Posted by: ray porco () on Tue Apr 29 22:05:16 2003

To anyone interested,

Teacherman was kind enough to e-mail me the clip of recent discussion (the Arod clip in the “Dead” thread).

For those (and I believe that would be most, if not all) who have not seen the clip, I will try to describe what I believe I see, but I do have to specifically reference the clip. It is for that reason that I believe the ability to post clips to the discussion forum would enhance discussion to no end.

For general reference, a lefthander is throwing a curve ball to right hand batting Arod , therefore the ball is breaking in to him. It is at the knees and off the outside edge of the plate at contact (if I were the ump and he didn’t swing I would’ve called a ball - the view is from left center looking in to the catcher).

There are 5 frames that interest me and I believe are relevant to the current discussion.

1) Toe lift frame (beginning of stride)
2) Toe touch frame (end of stride, but before heel drop)
3) Contact frame (actually the ball is just slightly off the bat)
4) One frame prior to contact
5) The frame that is two frames prior to contact

1) Toe lift frame.
The back elbow starts to rise on cue with toe lift off.
The barrel of the bat begins a movement that is both more vertical and toward the pitcher coinciding with elbow rise.

2) Toe touch frame.
Actually what I’m talking about is the movement that occurs in between the two frames.
The back elbow’s rise REACHES IT’S HIGHES POINT at toe touch.
The barrel of the bat which has moved VERTICALLY AND TOWARD THE PITCHER, stops this directional path and begins it’s reversal at toe touch. The reversal is strongest and most evident at heel drop.

Here is where I would recommend everyone to get a bat in your hands, and if your as fortunate as me to have a full length mirror by the computer, configure yourself to duplicate Arod. If you simulate the back elbow rise, you will see your bat cock.

5) Two frames prior to contact.
Again I’m gonna actually talk about the movement from toe touch to this particular frame.
From the cocked position Arod drives the top hand elbow down hard. You can’t see the hands but I do believe that the motion of the bat (if you duplicate it correctly in the mirror) will reveal to you what the hands are doing. For me, they’re torqueing. Arod’s hips barely (if they do at all) open and his flexed front leg never straightens. His rear knee doesn’t turn down and in. In fact, the right foot actually takes a step back. There is torso turn, and shoulder turn but they are both cut-off by his upper body bending and reaching to hit the outside pitch.
The bat movement from toe touch to two frames before contact, I would have to say is attributed to what Jack has termed top-hand torque. Proud of me, Jack???

Now Teacherman, don’t get bent outta. Yours is coming.

From two frames prior to contact to one frame prior to contact, I see several things.
The bat moves the greatest distance, the fastest, in ONE frame
The top hand elbow pushes out away from the body.
The wrists flex.
The TOP hand drives around the BOTTOM hand. The top hand (IN ONE FRAME) goes from being radially flexed (abducted) to ulnar flexion (adduction).
The bottom hand shoulder is NOT pulling back, hence not pulling the bottom hand around the top hand. The bottom hand wrist is flexing, however, allowing the two hands to torque the bat.

One frame prior to contact to contact frame.
If you put yourself in the EXACT position of Arod in one frame prior to contact, you will see an opening through the two arms (you can see the umpire’s elbow through the gap).
In the contact frame (next frame) the gap is closed. The top hand elbow is straightening (going up - closing the gap) and the bottom hand elbow is turning down. Simulate this action in the mirror. As you simulate, observe the wrists. They are flexing (adducting).
They are also starting to roll. In fact his top hand may even be off the bat at contact (hard to see). That’s what he has to do to compensate for going after a bad pitch.

Conclusion:

I don’t like the term “whip”, even though that’s what it looks like. I don’t like the term “dog hitting the end of the leash“. I like the term “top hand torque”. I like the term “flail”. I’d like to go to bed.
Top hand torque generates the early batspeed and the wrist’s flexing and torquing (whip if you must) perpetuates and adds to batspeed.
I have more (and supportive stuff), but later.

ray porco