Posted by: ray porco () on Tue Mar 18 18:34:00 2003

jack,

please forgive me for not crediting you. the info you made available on your site in ‘98 always stayed with me, but I could never really appreciate it ‘till now (probably ‘cause I could never really physically relate it to the swing). why now? dunno, maybe the tilt-a-whirl example, peterson’s explanation, ziegler’s findings? it just clicked.

“How the swing is initiated is by far the most important part of the swing.” - jack mankin.
i now realize how enormously “…by far…”.

“When a batter initiates the swing with incorrect forces, the balance of the swing will be an exercise in compensation. The reaction of the bat to an improperly initiated swing is what causes that tense, jerky appearance.
When a player or coach uses video to review flaws in mechanics, it is imperative that he understands that the solution to a flaw will not be found in the frame that the flaw becomes apparent. The answer lies in the forces he used to initiated the swing.” - jack mankin.

i am now on a mission. timing IS everything. IF THE INITIATION OF THE SWING CONTROLS THE REMAINDER OF THE SWING, THEN WHAT CONTROLS INITIATION??? what controls the speed of the motor that controls the chaotic movement of the bat? timing, or our perception of it.

ray porco