Common Denominators for the Best Ballstrikers in the History of the Game. Part 3.

Let's continue our travel -- lastly, we mentioned about a correct sequentiality in the sagittal plane resulting in having great pivot ensuring great sequentiality from the ground up which means that hips are more open at impact than torso and torso than shoulder girdle. When we look at this scenario from the eye on the coronal plane (best observed from DTL view) we shall immediately notice that the so called tush line is being beautifully maintained and there is no sign of early extention of the lumbar part of the spine called informally "goat humping" -- which is another common denominator of the greatest ballstrikers in the history.


The coronal plane balance is being achieved and maintained throughout the swing (with a vivid help from what happens below pelvis which we shall talk about next). As we said before, the coronal plane balance is being achieved and maintained throughout the swing. Mind you, it is not just balance (even a goat humper can learn to maintain 'artificial' balance) It cannot be done without properly directed work of the under-pelvic section of the body...and this, in consequence, cannot be done without proper transverse plane compression/expansion, other words without effective use of ground forces. This is another common denominator of the greatest ballstrikers. Note that this goes exactly in feedback with the last one, i.e. with maintaining the tush line and overall great coronal plane balance.


Of course we should mention here maintaining balance in the sagittal plane, but it is not so much important taking into account that regulating the width and diagonality of stance settles the issue almost completely (almost -- because without proper weight shift for a biped it would be tough to do).


Reasumming, the most obvious and visible common denominators of the best ballstrikers are as follows (in order of no importance):

-- as small as possible rate of clubface closure in the wide impact zone;
-- pivot guided motion from both the ground up as well as from the core out without stalling of the pivot in the wide impact zone;
-- plane shift to the elbow plane as early as possible resulting in rear humerus being supported by the pivoting body and rear forearm supporting the shaft;
-- balance in the coronal plane maintained without a sign of early extension;
-- transverse plane compression after transition with a muscular effort to use ground forces (both vertically as well as horizontally oriented) as well as possible.

Now is the time to think about finding causality between given denominators and put them in the correct order. Unfortunately, it won't be so easy a task because of lack of direct and full automating processes in a motion of a living organism. However, the causality is noticeable enough both from anatomic as well as physical part so that nothing can stop us from formulating the following 'cascade of biophysical events'.


Let's revert again to the above list of denominators and try to put them in a queue:

(1) -- pivot guided motion from both the ground up as well as from the core out without stalling of the pivot in the wide impact zone

(2) -- balance in the coronal plane maintained without a sign of early extension

(3) -- transverse plane compression after transition with a muscular effort to use ground forces (both vertically as well as horizontally oriented) as well as possible

(4) -- plane shift to the elbow plane as early as possible resulting in rear humerus being supported by the pivoting body and rear forearm supporting the shaft

(5) -- as small as possible rate of clubface closure in the wide impact zone.


The pieces liniking these elements -- includig the initial key of building great fundamentals -- are real keys to build a repeatable and consistent motion for everyone in his/her class. Other words, if someone knows how to obtain all these elements and know how to create a possibility to one's subconscious mind to act the desired way because there are no other options left with a subconscious-friendly motions -- he/she will be an outstanding ballstriker in one's class.