Chapter3 ~Examples and notes~ (1)Examples First of all, see the examples of puncher and swinger type in movie1, and try to feel the difference, remembering the experiments (chapter2) for each type. movie1
(2)This is NOT a right-or-wrong issue. In terms of mechanics itself, there is no superiority and inferiority between swinger and puncher types. Both of them are equally a perfect entity when they are well done. See figure1. Both ends are correct and the center is poor. There actually are many hitters who are positioned around the center of the figure1, but most great hitters can easily be found out which type they fall into. Figure1
(3)New and Old However, there is an obvious trend that puncher type has been occupying overwhelming majority in current MLB ーonly a few swinger-type hitters are now playing in that league, such as Josh Hamilton, Joe Mauer, Hunter Pence, and so on. On the contrary, most great old-time hitters fall into the swinger type. This drastic change, in a sense, can be called a "hitting revolution". Figure2: chronological table of the revolution So why did the hitting revolution take place? I think that's because puncher type's compact-and-quick nature was more suitable for today's baseball, though it doesn't mean puncher's mechanical superiority, but just means puncher's adaptability. There were probably no theories that caused the revolution. Many hitters and instructors' struggles changed the words of hitting tips, which led to the revolution. For example, Charlie Lau's ten absolutes didn't include the word "staying back". (4)Acquired Difference Basically, this isn't an innate difference. Hitters choose their own mechanics, unconsciously in most cases, through their early days experiences. Which type a hitter chooses is generally decided by star players who had influences on him, coaches who taught him, and peers in his team. In fact, it needs not much time to change one's own type ー1 month is enough to master another type of mechanics and use it in actual games.
Chapter4 ~Front Arm or Rear Arm~ Remember the experiments for both types. It should be clear that the puncher-type mechanics mainly uses the rear arm. Then, how about the swinger-type mechanics? See figure1, In this experiment, you will be aware that the front arm is easier to accelerate. Yes, swinger type uses the front arm as its dominant arm.
figure1 So, the following can be said.
Next, what muscles are used in their acceleration systems? I'm writing on it below. (1) Swinger type See figure2. Back muscles of the front-arm side cause "front-arm pull", and figure3 is examples of it. figure2
figure3: swinger-type swings
(2) Puncher type In the case of puncher type, muscles in a diagonal line on the front trunk work as a main engine of the "rear-arm push" ーsee figure4. figure4: diagonal line muscles
Figure5 is examples of puncher-type swings by diagonal-line muscle contraction. Figure5: Puncher-type swings
FAQ about the classification (1) Do you mean using one arm dominantly? No, in two senses. First, arm action should be unconscious and automatic in both mechanics. Experiments in chapter1 should teach you it, I mean, puncher type requires just an explosive power production, and swinger type requires to swing your arms passively by using the body rotation and weight transfer. Intending to use either one arm dominantly is definitely wrong in both types. Second, "puncher=rear arm, swinger=front arm" is just about within the zone between "launch position" and "contact point". Both mechanics use another arm in their follow-through, and I will write on it later in this series of posts. Anyway, both arms are equally important in both types of mechanics. (2) There are many sluggers who seem to fall into the middle area of your classification. How about that? This classification method is just one of many important aspects of hitting skills, so as you said, there certainly can be such sluggers. But in most cases, they cannot do well in the long term, or their stats lacks in its balance as a rule. Examples of the "hard-to-classify hitters" are Chris Davis and Hunter Pence, for instance.
