Phase #2- The Stride

Phase #2- The Stride or Load Phase 

1.General Instruction: At this point the batter should lift and move the front foot about 3-6 inchs from starting positon and land on the ball of their foot with their heel slighlty off the ground. At this point the weight should be tranfered slighlty to the back foot in order to mantain balance and create a load. The stride is used for timing and to create balance.

2. Shoulder Girdle: While in the Stance the left shoulder girdle will Abduct (protract), while the right shoulder girdle Adducts (retracts) using the middle/lower fiber of the trapizius and rhomboids to support the bat and elevate it to the proper height. The Shoulder girdle is slightly elevated and retracted.

3. Shoulder Joint: The left shoulder joint is medially rotated (subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major, anterior fibers of deltoid) and slightly flexed. The right shoulder joint is  abducted to about 90 degrees (pectoralis minor, pectoralis major, subclavius, latissimus dorsi) and slightly externally rotated (Teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoid).

4.Elbow Joint: left elbow is still flexed but open more to an angle of 110degrees ( biceps brachii and brachialis) and slightly adducted toward the mid line of the body. Also the forearm in slightly pronated. (pronator teres) The Right elbow is elevated and flexed.(Biceps brachii, brachialis, and shoulder joint). The biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis are concentrically loaded and prepared to go to the next step.

5. Hip girdle: Pelvic girdle is slightly tilted anteriorly( Rectus Femoris & Psoas). The left hip laterally tilts. The right hip stays concetricllay loaded(Rectus Femoris) while the left hip is in a relaxed (eccentric) state.

6.Knee Joint: The Right knee stays flexed and is concentrically contracting (Semitendinosus, Semi-membranosus and biceps femoris). The left knee extends and moves eccentrically (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris). The knee stays slightly extended, yet once the foot makes contact with the ground it concentrically contracts.