Two of our HS athletes going 428 and 427 and one of our 13u going 89 EV (recently up to 91.5) on our hittrax. What do they have in common?
Check out the lower half: hip deceleration is a vital piece of transferring energy from the lower half through the upper half during our turn. What is hip decel?
During rotational movements, such as swinging, our body works sequentially. The pelvis turns, then the midsection, then the shoulders, and finally the hands delivering the barrel. For this to work properly, each segment has to decelerate for the following segment to pick up maximal speed. Any kink in the chain will limit the velocity we are able to create.
The scissor, although not necessary, ensures proper hip decel takes place. As the front hip stabilizes, the rear foot will kick back behind as the upper half turns. With a stable front leg, the upper half can now get up to maximal rotational velocity, producing maximal EV.