Rotational Hitting 101

As a kid, I loved the game of baseball, but was never a great player. While some of my problems were admittedly due to a lack of talent -- and not wanting to wear my glasses -- many of my problems were due to poor instruction.
     I was never taught to do what great hitters do.
     Now that I have kids of my own, I have resolved to teach them better than I was taught, and that means teaching them the Major League Swing. As part of that effort, I put together this document to serve as an introduction to, or primer for, rotational hitting.

The Three Approaches to Hitting

I have found that there are four major approaches to teaching the swing...[1]

   - Linear Hitting
   - Extension Hitting
   - The Mattingly/Yankee System
   - Rotational Hitting

In my experience, Linear Hitting and Extension Hitting are what most people are taught -- Extension Hitting is what I was taught -- and Rotational Hitting is what most major league hitters actually do.

Linear Hitting

I explain the differences between Rotational Hitting and Linear Hitting in depth in an essay entitled Rotational Hitting vs. Linear Hitting: What's The Key Difference? However, let me touch upon those differences briefly here.
     While many people disagree about exactly what Linear Hitting is, when I think of Linear Hitting, I think of an approach to hitting that is focused on getting power from the arms, hands, and in particular the wrists. The idea is to swing with the arms, hands, and wrists in order to maximize the time the head of the bat spends in the contact zone.
     Some telltales of the Linear Hitting approach are the use of (problematic) cues like...

• Throw your hands at the ball.
• A straight line is the shortest distance between
  two points.
• Snap your wrists at the Point Of Contact (POC).

The clip below is an example of what proponents of Linear Hitting want their students to do. Notice how the batter pushes his hands to the ball in a linear fashion, and largely independently of his shoulders, and then pops his wrists through the POC.

Hands To The Ball

The general idea behind Linear Hitting is to just make contact with the ball and hope it gets through the infield.
     The problem I have with Linear Hitting is that while Linear Hitting sometimes works at the lower levels of youth baseball and softball, it doesn't scale. In general, Linear Hitting, and just trying to make contact and put the ball in play, only works until maybe 4th or 5th grade or so, at which point infielders can make most routine plays. Yes, it worked to a degree in the big leagues in the 70s and 80s when infields were covered with slick Astroturf surfaces, but it does not work on contemporary grass or dirt infields, which is why no more than one or two major league baseball players (e.g. Ichiro Suzuki) swing in a way that even resembles what Linear Hitting instructors advocate. I do not believe in teaching kids a swing that they will have to abandon at some point as they get older, and that is why I am not a fan of Linear Hitting.
     Finally, let me address a point of much confusion. When I think about Linear Hitting, I think about the hand path and nothing else. The reason is that if you study the swings of good, rotational hitters, then you will usually see a linear, back to front component to their weight shifts. In other words, just because a hitter strides and/or shifts their weight from back to front, it doesn't make them a Linear hitter.

Extension Hitting

The defining cue of the philosophy of Extension Hitting, which is a big favorite of baseball television color commentators, is that you should extend and make the "Power V" at the Point Of Contact. That's what I was taught, and that is the cue that ruined my swing. This school of thought grew out of the words and pictures in Charley Lau Sr.'s book The Art of Hitting .300.[2]

George Brett Demonstrating Extension and
the Power V at the Point Of Contact

Scattered throughout Charley Lau Sr.'s book are a number of pictures, like the one above, of George Brett demonstrating extension and the Power V at the point of contact. While some argue that Charley Lau Sr. didn't actually intend for people to look like this at the POC, the words on page 93 of his his book say otherwise...

At the moment of contact, the bat should be straight out in front of you, your arms should be fully extended, and your head should be down, eye on the ball. This is an Absolute, and all the other Absolutes...work together to make it possible.

This is one reason why so many television color commentators harp on the concept of extension. The problem is that this isn't what most major league hitters, including George Brett, actually look like at POC in their best swings.

The Mattingly/Yankee System

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what the origins of this system are, but I hear it described enough in the context of the Yankees -- and not just in New York -- that I believe that it probably originates with them, and most likely with the ideas of Don Mattingly. For instance, you can find a video of Don Mattingly on YouTube where he discusses this swing, hand path, and position at the POC. If you search the Internet, you will find numerous pictures of hitters in exactly the same position at the POC.[3] Also, you can see this same basic hand path demonstrated on the cover of a new training video by Kevin Long of the Yankees.

