Linear vs. Rotational Hitting

http://www.touchemallball.com There has been a debate over the past few years in regards to linear vs rotational hitting mechanics. I want to take a few minutes to give my thoughts on the debate and to help bring clarity to this confusing topic.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• hitting
• batting
• practice
• home runs
• linear hitting mechanics
• rotational hitting mechanics
• linear vs. rotational
• batting practice
• how to hit
• how to hit for power

[hitmorelinedrives]

Good video. It's definitely a mix of both.

[TouchEmAllBaseball]

@hitmorelinedrives Thanks a lot I appreciate it

[azmatsfan]

Like you, I don't like the terms Linear and Rotational as they don't aptly describe the difference in the two theories. What you describe in this video is pure "Rotational" mechanics. In general the rotational coaches teach that the hips and core power the swing, and the hips begin rotating before the hands are taken to the ball. The linear coaches teach that the hands lead the swing, and the hips follow. Both theories have rotational and linear components to them.

[TouchEmAllBaseball]

@azmatsfan Ok I got ya, thank you for explaining that. I teach that the hands do not lead the swing and instead come after the back elbow starts to lower into its slot and the back knee has started the rotation of the bottom half getting the bat on plane with the pitch early. The swing is definitely an interesting discussion.

[AmpLogic]

Wow you're not very smart are you? Look at the hand path genius. There probably isn't anyone in the game with a more rotational swing than Chipper. And if you think you can generate as much power with arms and wrists as you can with hips, core and legs, then you obviously don't understand human anatomy either. 90% of what defines rotational hitting deals with hand path and swing plane. The forward movement of ones body toward the pitcher is not part what defines linear style hitting.

[TouchEmAllBaseball]

@AmpLogic I don't use terms like "rotational" hitting or "linear" hitting...They are made up terms that in the end don't really mean anything. I teach what almost every good hitter in the major league does. If you want to call it "rotational" hitting or "Major League hitting" that is fine.

[Dswana2]

@max66bhs giving the bat less time in the hitting plane than if the hands follow everything else in a rotational pattern where the bat is inside the hitting plane for almost the entire swing, i do not know how much more i can dumb this down for you, that is the definition of linear and rotational hitting, HAND PATH TO THE BALL AND THE PATH THEY TAKE thats the difference i could take two identical kids, teach one linear hitting and the other rotational and the rotational will hit better

[Dswana2]

@max66bhs than the linear and he will have less strike outs, but im done with this stupid argument you obviously have no clue what a swing is at all, you must be a pitcher, hopefully you aren't to stupid to do that, good luck hitting 200 with that linear swing havent seen a pitcher hit that high except big z

[Dswana2]

@max66bhs what kind of idiot are you, when it is obvious pujols a guy not on roids, is a rotational hitter and whats his average been every season in the league, over 300 oh my god, motto of a 200 hitter is to rotate, your right if they just stand there and spin, but if you would go back to first grade and get hooked on phonics you would read that i said weight has to be transferred forward, linear hitting is the same weight transferred forward, but with linear hands go straight to the ball 

[Dswana2]

@max66bhs the only reason chippers back foot comes off of the ground hear is because his hips started the swing and had to rotate, thus the momentum bringing his back foot off the ground, you want to call me uneducated learn to fucking read, i said it is NOT the same as a baseball swing but has the same principles, weight has to shift forward and everything rotates with the club or bat following with the inertia to drive the ball, this has nothing to do with balls moving or sitting on a tee

[max66bhs]

Golf? Are you kidding? The ball is on a tee at your feet. Not for nothing but you seem a bit uneducated. Not only do you have trouble expressing your ideas via English you make terrible assumptions and you use terrible analogies. Golf? The strike zone is not at shoe top level as such the golf swing and the baseball swing have very little to do with each other, that is unless you are Happy Gilmore. This is a joke.

[max66bhs]

"3:27-3:3:35 in video..."NO, because hitting is rotational so all I have to do is rotate."  The motto of the .200 hitter, minus roids.

[max66bhs]

@Dswana2 After contact, their back foot re-planted but at contact it was in the air. Rotational there is not step towards the ball or back foot rise. Chipper, here, in the video, which is the point stands far off the plate, has a long stride and his back foot comes off the ground at contact. This is linear hitting. Not Rotational. The reason this is called rotational is because the fools who teach hitting in the MLB have nothing now that the roids are gone. Listen at the 3:20 mark in vid.

[Dswana2]

and its crushed down the fairway a mile, not saying its the same as a baseball but has the same principles, my point is you should try pitching, leave the hitting to the people who know what they are doing