What you need to know about linear and rotational hitting

Once a month I will get a parent or a coach that asks me if we teach linear or rotational hitting. Because, they've heard someone talk who has convinced them, this is the new revolution of hitting. My response . . . I smile and say, "Yes." We can satisfy both parties by teaching both concepts. Because EVERY BIG LEAUGUE HITTER MAKES A LINEAR MOVE AND EVERY BIG LEAUGE HITTER MAKES A ROTATIONAL MOVE! Feels good to get that off my chest.

Beware of coaches who claim to teach one "style" or the other. I like to look a message boards and watch people argue of their "styles" and defend them like its an argument between the Cubs/Sox fans. What gets me even more, that if you look at certain web sites who teach each system, they use the same pictures, videos and players! That kills me! (I guess the players must switch from at bat to at bat?)

1) All players make a positive forward move in their stride to some varying degree. The wider the stance, the less the move becomes, the narrower the stance, the larger the linear move becomes. TO GET MORE ON THIS CHECK MY NOVEMEBER POST TITLED, "STRIDE STUDY."

2) As the front heel plants, the swing becomes rotational. The heel planting into the ground will end any more forward movement by the front side of the body as we rotate around a stationary axis.

That's it in simplfied terms! So don't get duked into marketing terms by someone who is trying to sell their style, or by a coach who has been enlightened by some new "system." This hasn't changed for 100 years. With technology, we have just become more efficient in teaching.