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.
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.