Not What a Good Hitter Actually Looks Like at the POC

Cues that characterize this swing include "A to B hand path" and "take your hands directly to the ball," and you see a number of things at the POC in the swings of people have been taught using this system.
     First, you see the arms fully extended (in what some call the Power V position). Second, you see the bat level to the ground. Third, you see what some call a seatbelt handpath with the hands finishing down around the front hip. Fourth, you see a 90 degree angle between barrel and wrists.
     The problem is that this simply isn't what good hitters -- like Alex Rodriguez -- look like at the POC.

What A-Rod Actually Looks Like at the POC

Rotational Hitting

Rotational Hitting is an approach to hitting that was first described by Ted Williams and then popularized by Mike Epstein. Rotational Hitting is generally about learning to power the swing with the entire body -- and in particular the large muscles of the core -- rather than just the arms, wrists, and hands. While teaching a hitter Rotational Hitting will sometimes result in increased power and Home Runs, in general the idea is to just try to hit the ball hard since a hard-hit ball -- even if it is hit on the ground -- is harder to make a play on simply because it's moving faster. Others who advocate similar ideas include Steve Englishbey.

A Phony War?

As a small aside, and as I say elsewhere, I think the whole linear vs. rotational thing is largely overblown and mostly irrelevant. I think the real, and more relevant, debate is between connection vs. extension rather than linear vs. rotational. In my opinion, too many people (e.g. most TV color commentators) advocate too much extension too soon. I believe that extension is the result of doing the right things upstream and then letting extension happen (e.g. not cutting the swing short).

What a Rotational baseball Swing Looks Like

Rotational Hitting describes the swings of most major league baseball hitters, including Albert Pujols.

Albert Pujols' Home Run Swing

In the clip above, notice how Albert Pujols' hips rotate ahead of his hands (and shoulders), how his hands rotate with his back shoulder and form the Power L position at the Point Of Contact, and how his arms only extend into the Power V position after the Point Of Contact.

Exceptions to the Rule

A few major league hitters do not always swing in accordance with the principles of rotational hitting. Ichiro Suzuki tends to try to slap outside pitches into the ground and beat out the throw. Yadier Molina generally looks for an outside pitch that he can poke into right field. Vladimir Guerrero will swing at any pitch, regardless of its location, but his home run swings tend to be fairly rotational. However, the vast majority of major league hitters (e.g. 95+ percent) swing in a way that is consistent with the principles of Rotational Hitting.

A Rotational Fast Pitch Softball Swing

Most high-level fast pitch softball players, and in particular the ones who hit for power, also exhibit swings that are consistent with the principles of rotational hitting.

Megan Bush's Home Run Swing

Notice how Megan Bush's hips rotate ahead of and lead her hands (and shoulders), how her hands rotate with her back shoulder and form the Power L position at the Point Of Contact, and how her arms only extend into the Power V position after the Point Of Contact.

It's The Same Swing!

While there are significant physical differences between Albert Pujols and Megan Bush, there are few, if any, significant differences between their swings. That is because a high-level baseball swing and a high-level fast pitch softball swing are the same swing.

Comparison of the Swings of
Albert Pujols and Megan Bush

The reason why it's the same swing is that while men and women typically have significantly different levels of upper body strength, all able-bodied people, regardless of gender, have roughly proportional levels of core strength. Because Rotational Hitting is designed to let you tap into the large muscles of the core, it is very efficient and as a result tends to be the predominant swing pattern at the highest levels of both baseball and fast pitch softball.

Key Concepts Of Rotational Hitting

In order to understand Rotational Hitting, you have to understand the concepts that serve as its foundation. These concepts include...

   - Posture
   - Tilt
   - Connection
   - Curved Hand Path
   - Rotation
   - Separation
   - Whip

Posture

The idea behind the concept of Posture is that a hitter must attain an athletic stance at the moment their front heel plants because that will enable them to swing with their entire body and not just their arms. In general, an athletic stance means...

