Posted by: Teacherman () on Thu Oct 30 21:39:10 2003

Coach C asked the question as to what I thought about bat lag. It's an interesting concept that first requires a definition. To me, bat lag is when the barrel of the bat escapes the rotational axis thus getting outside the hands. A great swing has the shaft of the bat on the shoulder when the elbows drop into the slot and the hands begin to lead (the bat). This is not bat lag. Every bat techniquely "lags" behind the hands in a swing; however, bat lag only occurs when the bat begins to slow the swing down. This happens when it gets outside the axis of rotation (no longer pressed up against the shoulder). This is what, among other things, that Bonds does so well. Notice how close he keeps the bat head to the shoulder until release occurs (which occurs naturally at this point). This is the time when the bat has gone from perpindicular (in relation to the ground) to parallel. This is the first 90 degrees in the rotation of the circular hand path and it creates the THT to borrow Jack's trademark.
>
> Think of it this way. I sit in a chair and begin to spin around in circles. As I put my feet out, the rotation slows, as I pull them back in, I start whipping around again. This is what happens with barrel of the bat during the swing. The tighter we maintain the barrel to our shoulder, the quicker we can get it through the zone. Once the barrel escapes the shoulder, you have bat lag. Now the barrel is slowing the swing in much of the same way as my feet slow my rotation in the chair. Furthermore, once the bat escapes the shoulders here, we no longer have control of the barrel. Try it, press the bat up against the shoulder. You can command it out (to hit the outside pitch) or forward to get to the inside pitch. You can't do that once it's already outside your hands. In addition, you have essentially already committed to a pitch once the bat escapes the "shaft to shoulder" principle. If you can keep it shaft to shoulder, you can decline to swing. Look at Bonds takes, he often takes pitches in this very position.
>
> That to me is bat lag. Feel free to fire away with the comments.
>
> Pro_Hitter
> Jer 29:11

Great discussion. Welcome ProHitter. Your insight is valuable. We appreciate it.

Your comments about the bat pressed against the shoulder and how it affects the release is great stuff. I assume it doesn't literally have to be pressed because I see few hitters that do this. But, I can see in Bonds (and others) what you are talking about. Is it a good teaching technique that allows one to get the feel and then after you have it the "pressing" is less important?

Expand, if you will, on the professional coaching issue that you brought up.