jtat32 wrote:From this view it certainly looks like Pete Rose rotates into the ball (Note: I didn't listen to the analysis):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzjxqs3pApIIf using the big muscles of the hips and torso are the quickest and most efficient way to get the bat into the zone, that would indicate that rotation would be even more important for weaker players.
A key point in making this efficient and reducing drag, I believe, is setting up so that the weight of the barrel is in line with the axis of rotation to reduce the inertia of the bat. My DDs' HS coach didn't get this concept at all and tried to enforce a set-up with the bat pointing at the catcher.
Early in my career as a coach, I studied this video ad nauseum. I know a hitting coach that utilizes this approach. One thing that jumps out at me in this vid is his hands never get extended. Pete Rose was a very impressive physical specimen, he had freakishly large forearms and legs. What I see produced by said instructor are students that are:
Pull hitters
Goes without saying a lot of foul balls
They're pretty easy to pitch to, i.e. setup and sit down
Weaker girls typically produce weak ground balls
Kids who attempt to employee this technique and don't use their bottom half
There is no weight transfer in this vid, the bat is simply rotating on an axis. Again, when you have the physical attributes Rose had, it probably didn't matter how he swung the bat. As I've been around and seen some things I've become more convinced that younger, weaker, female athletes need a weight transfer and they hands need to get extended, something along these lines:
http://youtu.be/DzJms7RW02ALastly EVERY kid is different and brings different tools and baggage with them. A good instructor will work with the assets and try minimize the liabilities.