   - Feet apart
   - Knees bent
   - Tilting forward at the waist (e.g. butt out slightly)

The photo below of Albert Pujols is a good example of proper Posture.

Albert Pujols at Setup

It is almost impossible to swing with your entire body, and not just your arms, if you are standing overly erect with your feet close together and your knees pretty much locked.

Tilt

Good hitters do not swing level to the ground. Instead, in order to hit pitches in different locations, but still stay connected, a good hitter will vary the tilt of their upper body in order to cover the entire plate.

Carlos Delgado Demonstrating Tilt

In the photo above of Carlos Delgado hitting a home run, the pitch is low and away. As a result, he has to tilt out over the plate in order to reach the pitch. Delgado has also let his back elbow come away from his back hip. However, the fact that his back elbow is still bent 90 degrees is evidence that he is still connected.

Connection

Connection is the process of ensuring that the hitter's hands, rather than moving independently of their shoulders, instead rotate with, and ahead of, the back shoulder through the Point Of Contact. The arms do extend on a good swing, but only after the Point Of Contact. In a well-connected and well-timed swing, at the Point Of Contact a good hitter's back elbow will be bent 90 or so degrees and in the Power L position.

Albert Pujols In The Power L Position

Curved Hand Path

Jack Mankin of Batspeed.com was the first person to observe that if the hands are connected to and rotating with the back shoulder then, when viewed from above, a hitter will exhibit a curved hand path. No, it's not a perfect circle, but it's definitely not a linear hand path.

Pete Rose's Curved Hand Path

As you can see in the photo above of Pete Rose, his hands maintain the same position relative to his back shoulder as his shoulders turn. This helps him stay compact, maximizes the rate at which his shoulders rotate, and keeps his swing from getting too long and becoming afflicted with bat drag.

Rotation

The idea behind the concept of Rotation is that a good swing is powered by the rotation of the body -- and in particular the large muscles of the core -- and not by a linear, pushing movement of the arms, wrists, or hands. While the arms, wrists, and hands are important to the swing, their job is to help funnel, direct, and manage the force that is generated by the body rather than to create much force.

Albert Pujols Demonstrating Rotation

The photo above of Albert Pujols is a great example of what good Rotation looks like. Notice how his hips have stopped moving forward and have rotated 90 degrees, due in part to the stiffening of his front leg and the extension of his front knee. Notice how the rapid rotation of Albert Pujols' torso has pulled him up onto the point of his back foot. Notice how Albert Pujols' back knee is bent 90 degrees at the Point Of Contact, which is an indication of the the rapid Rotation of his hips. Finally, notice how the rapid rotation of Albert Pujols' hips has pulled him up onto the outside of his front foot.

Separation

The thing that powers the rotation of a major league swing is the separation of the hips and shoulders; a high-level hitter's hips rotate (slightly) ahead of their shoulders. As with pitchers, this stretches the muscles of the core and enables them to powerfully pull the shoulders around.

Matt Holliday Demonstrating Separation

The photo above of Matt Holliday hitting a home run is a good example of separation in action. Notice how his hips are rotating ahead of his shoulders. This will help pull his shoulders around and increase his bat speed.

Whip

The concept of Whip states that the flying out of the bat into the strike zone is driven by conservation of momentum, and the sequenced acceleration and deceleration of the parts of the body, rather than by the active torqueing of the hands and/or the wrists.

Problematic Cues And Advice

Now let's look at some common, but problematic, hitting cues in the context of Rotational Hitting.

Squish The Bug

Many instructors teach squishing the bug during the swing, and in particular at the Point Of Contact. They want hitters to put their weight on their back foot and rotate around on their back toe. The problem is that good hitters do not squish the bug at the Point Of Contact.

Albert Pujols Not Squishing The Bug

As the photo above shows, at the Point Of Contact, Albert Pujols' back toe is actually up in the air.

Alex Rodriguez Not Squishing The Bug

You will often see the same thing in the good swings of other major leaguers. For example, above is a photo of Alex Rodriguez hitting a home run. Notice how his back toe is entirely off the ground at the Point Of Contact, rather than squishing the bug.

