Rotational Hitting vs. Linear Hitting
What's The Key Difference?

2/11/2008
Updated 1/10/2010

On the discussion boards I frequent, people often ask what is the key difference between Rotational Hitting and Linear Hitting. In this article I discuss some of the things that people think represents the key difference between the two approaches and give my opinion of those candidates.

The Weight Shift

One oft-proposed candidate for the key difference between Rotational Hitting and Linear Hitting is the weight shift. Some people think that Linear Hitters shift their weight more, or differently, than Rotational Hitters. I find that, while there are some differences in terms of what happens after the front heel drops, I don't think those differences are significant. The fact is that both Rotational hitters and Linear hitters tend to shift their weight forward during their stride and then stop the forward movement of their weight after their front heel drops. As a result, and because it is so ubiquitous, I do not focus on the weight shift as a differentiator between Rotational Hitting and Linear Hitting.

The Primary Source Of Power

A second candidate for the key difference between Rotational Hitting and Linear Hitting is the source of power. This one has some merit, because there are significant differences in what teachers of Rotational Hitting and Linear Hitting focus on when it comes to powering the swing.
     Teachers of Rotational Hitting tend to focus on the body as the primary source of power. The point of Rotational Hitting is to teach the batter to swing the bat with their entire body, and in particular the muscles of the upper legs, hips, and torso.
     In contrast, teachers of Linear Hitting tend to focus on the arms, hands, and wrists as the primary source of power. In fact, in many cases Linear Hitting instructors deliberately try to take the body out of the equation so as to increase the time the head of the bat spends in the Contact Zone.
     Linear Hitting instructors think they can replace the power of the body with the power of the arms, hands, and wrists, but the fact is that it's not an even trade. The relative size of the muscles involved is very different, which means that linear hitters have to sacrifice much of their power. That isn't a huge problem at the lower youth levels, and sometimes beyond if a hitter is particularly fleet of foot, but it still tends to cause linear hitters to top out at  the high school level.[1]

The Hand Path 

In my opinion, the hand path is the key differentiator between Rotational Hitting and Linear Hitting.

Curved Hand Path 

Rotational Hitting is most often taught in the context of the curved hand path that you see in the overhead view above of Pete Rose.

Linear Hand Path 

In contrast, Linear Hitting is most often taught in the context of the linear hand path that is demonstrated in the video clip above. In fact, the linear hand path is the origin of the word "linear" in the phrase "Linear Hitting".
     The problem is that you do not see linear hand paths at the major league level.
     Even relatively linear hitters like Ichiro Suzuki still employ fairly curved hand paths. The fact that you simply do not see linear hand paths at the major league level also implies that they do not scale; while linear hand paths may work at the lower youth levels, they do not work in High School ball or higher because the defenses are simply too good.

The approach 

To a large degree, I think the difference between the linear hitting and rotational hitting is just as much about one's approach as it is about one's mechanics. In other words, the approach drives the mechanics. Linear hitting is about slapping the ball and just putting it in play. One way to do that is with what is basically a modified bunt. In contrast, rotational hitting is about driving the ball and always trying to hit it hard, because the harder the ball is it, the harder it will be to make a play on it.

Rotational/Linear or Connection/Extension?

As I'm writing this essay, I'm starting to clue into why so many people have a problem with the terms "Rotational Hitting" and "Linear Hitting" and the difference between them.
     The reality is that, at the major level at least, every hitter is rotational if you define that based on the hand path (and the hand path is the correct way to distinguish between linear and rotational hitters). You simply do not see any linear hand paths at the major league level. In fact, you don't see very many linear hand paths, in baseball at least, above the grade school level because that approach doesn't scale. As a result, in my opinion the Rotational/Linear distinction really isn't nearly as central as some people think.
     Instead, an equally, if not much more important and relevant, distinction is between the Connection and Extension schools of thought.
     What most major league hitters do is exhibit is Connection at the Point Of Contact. However, many -- and maybe even most -- major league baseball commentators advocate Extension at the Point Of Contact. In some cases this is because they are advocating a linear hand path but in others it is because they are exhibiting a curved hand path.
     As a result, what I do in my instructional work and Rotational Hitting 101 DVD is focus more on the Connection versus Extension debate rather than the in my opinion less relevant Rotational versus Linear debate.[2]

[1] The biggest thing that was holding back my highest-level client, Andres Torres of the San Francisco Giants, was that he was taught a linear hand path. He was taught to throw his hands at the ball, to slap the ball, and to try to beat out the throw. This worked for him all the way up through the AA level, in large part due to his incredible speed, but it stopped working for him at the AAA level. Over the past year I have helped him move to a more rotational swing, using Albert Pujols as his model, and he has seen dramatic improvements in terms of both his average and his power. That is why I teach Rotational Hitting and not Linear Hitting.

[2] In my work with Andres Torres, I found that the biggest and most important revelation for him was the distinction between Connection and Extension. This is relevant to the Linear versus Rotational debate because when he tried to swing using a linear hand path, he would end up disconnecting and robbing himself of power.