Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Dec 20 15:09:56 2003

>>> In case you don't know it, a players maximum batspeed is at extension. I'm sure that's enough to hit a 68 mph fastball out of the park. <<<

HI Lamber

A study of the angular rate of displacement of the bat during a rotation swing does not support your contention that maximum bat speed is attained at full extension of the arms. It may be true with linear transfer mechanics where bat-head acceleration occurs later in the swing, but that is not the case with good rotational transfer mechanics.

But, for the sake of our discussion, let us assume that with rotational mechanics the bat does continue to accelerate as the arms reach toward full extension. In the swing of a Barry Bonds or Sosa, the bat is sweeping past (or pointing at) the pitcher as the arms reach full extension. That means the bat has rotated close to 90 degrees past the contact point for hitting the ball straight-away. The ball will be pulled foul for any degree greater than 20 or 30 degrees past perpendicular to the incoming ball . Therefore, any bat speed attained past that point would be of little value anyway.

Jack Mankin