In the Box!

Albert Pujols getting the hands through, knob first.. creating bat lag and
bat speed acceleration into and through contact.. two balls deep.

The front foot.. or heel lands to launch rotation.. with the front hip.. the hands and then
the head of the bat go through with shoulders and back side driving energy through contact.

This pitch is driven to right center field with authority. Ball contact behind the hands
with the back shoulder and hip driving through contact around a vertical axis.

Utley's hips leaking off axis slightly.. but the head stays centered
with the knob leading in an attempt to pull the ball.

The Double Pendulum. The physics behind today's baseball swing.

Notice that maximum speed is achieved just after the 1st pendulum reaches the mid-point and just before the 2nd pendulum catches up to full extension. In order to achieve maximum bat speed .. all of this movement rotates around a stationary.. near vertical axis. Without that center axis.. rotation leaks off center and slows the swing movement and therefore..  reduces the transfer of energy to the back of the ball.