Posted by: Donny Buster (donnybstr@aol.com) on Thu Oct 9 04:55:38 2003

Jack describes the top hand at contact as an oar lock on a row boat(it's the metal U that holds the oar when you're rowing) the top hand acting like the oar lock holds the bat as the bottom hand pulls the knob back toward the catcher at contact. now here's how you get 5MPH more from the oar lock.
> > The bat is in between your thumb and forefinger. the other 4 fingers are loose as you're in your stance. as you initiate THT, pulling the bathead back toward the 3rd base dugout, your thumb and forefinger remain tight around the bat handle and the other 4 fingers relax outward. the little finger will fully open and the next finger in will open not quite as far. and the flip off finger will be half open. and of course the thumb and forefinger are wrapped around the bat handle. when the pulling stops(with the top hand) and the pushing torque of the wrists begins, start pulling the 4 fingers closed to culminate at contact. the closing of the fingers will facilitate the bottom hand torque. and maybe it will add 5MPH to your batspeed? just speculation... what do you guys think?
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> > I'm surprised nobody responded...do you all use a closed fist on the top hand? i noticed in Jack's video that his top hand in some of the demonstrations the fingers were loose. this winter i'm going to purchase a radar gun to help goal set for my daughter and i'll try my theory out on her. i'll let you know the results...

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. >> Let me inject a question here. If the top hand remains loose in the shoulder load, doesn't it make the scap pinch more effective than a tight top hand during load that tenses the forearm and tends to block out the potential for proper tht? Would this be another reason to keep a loose top hand grip?