I now think Chris Davis is a puncher and Hunter Pence is a swinger, but it's not so important which type they fall into. In my theory, to classify hitters into either one type isn't so important, and what I want to say most is, "there are two ideal swing models in hitting mechanic." (3) Doesn't puncher type mean an upper-body dominated mechanics? Definitely no. In the experiment in chapter1(figure6), you should be able to feel that the lower half moved automatically when you tried to throw the punch. figure6 This is very important point in puncher-type mechanics. That is to say, there is a system in which the lower half generates power automatically when you try to accelerate the upper half suddenly and strongly like an explosion. This is what I want to say most in my theory. (4) Many of today's sluggers release their top hand in their follow-through like figure7. Doesn't that mean the front-arm dominated swing, namely, swinger type?
figure7 No it doesn't, because it's only about their follow-through. Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols are puncher-type hitters, so they use mainly their rear arm till they get to the point of contact, and so do most of today's sluggers who release their top hand. Since they use their rear arm dominantly before contacting, their front arm works strongly in the follow-through. That's also one of the characteristics of the puncher-type mechanics. Large one-hand-follow-through like them have been seen so commonly since the early 1990s ーit's a proof of the "hitting revolution" existing.
Chapter5 ~The Mechanics of Puncher Type ~ The existing consensus on hitting mechanics is based on the swinger type's mechanics, and there seems almost no study mentioning the puncher type's mechanics. So I want to write on the latter first. As I wrote in the FAQ in chapter4, one of the most frequently asked questions is, "Does't puncher-type mechanics mean an upper-half dominated mechanics?" So I first of all must answer this question. (1) Dodgeball Experiment See figure1. I ordered him to throw the dodgeball at the maximum power directly from the frame1. As a result, the stride and separation occurred automatically as his lower half generated the power unconsciously and automatically just before the upper half did. figure1 (2) APA (Anticipatory Postural Adjustment) The phenomenon of the lower half generating power unconsciously in above experiment can be explained by a scientifically defined term, APA. Here is the results of searching it in Google. Then, see figure2. figure2 Figure2 is an experiment for APA. When the subject tries to raise the arm quickly and suddenly, the lower half and core muscles generate power just before the arm's muscles do. More specifically, the hamstrings and erector spinae muscles contract just before the deltoid muscles do. (3) Another Experiment for APA Then, I introduce another experiment for APA to understand it in a more hitting-like condition. See movie1 and figure3. figure3
In this experiment, I threw a punch with my both arms right in front of me from the static position as quickly as I could. As a result, my lower half generated power by the system of APA just before my hands started to move forward, which led my whole body to move forward slightly, leaving both elbows behind the body trunk ーseparation took place automatically (frame2 in figure3). Thanks to this system, you can throw a punch strongly without any preparative motion. Through this experiment, you should be able to infer how APA works in hitting mechanics. (4) The Application of APA to Hitting Mechanics Finally, let me explain how APA works in puncher-type's hitting mechanics. See movie2 and figure4. figure4 (Yellow line is for watching the weight transfer)
In this experiment, I gave a command to the subject like this; "Try to swing directly from the position at which your weight is on the rear leg (frame2), and don't make a separation intentionally because it occurs automatically." As a result, separation occurred automatically (frame3) in the weight transfer due to APA, which allowed the subject to use whole-body power effectively. Through this experiment, you will be able to understand that weight transfer, stride, and separation occur automatically when you try to swing directly from the frame2 in figure4.
To sum it up, you can duplicate A-Rod's swing when you try to swing directly from the white frame in figure5. Although many instructors will teach you to make a separation before you swing, it actually means they teach you only swinger-type mechanics that, to put it bluntly, is now obsolete. Figure5
Chapter6~Automatic Stride (This is NOT a no stride.)~ In chapter6, I want to write on the most basic style of the puncher-type mechanics, and I call it "automatic stride". In the experiment in chapter5 (figure1), I ordered the subject to swing directly from the loading position (frame2). figure1 Meanwhile, in the case of figure2 (movie1), the hitter tried to swing directly from the batting stance (frame1), and as a result, his front leg upped and then got down automatically.
