ifubuildit,
Rotational swing: Means that when a batter uses their lower half they only simply squash the bug with their back foot and their weight stays centered and does not transfer. The upper body is supposed to do the same thing with rotational hitting as it is with linear hitting. The hips open up and square to the pitcher which gives problems for a batter who wants to take the outside pitch to the right side. Another disadvantage of this is that the weight does not transfer forward and takes away from their power.
Linear swing: Means that when a batter loads their weight back and when the pitch comes in, they transfer that weight forward through their swing to give themselves more power. The follow through should come high and over their shoulder and the weight should end up forward and at times you find yourself with your shoulders over your front foot because you have transferred all that weight forward. The hips should never fully rotate to where they are squared with the pitcher. That opens the body up and does not allow good contact with outside pitches. Thats where you get the rotational hitting theory. Instead they should push from the inside of the back foot and your hips should push forward almost in a line (a.k.a. linear hitting) towards your pitcher. Obviously this is too hard to explain through words and would be much easier to understand if it were demonstrated. Hopefully this helps identify the differences between the two types of hitting.
Good thread...I would offer this as an opinion, too much has been put into Charlie Lau Sr. as linear because they finished over the front leg verses in my opinion TSW finishing up against the front leg at a slight angle. This is where some instructors see the glass half empty or half full...if you are over the front leg I do not view it as an elite swing and if you are pulling off the outside pitch you are more rotational in that portion of your swing which was linear if you stepped forward.
So if we load and then stepped forward on a flexed front knee in my opinion you were linear prior to anything which would considered rotational.
Now look for the rear elbow to start to lower or begin to slot and did the lead elbow move forward and up or did it just go up or down? If it went forward it was a linear move first and if the shoulders just turned it would be considered more rotational and a huge point of understanding is if it was an outside pitch the hitter may be pulling off the ball verses an inside pitch. Look at how far the knob of the bat was pulled forward in relationship to the elbows and was the knob inside the path of the ball and leading the elbows and again that is a yes or no question and if it is yes we are still being linear in this phase of the swing.
Now as the decision is being made to hit the ball look for the rear shoulder to begin its tilt as the front shoulder should be moving upward as the lead elbow made a good first move and the back elbow is lowering and the knob of the bat is being pulled forward and the back shoulder begins to lower because the front shoulder is going up slightly or to tilt. Try it with out a bat and take your rear elbow and pull it a head with your lead hand and you will see the front shoulder rise and the back shoulder lower...I do not say it drops
...I would never drop a glass of Jack Daniels however I will lower it back to the table!
Again look for the knob of the bat to be ahead of the elbows.
Now look for where the belly button or belt buckle is being directed and this is in my opinion where your semi circular motion move is starting. Again for me it is not totally rotational because you have seen the hips moving forward, the elbows moving forward and the knob of the bat moving forward and now we will begin to turn.
Now based on the balls location you should see the belly button/ hips begin the movement and we will release the wrist and the bat head based on the balls flight path.
Now tell me where the swing was just
linear or just
rotational and then explain where it was
semi circular?
Now try it your self...choke up on a bat about 6 inches and very slowly start your swing and lets make it an outside pitch first. Pay particular attention
to the knob of the bat and where it pivots at during the swing and you will find it is at contact with the ball and just after. Again establishing the pivot point as it was moving until the bat made contact with the ball and in my mind and opinion that was not a pure rotational move until just prior to contact with the ball...so is it
rotational or
semi circular? Where was it
linear and when did it become
semi circular and when did it become completely
rotational?
Now try it with a pitch down the middle and then inside and you will see the pivot point move in relationship to the belly button and the location of the ball.
I am open to interpretation however I am closed minded to
linear or simply
rotational as to what happens during a swing as I see a lot of
semi circular or
elliptical however no true
rotational movement.
Howard
