Starting here eliminates unnecessary movement needed to get here during the swing. When the rear elbow starts up, it must come down in order to hit the ball, creating an uppercut. The swing then tends to get underneath the ball, creating a pop-up or complete miss. When a hitter has an uppercut, the bat is not in the strike zone for very long. Tuck the front shoulder, hip and knee in, about 3 inches.
Hitter gains strength, speed and quickness, along with the opportunity to time the pitch.
Overstriding is very undesirable. Head completely turned toward pitcher, square to the ground with both eyes level and focused on the release point of the pitcher. The swing begins from the waist down. After completion of stride, the heel of the front foot touches the ground, officially starting the swing. The back hip rotates toward the ball so that eventually the rear knee, the waist and the belly button are ALL facing the pitcher.