figure2
movie1
I call this way of hitting "automatic stride", and it is definitely different from no-stride mechanics. Although it is easy to misunderstand because of being quick and short, there certainly is front foot's up and down in the automatic-stride mechanics. No-stride one is simply wrong technique, I think. See movie2, the examples of automatic-stride mechanics. movie2: automatic-stride hitters
Movie3 is the examples of hitters practicing the automatic stride based on my instruction. They are practicing it with the knowledge of how the mechanics works, and on that point, they are different from MLB's "wild" automatic-stride hitters in movie2. Since the "wild" ones do the automatic stride without theoretical understanding, they don't always do it ーsometimes they do no stride or leg kick. movie3: automatic striders based on my instruction
As for system of the automatic stride, it is caused by the weight transfer due to APA. See chapter5 (figure3) again, when you tried to accelerate the bat, your lower half generated power automatically and it caused the weight transfer. figure3 (from chapter5) So, if you try to start the swing directly from the batting stance, your front leg will make a stride automatically as a result of the weight transfer due to APA. This is the system of the automatic stride. Figure4 is explaining that system. figure4: system of automatic stride
Chapter7 ~Definition of "start up"~ In puncher-type mechanics, when you try to accelerate the bat quickly and suddenly from a stable position, your lower half generates power automatically just before the upper half does (see figure1), and this system can be explained by an academic term of APA.
figure1
That lower half's power results in kicking the ground and it causes the weight transfer that triggers all of the following movements as a chain reaction. In other words, when you decide to accelerate the bat, all of the hitting mechanics starts. Therefore, in puncher-type mechanics, the point at which you make the decision of acceleration means the point of "start up". This definition is very important and the monochrome frames in figure2 are the start-up positions of A-Rod and Joey Votto. figure2: start-up position As I express in figure3, my definition of start-up position should be in earlier timing than that many instructors and players are probably thinking of ーthat's the point I want to say most, namely, separation is formed automatically after starting up. figure3 By the way, there is another important phenomenon besides APA in the start-up position ーPMSP (pre motion silent period). See figure4. When you try to generate explosive power suddenly from a static position, the relevant muscles fall into sleep for only a moment just before they contract. That's the PMSP, and the most important thing about it is, PMSP is completely different from intentional relaxation ーit rather is a kind of unconscious physical reflexion that is inherently equipped with our body. figure4: PMSP in arm wrestling
Figure5 is an experiment for PMSP and the electromyogram that shows PMSP just before steeply fluctuating waveform representing intense muscle contraction. What is interesting is that PMSP appears almost at the same time as APA does in a quick and sudden physical activity like the experiment of figure5. figure5
Next, let us put above knowledge into puncher-type mechanics ーfigure6 is it. In short, PMSP and APA appear at the start-up position. figure6: start-up position (A-Rod)
Thanks to the PMSP appearing at the start-up position, upper-half muscles can be fully stretched in the separation caused by APA. This cooperative work of PMSP and APA is very important to generate the maximum power in puncher-type mechanics because it brings about separation. See figure7. figure7: cooperative work of PMSP and APA in separation
So, what should be done for using PMSP effectively? The most important point that you should know is that PMSP is completely different from intentional relaxation as I wrote above. Of course, relaxing in the batting stance is very important and some instructors explain it, citing tennis players relaxing when they wait the ball like figure8 ーbut that relaxation isn't PMSP. figure8: This is an intentional relaxation but NOT the PMSP.
In conclusion, there are following two important things to make best use of PMSP that doesn't always appear as a 100% perfect silent. (1) Trying to generate your maximum power (2) Keeping relaxation till the start-up position Both of above have been proved in scientific experiments. As I mentioned above, PMSP is completely different from intentional relaxation but they are never irrelevant to each other. Keeping relaxation till the moment of starting up is indispensable to induce PMSP as much close to the 100% silent as possible. Anyway, PMSP and APA appear in the start-up position as a result of the decision to accelerate the bat quickly and explosively ーthis is the definition of "start up". See figure9. figure9: definition of start up
What is interesting is that puncher-type mechanics can be classified into three styles depending on when and where the hitter puts the start-up position. See their typical examples depicted in figure10. figure10: Three Styles of Puncher-Type Mechanics.
