Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Fri Aug 18 02:01:15 2000

>>>can someone explain the kinetic chain of events to me. 2. IM not a scientist so if you say the shoulders move 1st before the hands then so be it but when i hit i say mentally to myself make your hands get the bat head out front quick on an inside pitch. WHEN I thought of trying to hit it deep or swinging harder than normal I felt i started my shoulder turn 1st which seemed to make my hands lag behind or shoulder pull out early.maybe having my mind on my hands got them moving when they should and it kept my shoulder in longer which seemed to give me more power.i have offered this thought process to a # of high school players I knew were pulling off the ball early with their front shoulder and each have started hitting better near immediately. <<<

Hi RQL

Your post makes a point that I have stated many times. "It is not productive to blend linear and rotational mechanics." I know that noted batting authorities like Schmidt and Ellis (The Mike Schmidt Study) say the swing is a combination of the two. There may be some limited validity to that theory for developing energy for the swing (weight shift + rotation). But it is counter-productive to blend linear and rotational mechanics to transfer that energy into bat speed.

With linear mechanics, the hands are thrust forward mainly from the extension of the top hand. The shoulders serve as a platform for the arms to swing from and their rotation is more to felicitate that action than to generate bat speed. Therefore, hand acceleration will always lead shoulder rotation. This type of mechanic relies more on the strength of the arms and is not efficient in transferring the energy developed by the body.

Rotational mechanics relies on the rotation of the body, and the bats reaction to torque, to accelerate the hands. The arms are used to apply torque to the bat. --- Here is where you can not blend the two mechanics. --- To apply torque to the bat, the top hand MUST NOT be driven forward at initiation. That will only accelerate the bat lengthwise and the bat-head will lag. To accelerate the bat-head into an arc, the top hand MUST PULL in the opposite direction of the bottom hand. --- Forces applied from opposite directions causes the bat to rotate.

So RQL, you are absolutely right. If you keep your hands back and allow the shoulders to rotate first then thrust the top hand forward - the bat-head is going to lag. I see this in video reviews of many who try to blend the two mechanics.

Jack Mankin