Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Oct 11 16:18:21 2003

Hi Coach C

You have made a few posts that I feel misrepresents my positions on batting principles. I think it best to put your most recent post on hold until we have clarified our differences regarding swing mechanics. Who knows, once we have accurately defined our positions, we may be in more agreement than you think. We can start with your post “Shoulder Turn Coach C Fri Oct 10 07:57:35 2003”

You stated: “Most everyone agrees that the front shoulder needs to stay in to a point, the problem I see with the Batspeed method or at least my interpretation is that an emphasis in front shoulder turn can pull one off the ball and create a shoulder turn that changes the spine angle through contact. In addition to pulling off the ball, this method also has the potential to create a disconnect with the arms and hands, there by creating excessive bat-lag, which often times leads to getting jammed and an inability to hit the inside pitch. “

Most readers of this site know that I advocate keeping the hands back at the back-shoulder and allow body rotation to accelerate the hands into a circular path.

You stated: “Most everyone agrees that the front shoulder needs to stay in to a point,” – (1) Please explain at what point during the swing you feel the shoulders should start to rotate?
(2) You have advocated, “Keep the lower body quiet and be quick with the hands.” How far forward would you say the hands should move before shoulder rotation begins?

More can be gained if we limit our discussion to cover a couple of points at a time. Once we have fully discussed these issues, I will be glad to address your concerns.

Jack Mankin