What powers the barrel turn?

[TBao]

While the lat is .. important in rotational power and putting our body at a good side bend, its contraction adducts and extends the arm, but also medially (internally) rotates the shoulder joint….[L]ook at Donaldson’s movement again. Is the rear shoulder joint internally rotating? Is the top hand (or rear elbow) moving toward the ball …?

No and no. Even though the front side is opening and the rear arm is working down, the rear shoulder joint is NOT internally rotating further … [N]otice the rear arm’s elbow work straight down from its highest position instead of toward the hip. He isn’t “slotting” the rear elbow toward the hip. [T]here is something preventing the rear scapula from going into protraction and the rear shoulder from being pulled into excess internal rotation. There is an external (lateral) rotation and scapula retraction component as well.

...[T]he front side is opening and trying to turn. But the rear side is hanging on strong to that shoulder joint (retraction) while the lat pulls down the rear arm. What prevents the lead shoulder blade from falling into excessive protraction is the same thing that is preventing the rear shoulder blade from moving into excessive protraction – the rotator cuff muscles and the middle/lower trapezius. This movement can really be seen by looking from the catcher’s angle. Below is Bryce Harper. .. See how his rear elbow gets to the green line and hangs out as close as possible for as long as possible.

[W]hen Harper starts his bat swing, the movement actually brings the handle CLOSER to his body instead of rushing forward toward the ball.

Source: Shoulder Function - Part Two - East Bay Hitting Instruction
Disclaimer: The presentation is educational for the sole purpose in defining the biomechanical events that occur in the swing. This poster makes no endorsement in what the authors sells, teaches, or opines, and acknowledges that the visuals may be subject to interpretation.

 

[TBao]

..[E]ven though the front side is opening and trying to take the handle with it, the rear side is hanging on. David Ortiz shows the same movement pattern.

We can see the front side really opening up (we can see his lead back pocket) but his rear elbow is still trailing his rear shoulder. He is keeping the string from the lead shoulder and the rear elbow TIGHT by retracting the rear scapula.

Source: Shoulder Function - Part Two - East Bay Hitting Instruction
Disclaimer: The presentation is educational for the sole purpose in defining the biomechanical events that occur in the swing. This poster makes no endorsement in what the authors sells, teaches, or opines, and acknowledges that the visuals may be subject to interpretation.

 

[TBao]

..Tulo uses his lower traps to grab the scap and anchor that rear shoulder, allowing the rear shoulder joint to externally rotate.

Why is this important? Tons of reasons. First, it saves the rear scapula's protraction and rear shoulder’s internal rotation capability for later. Donaldson uses the posterior portion of his rear side first so he can use the anterior portion later in the swing. Second, the movement sets up the protraction and internal rotation better by stretching the serratus anterior… Third, by keeping the rear shoulder from slipping into internal rotation, the lat is able to adduct the arm more forcefully…Fourth, by buying time before the handle moves toward the ball, [the hitter has] more time for the big muscles to work and also to judge the pitch….Fifth, by having the front and rear sides simultaneously “pull” – for lack of a better word – the handle, the barrel will get on plane earlier. Go back and watch Tulo’s movement and pay attention to the barrel. Now here is Donaldson from an overhead view.

Source: Shoulder Function - Part Two - East Bay Hitting Instruction
Disclaimer: The presentation is educational for the sole purpose in defining the biomechanical events that occur in the swing. This poster makes no endorsement in what the authors sells, teaches, or opines, and acknowledges that the visuals may be subject to interpretation.

 

[TBao]

..[L]ook at some faulty movement patterns...

..[A]nother swing from a slightly different angle

What do we see? Tons of arm adduction, but also the lack of scapula control to prevent the rear shoulder joint from drooping. See how his rear elbow makes a beeline straight for the rear hip. That’s some great adduction, but he isn’t using the upper back muscles to prevent the rear scapula from protracting. ([L]ats are overactive causing his shoulder blade to go into depression.) Remember scapula protraction also internally rotates the shoulder joint… Quite notably, he has managed to let both shoulder blades protract to give him a stooped shoulders look. … If we were to watch his swing from behind, do you think his elbow would be behind his rear shoulder? He is letting a lot of slack into the string between his front shoulder and rear elbow.

Source: Shoulder Function - Part Two - East Bay Hitting Instruction
Disclaimer: The presentation is educational for the sole purpose in defining the biomechanical events that occur in the swing. This poster makes no endorsement in what the authors sells, teaches, or opines, and acknowledges that the visuals may be subject to interpretation.

 

[TBao]

Getting backed to your revered hitter:



Tons of arm adduction
Lack of scapula control to prevent the rear shoulder from drooping.
Rear elbow makes a beeline straight for the rear hip.
No back muscles to prevent the rear scapula from protracting.
A lot of slack between the front shoulder and rear elbow.

A good hitter, but needs to find and work with her scapula. She is otherwise stuck as an amateur.

 

[Howe]

Getting backed to your revered hitter:



Tons of arm adduction
Lack of scapula control to prevent the rear shoulder from drooping.
Rear elbow makes a beeline straight for the rear hip.
No back muscles to prevent the rear scapula from protracting.
A lot of slack between the front shoulder and rear elbow.

A good hitter, but needs to find and work with her scapula. She is otherwise stuck as an amateur.

You just wasted a whole lot of time "cherry picking" hitters to fit a narrative - YOUR "high elbow" guys are really just style when it comes down to it...

The real meat is right here:

..[E]ven though the front side is opening and trying to take the handle with it, the rear side is hanging on.

