Coach C ..This has been a recent area of interest for me . I incorrectly thought that the front leg stiffening was more involved in early launch. I was wrong. Epstein shows (in the torque drill) players going to finish and still over a bent front knee on some swings. This is not correct or realistic either based on video analysis of good players.
THere is more going on here and I wish we could all relook this area. THink about it....if the hips are still closed and you fire your front leg back would they exert a rotational force or a backward linear force that just pushed the batter backwards? The hips have to rotate open for a short distance to create the open angle so that the stiffening (entending) front leg is accelerating and further opening and rotating the hips "in a barrel".
Brings me back to Bonds. THe bent rear knee and the inward back toe at times allows his rear hip to rotate inward quickly at early launch. He probably uses forces that come from the lower torso and abds, the early downward move of his shoulders( rear elbow)and the dropping to parallel of his rear leg to begin the opening of the hips the first few degrees to set up for the stiffening front leg to apply hip power nearing and through ball contact.
"Squish the bug" fails miserably to explain anything and with some players dragging the rear toe or lifting through contact it gives argument that rear side mechancics mean nothing. Rear side mechanic might mean nothing at contact but they do account for things at early launch as evidenced by what happens in a negative sense if one pushes with the rear leg. I would not classify guys doing either( lifting or dragging) as having the fastest swings. When you put into your search criteria two words ...quickness and power then Bonds mentally comes up every time. I say his early launch mechancis and his tight rotation are the reason. I also say there is more to study about his rear side mechancis in early launch that facilitate this. While I agree the late power of the swing is not rear side driven, the early launch depends on the rear side to work in concert with torso muscles to initiate the very first move to the ball. The high loaded rear elbow and the rear knee coming down do exert a rear side rotation that create momentum that is continued and accelerated by the front leg stiffening at contact.
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