My name is Aubri Steinert and I’m a sophomore at Garber High School.

One of the most important — and overlooked — concepts in hitting is how we apply force into the ground. We talk about “twisting the ground” because it’s one of the best ways to teach hitters how to stabilize their lower half, leverage the ground, and get their middle rotating efficiently. Here’s what that really means: ✅ The front foot pushes down and toward home plate ✅ The back foot pushes down and back away from home plate When this happens at the same time, it creates what’s called a force couple — two equal and opposite forces working together to create rotational energy. Think of it like opening a jar: The jar (your lower half) turns one way while the lid (your upper half) turns the other way. That opposite action is what generates torque. That torque travels from the ground through the legs, into the pelvis and trunk, allowing the body to rotate smoother, cleaner, and with less compensation. This force couple also helps: • Anchor the hitter into the ground • Gets the trunk/core to deliver the blow • Let the middle rotate freely without compromising your spacing or direction • Transfer energy more directly into the swing If you’ve ever felt like your lower half and upper half were “fighting” each other during rotation… this is likely what’s missing. 🧠 Try this: Get in your launch position, and slowly apply opposite force with your feet like you’re trying to twist the ground beneath you. You’ll feel the lower 1/2 stabilize, glutes engage and the core lock in — before you ever swing. Train this. Feel it. Own it. The best swings don’t just use the ground — they create force from it. But that only happens when you apply force into the ground first. No input, no output.