Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Mar 15 12:47:18 2008

>>> When you say that Giambi pulls on the knob, I don't see it. If you are not using your hands to turn the bat to the ball, how does the barrel ever get squared to the ball? Is it that the shoulders rotation makes the barrel fly off the "merry go round"? If this was so, wouldn't the hands always trail the rear shoulder? and wouldn't the barrel trail the hands until either you rotate so far that the barrel gets there or the shoulders stop and the barrel finely catches up?

How does the bat ever get flat? If the barrel goes rearward at first, which I believe we both agree upon, could it not happen by turning it the way Teacherman describes? If the top of the top hand is going back and the top of the bottom hand is going back, aren't they working in the same direction? IMO if there was pulling of the knob the realationship of the hands and the rear armpit would change, but they do not. Therefore the only conclusion that I can come up with is that the hands are "swiveling" the bat in a rearward arc(ratcheting at the armpit) and continuing that arc through contact.

When I hit and when I watch the clips you posted, I feel the "swivel". I feel the bat being turned all the way through the swing. I do not feel any pulling or pushing.

I'm here to learn, not to just agree with or disagree with someone. So, I look forward to your response. <<<

Hi Graylon

When the batter has acquired a good launch position, there will be solid linkage of the lead-arm (and bottom-hand) to the lead-shoulder. Therefore any rotation of the lead-shoulder produces a pull on the knob end of the bat. When I said Giambi was starting to pull on the knob, I was referring to the first rotational movement of his lead shoulder.

Many average hitters’ launch position does not have the lead-arm in a position that supplies the bottom-hand solid linkage to the lead-shoulder. There is enough looseness (or slop) in their setup that results in a good portion of shoulder rotation just taking up slack while applying little or no pull on the bat. This does not occur with the launch position of hitters like Giambi. Any movement of their lead-shoulder is transferred directly to knob end of the bat.

The muscles of the lead-arm should not be involved in supplying the pull on the bat. The arm serves mainly a linkage to the shoulder. The rotation of the shoulders rotates the lead-arm, hands and knob in circular paths to the contact zone. This circular path of the hands (CHP) induces angular acceleration of the bat-head (The Pendulum Effect). This is a key to eliminating “bat drag.”

Using the muscles of the lead and back-arm to thrust the hands and knob forward straightens out the hand-path, creates disconnect to lead-shoulder rotation and results in “bat drag.” -- We will discuss the hand/forearm action you refer to as “swiveling” later in the thread.

Jack Mankin