lead elbow????

[MannyRamirez2006]

I took a video of my swing and I noticed that my lead elbow was really low and I think this caused an extreme uppercut among other bad things (like wavy swing plane). I have been trying to level out my lead forearm so my elbow is higher then before and it seems as though my swing plane is better. What are your thoughts on the lead elbow???? Thanx

[jbooth]

I took a video of my swing and I noticed that my lead elbow was really low and I think this caused an extreme uppercut among other bad things (like wavy swing plane). I have been trying to level out my lead forearm so my elbow is higher then before and it seems as though my swing plane is better. What are your thoughts on the lead elbow???? Thanx

Your elbows work together. When the back one drops the front one raises.

Watch Bonds. He lifts his hands up to his armpit, and as he does this, the back elbow drops, and the front forearm raises. This action flattens the bat from vertical, to the plane he wants to rotate on, and then he rotates. After the front elbow lifts, it goes toward the pitcher (while staying bent) and then goes away from the plate.

http://firstpickclub.com/images/bondsside.gif

He raises his hands while he strides, and he changes elbow positions (both at the same time) as he starts his hip turn. The back elbow is down when his shoulders turn.

[bhss89]

Help me out here, hitting gurus, but isn't it accurate to say that while the back elbow goes through "the slot", the front elbow stays in time with the front hip? Not that a hitter need "lead" with his front elbow, but that certainly can be looked at as a visual cue for a hitting coach, yes?
Maybe my terminology is incorrect, but that is how I have had the connection between the hands/arms and the torso/hips explained to me in the past.

[jbooth]

Help me out here, hitting gurus, but isn't it accurate to say that while the back elbow goes through "the slot", the front elbow stays in time with the front hip? Not that a hitter need "lead" with his front elbow, but that certainly can be looked at as a visual cue for a hitting coach, yes?
Maybe my terminology is incorrect, but that is how I have had the connection between the hands/arms and the torso/hips explained to me in the past.

No. The hips lead the hands, and the hands need to stay back, which means the front elbow trails the hips at first.

You could say it follows the front hip, just as the back elbow moves with the back hip

[LClifton]

Oooops.......

[LClifton]

Help me out here, hitting gurus, but isn't it accurate to say that while the back elbow goes through "the slot", the front elbow stays in time with the front hip?

Given the spot in the swing that you are referring to I would say yes.
(if I'm following you correctly)

The elbow would obviously be behind the hip, spatially, but rotating "in time" with it at the stage of the swing you reference, IMO.

Glaus:
The lead elbow loads back
(lead arm stretch without significant angle change of lead elbow),,
then as you have stated: the elbow begins to slot, and
shoulders (tilt initially, not turn, allowing the hips to lead)
then as the rear elbow continues to move thru the slot is when the lead elbow moves "in time" or syncs up with rotation.
IMO.

Troy Glaus (http://lclifton.hittingillustrated.com/Troy Glaus catcher.avi)

[tom.guerry]

handle torque needs to precede shoulder turn.

the back elbow starts down a little (starts to "slot") then the front elbow starts up/ works up and "juts" which starts torquing the handle BEFORE the shoulders turn. With the "drop and tilt", the lead arm finishes its "JUT" up and the shoulders tilt to resist turning so they can help develop a last quick coil/stretch then connect and get turned quickly/efficiently by a well coiled torso.

Prior to this, the front shoulder needs to be down and the grip and forearms need to be positioned so that when the shoulders get active there is more tilt than turn and their is quick smooth acceleration by forearm "swivel" as the unwinding of the torso works upward to start shoulder turn/rotation and the swing plane finishes being adjusted.

Actively "turning" the shoulders before the handle has been torqued and without shoulder tilt being more pominent than turn will prevent the quick stretch and fire and late plane adjustment needed for a quick swing.

The lead arm jut action is the same thing that Lau Jr and Peavy describe as "pulling the knob with the lead arm, not by turning/pulling with the shoulders".

Without this move, the tendency is to rush/fly open.

The flying open tendency is more pronounced the more upright your posture. When you are bent way over and pull the front arm and bat knob with the shoulder, flying open is lessened, but swing quickness is still suboptimal because torso coil can not be finished with a last quick stretch necessary for quick bathead acceleration.

[MannyRamirez2006]

so now I compared clips of my "old" swing from oh so long ago lol (yesterday) and my "new" swing which I just took this evening. I compared my original stance with that of Manny Ramirez and I noticed my hands were much higher then his and my forearms formed an upside down V. So my hands were too high I lowered them to ear level or a little below and concentrate on that lead arm staying up and my swing plane is MUCH better. The bat doesn't wave through the strike zone like it did before. The question I have is can this help with bat speed??