Posted by: rql () on Mon Sep 1 15:14:51 2003

Jack,many hitting instructors and scouts talk about having strong hands or quick hands and I agree with them.However they feel that it is the hands that are responsible for the power that gets generated into the bat.I however feel that what is happening is that the whole process of rotation and [rear elbow getting in the slot] createstht.My videos have showed that while the elbow is coming down and the top hand is pulling back the front shoulder is turning forward and out which pulls the bottom hand forward thus causing tht early.Now all the energy is going thru the hands and they are also applying whatever they can but the pressures that sre felt on the hands that make people talk so much about the hands are really created by a combination of body rotation and the way the body applies pressure to the bat [torque early thru late in the swing.]Let me also mention that one of the 1st problems I have when I teack rotational mechanics and I tell them to use their hips and shoulders to lead the swing ,they do not apply torque in the swing thus it drags thru the zone,it is almost like linear leading with the hands with no rotation except opposite because the hands are not connected properly able to apply torque properly.I have found if I have them lead with the hips 1st it keeps the hands back properly while the sequence gets underway and then drive the hands to the ball hard but make the shoulders stay ahead of the hands.This seems to keep torque being applied while rotation fuels the swing.