Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Dec 1 02:30:48 2002

>>> Happy Thanksgiving and Thanks to Jack for the service he provides.The moderated forum is working well.I would recommend perhaps a published scheduling of when updates/posts are added to reduce the redunduncy/"crossing in the mail" of replies.Hope to see the new video soon. <<<

Hi Tom

When I am in the office, I try to update the board every hour or so. I agree it presents a problem when I’m away for an extended time. --- The video (and DVD) is in final editing. I hope to review it Monday (12/02). If everything is a go, it should appear on the Product Page early in the week. But then .....

>>> MY question is when is there maximum separation for a given hitter ?

This is a separate issue from how much separation is good and whether or not degree of separation can/should be increased,and if so whther it should be done early as opposed to later in life,etc. <<<

After the initial separation that occurs during "coiling" (I use the “inward-turn” term), it appears to me that that there is an additional separation of a few degrees just after heel drop due to the load factor of accelerating the bat. From that point on, shoulder rotation exceeds hip rotation. --- Therefore, I would say maximum separation occurs just after initiation.

>>> My interpretation of Epstein is that the maximum separation is at heel drop.There is some separation before this(I prefer to think of this separation as "coiling" since "counter-rotation" sounds either like the whole body turning back together or like the upper body is taking too much of a "backswing") which maximizes as the top of the torso starts rotating slightly(few milliseconds?) after front heel drop.In finer detail,perhaps there is more separation for outside pitch and less for inside,or perhaps the uncoiling could even start slightly <<<

Although I have noted a few hitters open their hip more during the stride, I think that 20 to 25 degrees of separation (coiling) is sufficient to hide the hands and properly load (or stretch) the muscles for good shoulder rotation. Therefore I can find no justification for a batter to strive for greater separation during the swing.

Tom, I seriously doubt that a correlation between maximum separation and performance can be found. Yes, as I said, there are some great hitters who start opening their hips during the stride. But there are just as many great hitters whose hips are more closed at foot plant.

Jack Mankin