Physics question -- Bonds' Swing

[steddie]

To the science guys- im trying to understand forces like angular momentum, gyroscopic tilt resistance, etc. as it may apply to the description below.

I was noticing how BB (at times) seemed to use a lot of prelaunch torque in his swing. He torques his bat behind him -- the barrel initially moving perpendicular to the pitch, and establishing a (more vertical) rotational plane for the bat which is at approx. 80-90 degrees to the hip and shoulder (more horizontal) rotational plane. (the stronger force of the hip & shoulder rotation causes the vertical plane to be converted/transitioned to a horizontal plane.

In what ways would what I described be beneficial to hitting the ball harder? (for example: would the early, short lived, vertical plane rotation's resistance to moving to horizontal, increase the stretch of the mid torso muscles? (as I understand it, separation of hips and upper torso is already causing a stretch to these same muscles)?

Some of my terminology may not be correct, so correct me where I am wrong.

[tradosaurus]

When I was in engineering school we were told to exclude friction for simplicity in our calculations. So I'm assuming, in reference to Barry Bonds, we are to exclude steroids in the application of physics to his swing. :scholar:

But are you asking because you want to hit the ball harder or just a matter of curiosity?

[johnlanza]

Some of my terminology may not be correct, so correct me where I am wrong.

Believe me...if it is wrong, somebody will.

[steddie]

When I was in engineering school we were told to exclude friction for simplicity in our calculations. So I'm assuming, in reference to Barry Bonds, we are to exclude steroids in the application of physics to his swing. :scholar:

But are you asking because you want to hit the ball harder or just a matter of curiosity?

Well, hitting the ball harder/farther would be good -- but, if I could do it with less effort/greater efficiency, that would be even better. In practicing this swing, I feel quite a bit of stress on the wrists as the two planes converge which corresponds to the severity of initial bat torque angle. I assume this is the part of the swing where strong wrists are critical.

[dominik]

Well, hitting the ball harder/farther would be good -- but, if I could do it with less effort/greater efficiency, that would be even better. In practicing this swing, I feel quite a bit of stress on the wrists as the two planes converge which corresponds to the severity of initial bat torque angle. I assume this is the part of the swing where strong wrists are critical.

I think that using a "running start" with things like tipping the bat can add some power but it is also harder to time.

If you start outside the plane and then actively turn the barrel into the plane you have a longer acceleration path and probably more power than starting with the bat flat but you have to be able to time that stuff.

[tradosaurus]

Well, hitting the ball harder/farther would be good -- but, if I could do it with less effort/greater efficiency, that would be even better. In practicing this swing, I feel quite a bit of stress on the wrists as the two planes converge which corresponds to the severity of initial bat torque angle. I assume this is the part of the swing where strong wrists are critical.

My bet would be that if you could ask any of baseball's great hitters (present and past) how to hit the ball harder they wouldn't (or couldn't understand) use physics to describe the effort.

[Switch_Hitter_29]

if nothing else, its a way to start the swing without starting the swing. It takes less energy to redirct an object that is moving than it is to get something moving from a stand still.