Stride length.

[FiveFrameSwing]

Is there an optimal stride distance?

What would be the disadvantage of too long a stride?

What would be the disadvantage of too narrow a stride?

[Lady_Knights]

I'm curious as well.

[BoardMember]

What would be the disadvantage of too long a stride?

Instability on the Sagittal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BodyPlanes.jpg) plane of the body. IE falling toward or away from the plate during balistic movement of the swing.

What would be the disadvantage of too narrow a stride?

Instability on the Coronal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BodyPlanes.jpg) plane of the body. IE inefficient stability for momentum transfer back to front for the balistic movement of the swing.

In essence, optimal stride length might be considered to be a position where the most efficient balance and stability can be maintained duing the balistic movements of hitting.

Example:
Spread your legs too far and have someone push you from the back. Can you maintain balance against the force.

AND

Keeping your feet to together, have someone push you from the front or back. Can you resist the force of the push enough to maintain balance.

:highfive:

[FiveFrameSwing]

Instability on the Sagittal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BodyPlanes.jpg) plane of the body. IE falling toward or away from the plate during balistic movement of the swing.



Instability on the Coronal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BodyPlanes.jpg) plane of the body. IE inefficient stability for momentum transfer back to front for the balistic movement of the swing.

In essence, optimal stride length might be considered to be a position where the most efficient balance and stability can be maintained duing the balistic movements of hitting.

Example:
Spread your legs too far and have someone push you from the back. Can you maintain balance against the force.

AND

Keeping your feet to together, have someone push you from the front or back. Can you resist the force of the push enough to maintain balance.

:highfive:


Thank you BoardMember.

Three of the kids I'm working with have a very narrow stance and they are definitely off balance in the Coronal Plane.

I've often heard an old wives tail that the distance between the feet at toe-touch should be equal to the length of one's bat. Do you give that any credence?

I do like the idea that the optimal stride length would be the length that results in the most efficient balance and stability during the ballistic movements of hitting.

[Lady_Knights]

Thank you BoardMember.

Three of the kids I'm working with have a very narrow stance and they are definitely off balance in the Coronal Plane.

I've often heard an old wives tail that the distance between the feet at toe-touch should be equal to the length of one's bat. Do you give that any credence?

I do like the idea that the optimal stride length would be the length that results in the most efficient balance and stability during the ballistic movements of hitting.


That is pretty close if not right on, to what my daughters is.

I have been told that when your in your stance, your feet should be the width of your shoulders plus 10 inches. So if your shoulders are 17 inches wide and you add 10 inches, your feet should be 27 inches apart, to achieve a balanced stance.

[virg]

Need to carry the head/eyes smoothly as a pitch flies:
*for uninterrupted clear vision,
*and to maintain the Zero visual reference point of the ball with the hands.
Too long a stride can interfere with that. You could see it well but still not locate it precisely.

To establish good balance when setting up the stance:
from an erect normal posture, sink straight downward (as if to jump straight upward). Sink to preferred stance depth.

Foot width: at least shoulders-wide.
Stride length: see above

[FiveFrameSwing]

Thank you all.

Let me describe one of the kids I'm working with.

The distance between the feet at toe-touch is very narrow.

This kid's stride consists of picking up of the front foot about two feet off the ground and then placing it back in approximately the same spot.

During the front-foot push-back the bat barrel is pulled low (bat slants heavily towards the ground). They will finish with their head over their front foot.

Is it possible that the narrow separation of the feet during the front-foot push-back is what is causing the bat to be pulled low?

[Lady_Knights]

Thank you all.

Let me describe one of the kids I'm working with.

The distance between the feet at toe-touch is very narrow.

This kid's stride consists of picking up of the front foot about two feet off the ground and then placing it back in approximately the same spot.

During the front-foot push-back the bat barrel is pulled low (bat slants heavily towards the ground). They will finish with their head over their front foot.

Is it possible that the narrow separation of the feet during the front-foot push-back is what is causing the bat to be pulled low?

It may not be the scientific answer your looking for, but if the feet are to close together, it would be like trying to swing a bat in a closet...there just isn't enough room in there to get the job accomplished. If they are not comfortable and balanced, then they will look uncomfortable and unbalanced.

[LClifton]

Three of the kids I'm working with have a very narrow stance and they are definitely off balance in the Coronal Plane.
Five,
Do they fall (lose balance) toward the plate?

[FiveFrameSwing]

Five,
Do they fall (lose balance) toward the plate?

No, not normally.

The issue that they wish to correct is the pulling of the bat barrel low in the zone. I'm trying to determine if there is a link to this action and their narrow stride.

[LClifton]

They will finish with their head over their front foot.
I should have read a little closer.

[LClifton]

I must have the planes of reference reversed. Not that it's important.
If the head is out over the front foot that is not in the saggital plane?
If the body falls forward toward the plate it is not the coronal plane?

Nonetheless, this hitter has lost his balance in all three planes.

http://lclifton.hittingillustrated.com/Jenkins.gif

[BoardMember]

I've often heard an old wives tail that the distance between the feet at toe-touch should be equal to the length of one's bat. Do you give that any credence?


No I don't. I'm a huge advocate of "body type" catergorization.

My golf coach describes people 3 ways. The Boar, The Cheetah and The Giraffe. Each using a significantly different approach toward the same goal.

Also, I don't think the size of ones "bat" has anything to do with the size of ones "feet". :dance

For example, I have medium size feet.......:eek:

[BoardMember]

I must have the planes of reference reversed. Not that it's important.
If the head is out over the front foot that is not in the saggital plane?

No....

If the body falls forward toward the plate it is not the coronal plane?

No.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/BodyPlanes.jpg

[LClifton]

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[BoardMember]

At least not anymore then "Members are Already Members".....:hide:

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[Chris O'Leary]

Is there an optimal stride distance?

No.

If you look at what most ML hitters do, their actual stride (factoring out leg kick) is typically in the order of 6 to 9 inches.

[FiveFrameSwing]

No.

If you look at what most ML hitters do, their actual stride (factoring out leg kick) is typically in the order of 6 to 9 inches.

Thanks Chris.

As an FYI, I read in book that the average MLB stride is approximately 15".

What I'm really trying to understand is if there is an ideal distance between the feet when the hitter strides to toe-touch ... let me call that stride-distance for now.

I just returned from hitting and based on some experiments I'm leading to believing that there are issues that can be associated with too narrow a stride-distance. When my stride-distance was too narrow then the swing became more top-down (think of an overly downward sloping bat barrel) and the balance was too far forward. When I increased the stride-distance the balance issue went away and the bat barrel had much less of a downward slope at contact.

Just one data point mind you.