Posted by: george stanley (saint_george13@yahoo.com) on Sat Dec 1 06:07:47 2007

> > The key is balance, or keeping the head in the center of the body throughout the swing and rotating around a stationary axis. Even hitters that make contact with their back foot slightly off the ground have resisted their weight moving forward by keeping their front leg solid and not collapsing the front knee. I am not so concerned with what the back foot does during the swing, so long as the back leg rotates and the front leg remains solid (some front foot rotation is fine, just no bending of the front knee). I am mostly concerned with keeping the head centered and rotating around a stationary axis when I teach.
>
> Hi Fellows:
>
> The most effecient way to cause rotation around a stationary axis is to rotate the front foot open 45+ degrees into heel plant. At that point in time, the front leg will straighten, causing the bent back leg to rotate around at the same time. At contact, the front leg will be straight, and the back leg will form an "L," as pointed out in Jack's research. The hips should be open 90+ degrees, as Mike Schmidt points out in his "Mike Schmidt Study."
>
> BHL
hello, bhl!
i am prety much in agreement with your theory. however...
the timing of the events you describe are not specific enough... that is, you do not specify whether your front foot is opening up before (while the foot is in the air) or after the foot strikes the ground..
i believe it is of paramount importance to open let your back side torque open up your front side... to do so can only occur AFTER you have begun to torque your back side; thus your front foot should strike the ground in a closed position..
to open up your front foot & thus your front side before the foot strikes the ground will result in a loss in torque power generated
by the front side as compared to the action wherein you wait until AFTER the front foot is on the fround...
how do you feel about that? the reason i write is i have tried to tell other guys on this site who say to land with your foot open about 45 degrees...so that you can open up your hips.. i have rebutted that this is a premature action which will cause you to lose torque by diminishing the power your left side is generating.
your thoughts?
range or distance