Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Thu Nov 20 11:28:05 2003

>>> I was just interested in how much success this player is having. I really like the things I see in his swing although I have trouble getting adequate frame by frame viewing. Anyway, his upper half reminds me of a left handed version of Bagwell. His load is intriguing and I've been mulling that Bagwell style load over in my head. You see it in Bonds from time to time as well...the hitter loads by swaying the bat back and forth towards the opposing batters box and back towards his shoulders (not loading the hands back as much as out and in). I think, in my humble opinion, that it creates some connection between the bat and the lower half. Anyway, I like his swing but would love to see a few more. <<<
> > >
> > > Hi Andy
> > >
> > > Although this batter may have some of the pre-launch movements similar to a Bagwell or Bonds, there is a defining difference that makes this just another average swing. Bagwell and Bonds keep accelerating the bat-head as they bring their hands up toward the back shoulder and keep it accelerating right through the normal launch position. But instead of keeping the bat-head sweeping into the swing plane, this batter brings the bat to a complete stop behind his head before initiating the swing.
> > >
> > > This difference would be similar to him racing Bonds in a 20 yard dash – but allowing Bonds to come flying by before he took off.
> > >
> > > Jack Mankin
> > >
> > > Jack out of curiousity, to what degree do you believe the pre-launch bat sweep into the plane contributes to batspeed and could it ever diminish returns in accuracy, due to higher level pitching. I agree that it exists, but many are way more excessive and yet they are not always better hitters. Some that I view as not being excessive, but great hitters are Nomar and MCGwire. Some that seem excessive are Tejada and Aaron. Is the degree that one sweeps the bat into the plane a personal thing in your view? One could argue that this is the line between batspeed and bat quickness? Do you agree?
> >
> > Coach C
>
> Good question but I don't see it as the line between batspeed and quickness.

teacherman-

I would think theoretically and mechanically (laws of bodies in motion)not biomechanically physiologically (all that messy human related stuff) that the the ways to quicken the swing are:

1- how quickly the bathead fires out/relative momenta of torso/body vs. bat,? addressed by Nyman's e-mail to Jack:

http://www.setpro.com/NEWWEB/best%20of%20max00.htm

There may be some disagreement about whether this is accurately described as whipping or not.

2-load created by radius of circular handpath and whether or not handpath "hooks" as explained by Jack and referred to By Nyman as

"mass inertia transformer step-up" in the case of hooking.

Biomechanically,you want to get the torso energized as much as possible,then swing the center of mass of the bat out as quickly as possible and keep the handpath circular or tightening.You would want to encourage the handpath hook by bellying up.

Jack would describe this area as "transfer mechanics".

This should shorten and quicken the swing as much as possible to minimize timing error.