your feet slightly and push forward as you extend your arms and see the results. You should see that is easier to keep your hands in and “drive thru” with the combination of pivot/rotation and push instead of all rotation.

As far as linear and rotational involving the swing; the swing should be semi-circular in the beginning, the middle should be linear (i.e..contact to/through extension), and a semi-circular finish. If a swing is all rotational or circular then either the arms were locked out before contact (i.e. long swing/casting, etc...) or the hands were in (short to it, which is good), but there was no extension between contact and finish. Either one of these will lead the hitter to not being as powerful and/or drive the ball as far as they physically can.

It's not about a baseball or softball swing, it just be about what makes sense. And making sense should apply to the laws of physics, biomechanics, and common sense. Both sports can learn from each other.

Our game is constantly growing, changing and evolving....are you growing, changing, and evolving with it?.?.?.

 

+1 here

 

Instructor

Just because you teach a linear type of swing doesn't mean you teach to hit the top of the ball. Common sense tells you hitting the top half of the ball will lead to more grounders. You can have a combo of linear and rotational and still hit the center of the ball. You have to be careful about dipping the shoulder and dropping the barrel head as the last article speaks of. Have to remember in fastpitch that the ball is not always at a downward angle like in baseball. A lot of the pitches in our game are flat or moving up even if it is slightly. When you start dipping the shoulder and drop the barrel head below the center of the ball you take the chance of popping up. Best way is to center up and drive the arms through/extension. As you extend your arms they naturally go in a upwards motion which will create lift and send the ball not only out, but up too. Crystl Bustos will attest to this as well. The picture of her shows a more traditional rotational swing, but the back hip is still coming around the front hip and she herself teaches rotational and linear/forward motion.

 

nice synopsis

Saw Epstein in person a couple times; has a good video as well. Univ. of Louisiana @ Lafayette takes this approach to the extreme, but they do well with it. Played them many times and they were always fascinating to watch swing...their arms stay in through the power L and zone, but they never seem to "hit through the ball" after contact. They keep elbows in and finish like that...you just have to see it, but it is definitely a ULL thing that is taught. One or two of the kids had good finish when we were playing them, but the rest rotational to a spin finish all the way to the follow through.

If you just look at the results of the better players anywhere whom are consistent, get them on tape and slow it down, many will answer their own questions. I have found a lot of this stuff is way too technical for some of the kids. They look at us like we are speaking Chinese half the time, so we break it down to drills, stopping at contact so they can check things, and "feel." Once they make some progress we redefine and explain the "technical" things to them again so they learn. Coaches have to be able to show things as well. If you cannot perform the drill, go outside in your own yard, get a bat and tee and work on what you are preaching to your kids. Many more players are visual learners these days and I have to give numerous example everyday for them to grasp.

Lastly, don't expect miracles, expect baby steps and more importantly, grow their confidence. Hitting takes time even for the best of the best. 7 out of 10 times they can fail and are considered at the better levels as being a hitting success. This is the hardest game to play which is why our stats are more forgiving than anyone else’s. Kind of like the old League of Their Own Movie said..."If it weren't hard, everyone would do it, the hard is what makes it great." Kids have to work on their own, but do it properly and get reinforcement at practice. If they do not swing pretty much every day when trying to correct and get better, they will not get better.