Help with hips

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
Muscle memory doesn't exist.....

Does Muscle movement exist?

I believe it does or you wouldn't be typing right now.
The way to speed up/correct any muscle movement is to rehearse the intended movement and the parts that make it up. Thus the drills. Drills are a way to break wholes into parts and to focus on such movements as swinging a bat. I have spoken with many elite hitters over the years and do you know what they do when they are in a funk...DRILLS; specifically T work, as it allows the ball to be stationary and they can conduct drills that focus on body/muscle movements.

I guess it would be easier to show them a clip of Pujols and tell them to go home and come back when they can do what he is doing. Definitely would be a form of your "delayed feedback", in that, hey "Coach....it has been 5 years and I can't do what he is doing"

quote:

Originally posted by baseballpapa:
You don't hit with your lower body...
A hitter has to work timing and rhythm. They are not the same.

Saying you don't hit with your lower body is like saying a pitcher doesn't throw with their lower body.

My approach is that swinging is physical and mechanical, while hitting (timing and rhythm included) is mental. Both aspects need to be present for consistent results. After reviewing video, socalcoach saw his hitter was getting closed off with his lower half and "blocking his hips." On inside pitches, the hips weren't rotating to a point where the hands could work/take over/come forward/get to and through the ball/etc. (On outside pitches, he was fine because the hips got as far as they needed to go.) Mechanically/physically, this needed to change.

I certainly agree that timing and rhythm are not the same, but they are very closely related and the lower half/hips are certainly involved with both. Your hips don't need to be moving at 90 mph (where is this number coming from?) Bat speed ultimately matters at contact and your hips contribute to this speed. I visited the Baseball Research Center (http://m-5.eng.uml.edu/umlbrc/) last month and what they said about bat speed and moment of inertia (MOI) was very enlightening. The end of the bat is moving faster than the barrel, the barrel is moving much faster than the hands, the hands are moving faster than the hips. Oh yeah, and the pitcher is trying to get you out.

This is getting into kinetic energy, which is as relevant as you make it. Nothing to think about when you are in the batters box, but interesting for training/learning: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_energy

May I suggest to the men who post to start
a thread that blog your pet peaves and to begin, place them in the

Men's Forum (women stay out)