Lower Half Function: Part Two

In the last post (Lower Half Function: Part One) I mentioned that the ground doesn't actually supply power but the legs do play a vital role in swing efficiency and force creation. So what did the old school coaches mean when they said “use your legs” or what did chubbs mean when he said “it’s all in the hips”.

First it is important to understand what bones/muscles/tendons actually are classified as being in the lower half of the body.

As it pertains to this article and really hitting in general the main portion of the leg you need to be aware of is the gluteus maximus, one of the biggest muscles in the leg.

The gluteus maximus is quite fascinating as it has multiple functions.

1. Support the pelvis
2. Aid in hip flexion
3. Assist in hip extension
4. Support the lower spine

So how does this pertain to hitting? Well just like the glute has multiple functions in gait it also serves multiple purposes in the swing, let’s dig in.

1. I mentioned this in an earlier post, the muscle group you load with your initial movement will typically get loaded maximally in the swing. Now that makes the first move a hitter makes very important. We want to activate the glute, how the hitter does this, that is up to them. Show them the movement pattern and let them explore.
2. As mentioned before, one of the glute’s primary functions is to support the pelvis and the spine. After a hitter activates the glute, it is going to assist them in controlling their forward advance (one component of timing). Additionally, it is going to play a role in supporting the pelvis going into internal rotation (will cover later, very important). During this time the glute is also assisting the lumbar spine in staying neutral (important for energy transfer up the chain and essential for injury prevention).
3. Finally, after the hitter has begun to swing, the glute can do it’s thing. Help provide the power, hip extension.

So yes, the old saying “use your legs”, yep it’s true and very important. You load the glute or you load the quad. Better load the glute.

I like sharing analogies or ways I demonstrate to hitters how certain swing elements are important. For the glute I have the hitter stand on their rear leg and move to their toes, give them a small shove from behind (they will fall). Next, have them stand on their rear leg and activate the glute (hinge), they will be stable.

As I mentioned before learning isn’t linear, this doesn’t work without some resemblance of progression and regression. Allow your hitters to explore using their athletcism, build their movements organically.

So, you hear me talk about the pelvis frequently, rightly so. If you read my other posts you will here me say “move from the middle”, the pelvis is the linch pin that makes that possible. In Layman’s terms the role of the pelvis is to turn the torso (pretty important in hitting i’d say). However, it isn’t quite that simple.

This section probably deserves a post of it’s own but whatever. (I’m going to do my best to oversimplify)

In hitting their are a few general principles/probelms that exist across the board.

1. We want to create a stretch reflex that allows us to transfer energy from our primary engines (big muscles) up the body and into the bat. (Kinetic Sequence) (Stretch Shortening Cycle)
2. We don’t have a lot of time to create this stretch.
3. We can simply be rotational. We have to transfer rotational energy into linear energy to keep the barrel in the zone (adjustability). Unless you’re playing slow-pitch.

So how does the pelvis help us solve those common problems?

Let’s start here. That stretch I mentioned above, we want that to occur through our anterior oblique sling (front side obliques). Imagine a giant rubber band from your front hip to your back shoulder, that’s where we want the stretch to occur. You ever play with a rubber band? When it is stretched you can flick it and the waves go back and forth very quickly, energy transfer. Try doing that with slack, no transfer. ( stole that from somewhere)

A couple of notes about that stretch.

1. The timing of it is critical. I believe it was in a Jerry Brewer article but he said that after 400ms the stretch is no longer deemed to be active or it is compromised. So for obvious reasons the timing of that stretch is crucial. You wouldn’t get to the bottom of the broad jump and pause. So in theory, we want the stretch to occur right before the launch of the swing.
2. Also, understand that in order for the body to create force it needs that stretch, if the hitter doesn’t create it, the body will seek a stretch. This typically results in a front side pul activating the “posterior oblique sling”. (Direction Issues etc.)
3. Every hitter is different depending on their movement profile. Some will need more stretch, some will need less, you can find this out in a basic screen.
4. Be mindful of the timing constraint placed on the hitter, more stretch isn’t always better. In hitting you can’t change one thing without it effecting something else. A bigger move is less repeatable and harder to time. We also have to have the speed to close the gaps of seperation, if you don’t, bat drag.

So, how does the pelvis create this stretch.

1. The pelvis goes into some form of internal rotation (again, think belt buckle to rear thigh). We don’t want too much counter rotation of the shoulders, this will create direction issues. Also, the more counter rotation of the shoulders, the earlier I have to start my swing (hampers decision making). So, when the hitter is starting to move forward (stride) the pelvis is internally rotated. As they make their move forward, the pelvis begins to return back to neutral or go into external rotation and the torso stays stagnant, this creates the stretch. That stretch is essential for grabbing the energy created by the hips and transferring it up the chain and into the barrel. I often use the analogy of a person trying to pull a car with a rope, before he can move the car, the rope has to be tight. Same principle.

On that note I will also say this, if you assess your hitter and they are super loose through the middle of their body and need a big move to take slack out. It isn’t always a bad idea to get less internal rotation and allow them to open their hips to create the stretch. What you have to watch out for is a player that can’t decelerate the pelvis well and creates directional issues or energy leaks. Sometimes too much internal rotation of pelvis doesn’t give the hitter enough time and they end up compensating with a front side pull or lose space so allowing them to have less and get open might work for a looser mover.

If your hitter is tighter through the middle and you cue them to open the hips it will most likely cause directional issues due to the player getting to an end range. Although tigher movers typically don’t create the same amount of force as a looser mover they are typically more repeatable and often more on time.

Also, the best hitters in the world are unloading the hips INTO front foot strike. Following that, the pelvis decelerates so the torso can do its thing. Last blog I talked about having the ground, yep, have to have that front leg to stop the hips. (this is a deep rabbit hole, maybe another time)

This essentially creates a running start for the hitter, for lack of a better term gets one step out of the way, more efficient and quick and also gives the hitter the ability to delay the hands. This is where timing and adjustability occur, land on the fastball, adjust to the off-speed (because we haven’t committed the hands).

Sorry for the rant. Hope you enjoy. As always, love talking hitting so questions or thoughts are encouraged. And like I said, its all in the hips