Does the scap GET active? Sure. Nobody has denied that. Your problem is, you think the scap is the FOCUS, when in reality, the hands are. Spacial awareness of the hands - keeping them back and thinking leverage is what activates other muscles. The demo I showed of your fat buddy, is not what real live athletes do. They don't PULL the scap back in attempt to keep the hands back. They focus on keeping the hands back and also look to use leverage and gravity. And while doing so, OTHER muscles are called into play. Did you want to discuss how the young lady's hands are still going up WHILE she is dropping her center of gravity (COG)? And how she gets some mileage out of that? I can show you how Ortiz or Votto do that as well. But those 2 amateur swings that you showed - of the young man... Using them to compare to the young lady was an epic FAIL!

Now what are you going to do?

 

[Howe]

Tbone, seems you're in a bind. You learned the wrong stuff, made a video of yourself practicing the wrong stuff and now that wrong stuff is being used against you. Sound about right?

Maybe you went to "the conference" and figured out you were being defrauded? Maybe you decided to put your big pants on? In any case, now it's time for you to really learn.

 

[TBao]

..Tulo uses his lower traps to grab the scap and anchor that rear shoulder, allowing the rear shoulder joint to externally rotate.

Why is this important? Tons of reasons. First, it saves the rear scapula's protraction and rear shoulder’s internal rotation capability for later. Donaldson uses the posterior portion of his rear side first so he can use the anterior portion later in the swing. Second, the movement sets up the protraction and internal rotation better by stretching the serratus anterior… Third, by keeping the rear shoulder from slipping into internal rotation, the lat is able to adduct the arm more forcefully…Fourth, by buying time before the handle moves toward the ball, [the hitter has] more time for the big muscles to work and also to judge the pitch….Fifth, by having the front and rear sides simultaneously “pull” – for lack of a better word – the handle, the barrel will get on plane earlier. Go back and watch Tulo’s movement and pay attention to the barrel....

Source: Shoulder Function - Part Two - East Bay Hitting Instruction
Disclaimer: The presentation is educational for the sole purpose in defining the biomechanical events that occur in the swing. This poster makes no endorsement in what the authors sells, teaches, or opines, and acknowledges that the visuals may be subject to interpretation.

The high level hitter creates a system that loads the serratus anterior, then fires it: The muscle stretches when the scapula retracts during LOAD, then stretches even more when the shoulder is externally rotated as the latissimus dorsi muscle contracts in the early stages of OVERLAP. The hitter holds this until his decision to launch.

The movement in the hands and bat head during the load and overlap are rooted in activity of the core.
The scapula is the key in transducing energy input, and orchestrating the movement output in optimum bat path. It is functionally and anatomically the "corner", the fulcrum in the high level swing.
The high level strategy of the system loads the core, and fires with the core. Central to this is the loading of the serratus anterior then firing it as the output:

What is noteworthy is that the HANDS are not involved,

So Why, When and How do the HANDS get involved?

We reference these often, but to this day, NO ONE has ever explained what occurs.

 

[TBao]

Machines are created in minimizing energy input for maximal output in accomplishing the activity for which it is designed.

Punch to the ball:

Blue=Rear forearm
Red=Arm connected to the glenoid fossa of the scapula
Blue pin=rear elbow
"Tumbling" green pin=supinating top hand holding the bat
Green rod=thrust in the direction of the inside part of the ball
Bat is not shown but would be held perpendicular to the axis of the forearm.
Motor="the Core"

In the high level hitter, the core (this includes the serratus anterior), the top forearm and the hand can be modeled as a slider crank mechanism. Notice the position of the elbow during the load and the orientation of the hand (green pin) holding the bat. When the elbow slots, the hand makes a turn such that the bat now becomes flat. The top forearm, acts as piston to finish through extension.


The high lever hitter maximizes the power of his core to PUNCH to the ball: And he employs the muscle that does it best: The SERRATUS ANTERIOR

“Short-Around”
When the serratus anterior fires, the hands begin to move forward. The latissimus induces the elbow to slot. As this occurs, the top hand supinates in moving the bat. The top hand holding the the bat in the vertical (thumb up) upon load, is now palm up (thumb out) by the time “short-around” transitions into “along-through”. The high level hitter leverages his core with such efficiency that the bat gets into the plane of the ball by simple supination of the top hand; the bottom hand supports that supination.

“Along-Through”
I believe some call it the RVP point when the swing transitions into “along-through”. At this point the top forearm acts as piston in thrusting the hand into the direction of the ball, and following through with extension.

When MLB hitters say “straight to the ball”, they really mean it. They know how to punch to the ball, but like most of us who parrot it, don’t really know it works.

 

[Howe]

Tbone, do you know what a Prohitter Direct Protect is? What it does? When it gets applied?

If so, why are you asking such foolish questions such as this?

So Why, When and How do the HANDS get involved?

We reference these often, but to this day, NO ONE has ever explained what occurs.

Instead of copying/pasting someone else's thought's, let's think critically. The Direct Protect helps brace the handle from getting too deep into the crux of the thumb and pointer finger, agree? If so, when does that happen with regards the "around/along"? If it happens in the "along", what do you think is happening in the "around"? Could the handle pressure be felt in the Phalanges of the top hand fingers during the around??? Could that action be thought of as "BARREL LOAD"? LOL If the focus is on the hands - as almost every good hitter talks about - why are you so obsessed with the scap?

Now go back and answer your own question on "why, when and how" the HANDS get involved.