Leg-lift style means putting the start-up position after lifting the front leg, double-tap style means putting the start-up position after stride the front leg slightly backward, and automatic-stride style means starting up directly from the batting stance. Although there are some confusing or unclear cases, the correct stride styles are limited to above three ーno-stride style cannot be included in them. As for details and practical side of those three styles, I will write on it in the later chapter.
Chapter8 ~Three kinds of stride mechanics~ As I wrote in chapter8, there are three kinds of stride mechanics: automatic stride, double tap, and leg lift. Here, let me put on three movies that contain their typical examples. movie1: automatic-stride style
movie2: double-tap style
movie3: leg-lift style
(1) Automatic-Stride Style The simplest way of hitting among all kinds of hitting mechanics. Once you make the batting stance, there is only one thing you have to do, that is, "boom!" ーstride, weight transfer, and separation occurs automatically. (2) Double-Tap Style The landing point of the first stride is its start-up position, and the following mechanics is the same as that of automatic-stride style. In other words, the second stride is an automatic stride. (3) Leg-Lift Style Regardless of how much height the front leg is lifted, if the hitter lifts the front leg before starting up, it should be classified into leg-lift style. One of the most important thing of this style is to start up before the separation is formed because it occurs automatically as a result of starting up. From here, let me write on their traits in every aspect of hitting skills. (1) Mechanics As I wrote in chapter3 (see figure1), pursuing ether one type is very important from the viewpoint of puncher-swinger classification theory. figure1 In puncher-type mechanics, any slight weight transfer before starting up is unfavorable because it should be done as a result of starting up that is accompanying lower-half's muscle contraction due to APA. Preceding weight transfer is not only an unnecessary thing in puncher-type mechanics, but also can worsen the mechanics, making it closer to swinger-type mechanics. Leg-lift style and double-tap style are easier to induce that unnecessary, preceding weight transfer than automatic-stride style that can eliminate it completely. So automatic-stride style is the best one when seeing it purely from the mechanical viewpoint. (2) Power Basically, there is no power difference between those three styles. However, they have different trait and tendency respectively as I write below. Leg-lift style: It should be the easiest way for most hitters to hit balls far away with this style. However, there is slight lack of stability and repeatability, though I can't deny the possibility that the leg-lift style can generate the largest power between the three styles when all conditions are met and fulfilled. Automatic-stride style: On the contrary to the case of leg-lift style, most hitters might find it hard to generate their maximum power with this style, especially in the initial period of learning it. Still, I believe that the automatic-style is mechanically ideal and therefore, it has the possibility of maximizing your power if you could become a highly-skilled automatic strider. Double-tap style: Cecil fielder and Sammy Sosa had been in this category, so this style also has the potential for maximizing your power. However, there is one point you should know about this style ーsee figure2. Figure2 When a hitter stands on the toe of his front leg, the knee is forced to stick out and it inevitably causes the rear leg's knee to stick out too in conjunction with the front leg's knee. As a result, the hamstrings come to not be able to work strongly. Therefore, in the double-tap style, toe standing can diminish your power. (3) Timing This particularly is a worth considering theme when thinking about stride mechanics, and there is an unexpected fact I must tell you ーsee figure3 that expresses the start-up position and landing point in the three deferent stride mechanics. figure3
As you can see in figure3, automatic-stride and double-tap style must raise the front leg and get it down after the start-up position while leg-lift style only has to get down it, which means leg-lift style can shorten the time from the start up to landing. It further means that leg-lift style can start up in the latest timing among the three styles. Figure4 is expressing the start-up position in the three stride mechanics by monochrome frames. figure4 As you see in figure4, only leg-lift style can start up after the pitch is released, which means it can see balls to judge in more relaxed state than the other two styles. Thanks to this advantage, leg-lift hitters generally have high ability for adjusting to timing lags between fastballs and breaking balls. They can start up after