Front leg during swing

I am not a hitting expert so you may want to wait for others to respond, but I would say that the front leg is straight at contact because the batter is leaning back.

The leg straightens at contact as a result of rotation (Turning of the hips).

During weight shift momentum, the front leg becomes the post that supports weight transfer/ rotation force...the front leg firming up at contact is a reaction to the force that is created and placed on the front leg as your entire body weight is ideally suspended against your front side at contact. Body weight will then fall to the back side as the hands begin to work around the front leg into finish.

I am not in disagreement with the statements regarding the natural outcome of a rotational swing but would anyone comment on the undeniable fact that a straight front leg at contact in every swing situation regardless of ball location will result in a significant uppercut in the swing for almost every strike thrown between the upper thigh down to the knees. Is that desirable for all hitters or, at least for the vast majority of young hitters out there that are not hitting every pitch with home run power, should some adjustment such as bending the knee during the rotation to and on the front leg be made to compensate for the tendency to uppercut when the front leg stiffens and goes straight?

TW344

My understanding is that you will "post" on your front leg even if your approach to the ball is linear. I also don't fully understand the argument that a swing is either linear or rotational. It appears to me as I watch and listen to the instructer that works with my on that he is primarilly advocating a linear approach, but as the back hip moves forward, you will rotate at the core.

TW34........I would ask you to define and describe upper cut and then do the same for significant upper cut.

I'd then not encourage anyone to bend the front leg to compensate for anything that you mentioned in your thread.

FloridaFan........Rotational is blocking your forward movement and then rotating against the frontleg.
Linear is not blocking your forward momentum and then rotating while the weight is all on the front leg. A LUNGE!

All good hitters have specific movements that are both rotational and linear. You only become a linear hitter if you lung!

If you are rotating on a stiff front leg you can't lunge.

Lunging would imply that your front side has broken down. Your knee would colapse.

I'll agree and I'll also disagree.

You can Lunge both ways. Just because the leg is stiff doesn't mean that the stiff leg has stopped the forward movement. Most elite hitters use a flexed leg to stop the forward movement. They do this for several reasons but one would be to help them be soft to the frontside.

quote:

If you are rotating on a stiff front leg you can't lunge.

MLB hitters don't rotate on a stiff front leg... The leg has flex in it during rotation...the force of that rotation and suspension of weight against the front side will firm the leg at point of contact.

All three of us agree. The front leg will "post", not lock up. Of course there will be some flex, but most of the clips of hitters will show the front leg fairly straight on contact, whether you subscribe to a linear or rotational approach. I understand that linear can also imply that the hitters body is moving toward the ball and have seen some clips of a "broken" front leg (but not that many). I still think that linear and rotational will hit off a braced front side. The stopping of the forward momentum of the body (by the front leg) transfers the momentum of the body into the clubhead. Ideally on contact with a ball.

Nice post NY DAD, I agree somewhat. But I don't see the frontleg being the sole purpose and cause for the hip turn(rotation) I see it as more of a result. Meaning that the rotation starts with the hips and not the firming of the leg. I see the force in the swing coming from the back leg and the back foot as it pushes/ carry's the body forward.

FloridaFan..........I'd say that there is no linear hitter in the big leagues. They all hit against the frontside.

Linear is lunging and not something I would teach to any hitter. All good hitters have rotation and all good hitters also move in some respects laterally. But if your hitting against the frontside then your a rotational hitter if your lunging then your a linear hitter.

So How I see Linear is different than how you see it. Moving forward is a linear movement and something all good hitters do but I would still call that hitter a rotational hitter.

I'd call a hitter with uncontrolled movement a linear hitter and a bad one at that.

quote:

Nice post NY DAD, I agree somewhat. But I don't see the frontleg being the sole purpose and cause for the hip turn(rotation) I see it as more of a result. Meaning that the rotation starts with the hips and not the firming of the leg. I see the force in the swing coming from the back leg and the back foot as it pushes/ carry's the body forward.

Swingbuilder, Thank you...I never mentioned anything about the front leg having any cause of rotation. As stated and you seem to agree it's the "result" of weight being suspended against front side and rotational force. However, I respectfully disagree with your last comment about the force coming from the back leg / back foot. MLB hitters use their middle (hips/pelvis/buttocks) in generating weight shift momentum into rotation...Don't believe they push off their back leg/foot...The back leg/foot pretty much serves as landing gear once weight falls to the back side after contact.

Im sorry NY DAD. I implied that since you said

quote:

the force of that rotation and suspension of weight against the front side will firm the leg at point of contact.

I do believe hitters push/ carry forward. Sure MLB hitters use their middles in generating the momentum but they don't use the middle to create the movement forward.

Rotational hitters stop their hips from sliding forward and initiate hip rotation which allows you to explode with your back hip. Linear hitters allow their hips to continue sliding through as they hit the ball. You will see a loss of power, especially in younger players (HS and LL), not so much in college or pro players because they are already so strong in their upper body.

Regardless of linear or rotational the hitter has to be comfortable with himself in the batters box--hitting can be fairly simple if you don't think too much and let your talent take its natural course

I would agree with that, though most young hitters and players need to be taught "How to let their Talent work Naturally". Its hard for a player to use his natural talent if he doesn't know how to use his engine!

Swingbuilder

The one fault with your process, as I see it, is that you are creating clones because you are teaching them what you want them to do

How about letting them be themselves and let itflow from there---most kids with natural talent know how to make the engine work