Forward: There's a lot of hitting instruction out there that quite frankly makes no sense. At least that's what WebBall thinks. It's not that the hitting method being taught is wrong. The problem lies with the way we teach. Then along comes Pete Wilkinson. Rather than a theorist, Pete is a practical guy - he knows what it takes to teach. He has put some of his ideas on the mentoring of hitters together in this article for WebBall.

- Pete Wilkinson

Much of the debate about hitting mechanics today appears to focus on the weight-shift vs. rotational approaches to the swing, and, to the degree that the argument is about instruction, how much is science and how much is art and should be left to the hitter to figure out.
First, I believe that momentum contributes energy which contributes to power, and I believe that rotation-driven torque contributes to and applies power.
Further, I believe the key to successful mechanics lies in how momentum and torque are applied together in any particular individual's swing. Second, I think the swing parts are science; the art is in the execution of the swing, and that art is solely the responsibility of the hitter himself.

While it is true that good mechanics make a solid approach more effective, it is just as true that sound swing mechanics evaporate in the absence of a solid sustained approach. Three fundamental things have to be in place for a hitter to consistently hit...