Albert Pujols - Frame 15

Well after the point of contact, Albert Pujols does assume a position that resembles what some describe as "squishing the bug", with most of his weight on his back foot. However, this is due to his momentum transfer and his Center Of Mass "bouncing" off of his stiff front leg. Albert Pujols clearly does not squish the bug as he rotates through the Point Of Contact.

Swing Level and Don't Drop Your Back Shoulder

The problem with trying to swing level to the ground, and not dropping the back shoulder, is that it renders you unable to tilt and hit balls at the top or bottom of the strike zone.

Michael Cuddyer

That is why it is easy to find pictures of good hitters not swinging level to the ground, and dropping their back shoulders, particularly on balls down in the strike zone.

Be Sure To Condition Your Core!

If you are going to dive into Rotational Hitting, then it's important that you first make sure that your body is ready for the transition. Rotational Hitting focuses on getting the power from the muscles of the core (e.g. the Obliques) rather than the arms. If you are going to keep from straining these muscles, you must first make sure that they are properly conditioned with a good core workout.

Where To Go From Here

My hitting clients have access to my flipbook swing analyses in which I go through clips of the swings of hitters like Albert Pujols frame by frame and explain what they are doing, and why, in each frame. An example of one such flipbook swing analysis is my...

   - Albert Pujols Flipbook Swing Analysis

Also, I have just put together an analysis of a home run swing of Albert Pujols, a page full of photos of Albert Pujols' swing, and a separate page that contains my favorite examples of swings.

Notes

[1] You are starting to see more and more evangelists for a fifth, hybrid approach to hitting pop up on internet hitting discussion boards. This approach, which is often associated with terms like Top Hand Torque (THT), early bat speed, swivel, the hand pivot point, and the second engine, is a seemingly logical attempt to build a hybrid swing that is said to combines the best of both the linear and rotational schools of thought.
     In this hybrid approach, pretty much the same body movements and path are advocated as with Rotational Hitting. The big difference has to do with what the hands do through the point of contact.
     In a rotational swing, the role of the hands, wrists, and forearms is to get the head of the bat where it needs to be at the POC. In a rotational swing, the hands, wrists, and forearms do not directly generate any force; they just funnel and direct the forces that are generated elsewhere in the body, causing the wrists to unhinge and the bat head to whip through the POC.
     In a hybrid swing, the hands, wrists, and forearm are seen as active force producers that, from the beginning of the swing through the POC, boost the forces created by the rest of the body. Proponents of this hybrid approach believe that you can increase the power with which the bat head will whip through the strike zone by actively firing the wrists from the start of the swing through the point of contact.
     While this hybrid approach sounds good in theory, if you look at it closely, and study the research, you will find two obvious problems with it.
     First, by starting the swing early, you will have less time to read and react to pitches and will have a harder time checking your swing. That will make you more vulnerable to off-speed pitches like curveballs and change-ups.
     Second, the research suggests that trying to activate the hands, wrists, and forearms through the point of contact is more likely to hurt one's bat speed than it is to help it. That is because, by tightening the muscles of the hands, wrists, and forearms through the POC, you are tightening up the hinge that, if let alone, will automatically release and cause the head of the bat to fly out into the path of the ball.
     That is why, despite numerous claims to the contrary, I have never seen any visual evidence that any major league hitter uses such a hybrid approach.

Albert Pujols

For instance, if you look at the clip above of Albert Pujols, you will see that the hinge angle -- the angle formed by the forearm of his front arm and the barrel of the bat -- does not change until quite late in his swing and just a few frames before the POC. If he was torqueing or swiveling his hands early on, as the proponents of the hybrid swing claim, then there would be some visual evidence of this.

[2] Most people associate Charley Lau Sr. with the Linear Hitting school of thought. However, I think the words and pictures in his book The Art of Hitting .300 more directly reinforce the concept of Extension Hitting.

[3] Below are some more pictures I found on the Internet that show the same (bad) position at the POC.

Not What a Good Hitter Looks Like at the POC

Not What a Good Hitter Looks Like at the POC

Not What a Good Hitter Looks Like at the POC

While some people say that this approach to the swing is a myth, it is clear that there are a lot of people out there teaching it.