Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Jack Mankin (Batspeed@verizon.net) on Tue Feb 5 10:23:24 2013

>>> Hi Jack, I've seen your video on the angle of lead arm stays constant from toe-touch to contact. And that is true in MLB. But I've seen videos from Asia (Japan & Korea) that some asian players get their lead arm extended at the contact as they get older:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mGTfnfkiqc
(144 km/hr:89.5 MPH fastball)
(Tomoaki Kanemoto from Hanshin Tigers in Japan: retired after 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKLHSIvxVo4
(141km/hr:87.6 MPH fastball)
(Lee Seung-yup from Samsung Lions in Korea)

(Both players are power hitters and hits HR from videos above)

What will be the difference in their swing compare to Major League players such as Ken Griffey Jr, Chipper Jones, Adrian Gonzalez, etc? what did they (asian players) have done right to achieve the HR? <<<

Hi Yohan

The rule I stated for the lead-arm is from "launch to contact." I further stated that a batter may launch the swing with a bent or barred lead-arm. What is important is that whatever the bend (or no bend), it should remain constant from launch to contact -- launch, meaning the initiation of shoulder rotation. Any adjustment of elbow bend for pitch location should be made prior to initiating rotation.

A straighter lead-arm approaching contact does not offer as strong a position for applying torque as does a bent-elbow. However, a straighter arm generates more bat speed from taking the hands in a wider CHP. -- Bent elbow = more from torque but less from CHP -- A straighter elbow = less from torque but more from CHP.

The laws of physics also remain constant regardless of who or where the batter is from. Therefore, what is true for Griffey Jr. is also true for Lee Seung. There are a good number of MLB hitters who initiate the swing with a fairly straight lead-arm. I will place below a clip of Griffey Jr. (straighter arm) and Barry Bonds (bent elbow). Note the difference in the width of their hand-paths.

I think you will find Griffey Jr.s' swing mechanics are very similar to Lee Seung. - I would appreciate your thoughts.

Griffey Jr. & Bonds

Jack Mankin

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Text:

> >>> Hi Jack, I've seen your video on the angle of lead arm stays constant from toe-touch to contact. And that is true in MLB. But I've seen videos from Asia (Japan & Korea) that some asian players get their lead arm extended at the contact as they get older:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mGTfnfkiqc 
> (144 km/hr:89.5 MPH fastball) 
> (Tomoaki Kanemoto from Hanshin Tigers in Japan: retired after 2012)
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKLHSIvxVo4
> (141km/hr:87.6 MPH fastball)
> (Lee Seung-yup from Samsung Lions in Korea)
> 
> (Both players are power hitters and hits HR from videos above)
> 
> What will be the difference in their swing compare to Major League players such as Ken Griffey Jr, Chipper Jones, Adrian Gonzalez, etc? what did they (asian players) have done right to achieve the HR? <<<
> 
> Hi Yohan
> 
> The rule I stated for the lead-arm is from "launch to contact." I further stated that a batter may launch the swing with a bent or barred lead-arm. What is important is that whatever the bend (or no bend), it should remain constant from launch to contact -- launch, meaning the initiation of shoulder rotation. Any adjustment of elbow bend for pitch location should be made prior to initiating rotation.
> 
> A straighter lead-arm approaching contact does not offer as strong a position for applying torque as does a bent-elbow. However, a straighter arm generates more bat speed from taking the hands in a wider CHP. -- Bent elbow = more from torque but less from CHP -- A straighter elbow = less from torque but more from CHP. 
> 
> The laws of physics also remain constant regardless of who or where the batter is from. Therefore, what is true for Griffey Jr. is also true for Lee Seung. There are a good number of MLB hitters who initiate the swing with a fairly straight lead-arm. I will place below a clip of Griffey Jr. (straighter arm) and Barry Bonds (bent elbow). Note the difference in the width of their hand-paths. 
> 
> I think you will find Griffey Jr.s' swing mechanics are very similar to Lee Seung. - I would appreciate your thoughts.
> 
> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atUbzNvmIqY">Griffey Jr. & Bonds</a>
> 
> Jack Mankin

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Who hit a record 70 home runs in one season?
   Kobe Bryant
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   Walter Payton
   Barry Bonds