watching whether the ball is a fastball or breaking ball. In contrast, automatic-stride and double-tap hitters ーboth of them use the automatic-strideー have to start up before the pitches are released, and therefore, they are forced to start up in somewhat gambling conditions. Leg-lift style, however, can weaken your power on the contrary of its image because it's not mechanically ideal in the case of puncher type, and if you want to generate a big power with this style, you must do a dynamic leg kick that brings about the lack of stability. Considering above facts, I can get it why Miguel Cabrera has been able to earn that high stats. He doesn't carry balls so far but is skilled in "time managing" to the pitches at the box. figure5: Miguel Cabrera and his start-up position In my opinion, he puts premium on timing and contacting, saving the power slightly with his rich physical strength ーone of the effective tactics to do well in baseball hitting. (4) Easiness The most simplest way is the automatic-stride style. However, it might be difficult for most hitters to do well with that style because swinging without preceding weight shift is not that easy. So, they probably find the leg-lift style to be the easiest way. Based on that logic, the following can be said: changing your mechanics from the automatic-stride style to the leg-lift style is easy but the opposite course isn't easy ーsee figure6. figure6 What I want to say from this point is the importance of the automatic-stride style. Automatic stride is basic, core, and ultimate mechanics in the puncher type, but it's difficult to change from the other two styles to the automatic-stride style. This indicates that you should keep the feeling of automatic stride and doing it on a daily bases whether you adopt it or not for your actual-game use. To sum it up, hitters who adopt double tap or leg lift should do automatic stride as a hitting drill in their daily practices. This may keep your mechanics healthy. (5) Batting stance Suitable batting stance varies between the three stride styles, as I express in figure7. figure7 The points to look at in figure7 are width and height of the stance, and I express it in figure8 for more easy comprehension. figure8 This is because the double-tap and leg-lift style need preceding backward weight shift to use the rear leg as the "power leg" unlike the automatic-stride style that means to stand on both of the feet at the start-up position. So, if you take a wide batting stance in the double-tap or leg-lift style, you are forced to take a backward stride widely, which brings about instability and some unfavorable effects to the following mechanics. 〜Conclusion〜 Being mechanically ideal and being able to earn the best possible result are not always the same matter. More specifically, a way by which you can use your whole body effectively and efficiently to accelerate the bat as fast as possible without injuring is NOT always the same way by which you can get as higher stats as possible in actual baseball games. Baseball rules don't allow an ideal "mechanics" to be an ideal "way" unless some adjustments are added on it. Let me cite two examples of this issue. (1) time and distance condition There are various speeds of pitches in a certain distance like figure9, and a mechanics that can adjust to the widest time range is the leg-lift one that isn't mechanically ideal as I wrote above in this page. figure9 (2) weight of bats Baseball bats are not that light to most hitters in almost all categories. From the anatomical and mechanical view points, the optimal bat angle in the batting stance is like figure10. figure10 However, this bat angle makes you feel the bat heavy by the leverage effect like figure11. As a result, your arms' muscles are likely to get strain and tired in the batting stance, which robs your swing of flexibility. figure11 Therefore, the mechanically ideal batting stance is NOT an practically ideal batting stance to get the best possible results in the games. So, what should we do? Someone can succeed by pursuing to be mechanically ideal while someone can succeed by putting emphasis on game adjusting. This is a reason why there are so many kinds of successful hitting mechanics in the world ーany theory should not be able to decide that a certain mechanics is the most optimal way equally to everyone to get succeeded. However, being mechanically ideal is still very variable to all hitters because it helps them to keep the mechanics healthy, enabling to retain good condition and stats for a long period of time. In conclusion, I want to urge you to do automatic stride at least as a hitting drill after choosing your own style for the game use on your own. This will help you keep your mechanics in good shape even if you use the leg-lift or double-tap style in the games ーsee movie4 as a reference for the hitting drill with automatic stride. movie4
