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.
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.
