Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Tue Sep 2 19:41:54 2003

Ray Proco started a thread at the end of last month that contains some important points on swing mechanics. For those that did not get a chance to read it over the holidays, I am posting it again to this months board.

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Ray Porco

>>> go to

http://www.setpro.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000025;p=1#000009

scroll, not quite, down half-way.
examine the animations on the left-hand side of the screen. <<<

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Hi Ray

I would agree that it does show the animated batter applying Top-Hand-Torque. But I would also say that the overall mechanics exhibited would not produce a good swing. I have often pointed out that when a batter applies THT, the bat-head MUST be accelerated into the correct plane of the swing. Although the animation does show the bat-head being accelerated back toward the catcher at initiation, the bat is shown accelerating in a too vertical direction and will cause the bat to pass down through the correct swing plane (the plane of the lead-arm). This will lead to wrist binds, waves in the plane and an overall inconsistent swing.

In order for the bat-head to accelerated back into the correct plane, the hands should be brought back closer to the back-shoulder allowing bat to sweep down behind the batters head and into the plane of the lead-arm. In the overhead view of the animated batter, note how far his hands are out away from the back-shoulder. And also note that the bat is being accelerated almost straight back and down. Then note how much closer Barry Bonds brings his hands to the back-shoulder and how the bat sweeps behind his head into the swing plane. --- That is the correct way to apply Top-Hand-Torque.
Jack Mankin

Ray Porco

>>> Excellent observation.
Comparing to the clips of Bonds in the same post I see exactly what you mean.

In the Bonds’ clips, what is generating this movement?
Is it “pulling on the bat handle like a bow and arrow”?
Does it come from simply slotting the elbow?
Or the lead elbow working up?

Or all of these?
Or additional forces? <<<

Hi Ray

For the bat-head to be accelerated in a sweeping path behind the head, the direction of force applied from the top-hand must also be directed up and back toward the back-shoulder. I made the analogy of “pulling on the bat handle like a bow and arrow” in 1991 to make the point that in order to accelerate the bat-head back toward the catcher, the action of the top-hand should be pulling rearward instead of shoved forward during initiation.

As far as “what is generating this movement?” it should be noted that most batters, even some poor ones, slot the rear elbow. But they do not generate the sweeping (or accelerating) bat-head motion we saw in the Bonds clip. This is because they thrust the top-hand forward as they lower the elbow at initiation. Shoving the top-hand forward accelerates the knob of the bat while the bat-head remains more static. It basically lowers and trails behind the hands. --- The best hitters have a more static knob while accelerating the bat-head. – The rest accelerate the knob while the bat-head remains static.

I would also like to point out that in both the Bonds and animated clips (and in most clips) the wrist remains fairly straight during initiation. Therefore, the sweeping of the bat-head is not due to the cocking and un-cocking of the wrist. --- You asked: “Or the lead elbow working up?”. The “lead elbow working up” is usually set as the batter prepares the launch position and has little to do with applying THT. Many good hitters have the lead-arm fairly straight across the chest well before initiation.

Jack Mankin