Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Thu Mar 4 15:50:48 2004

>>> Disclaimer:
Cues and their interpretations are infinite.Even if they get interpreted in a way that gives the desired surface/video appearance there is still no guarantee the neuromuscular system is functioning the way you want or the way it needs to.You are going to tread a fine line between trying a lot of word communication/cues and seeing if it promotes good trial and error skill formation/results or if it just creates confusion/poor results.

Given that blanket disclaimer,I think of scap loading more often as an analytical description than a more specific teaching cue.In analysis,does the scap load and unload well as part of the overall coiling/uncoiling of the swing.

More discrete parts of the motion might be cued by

"hide the hands",for example.But how do you hide the hands ?

Do you do it by "pinch and lift" of the back shoulder blade to "cock the bat toward the pitcher"?

Or do you do it by "wrapping" with the wrist joints ?

Does the shoulder/scap stay loaded/stretched as you "slot the elbow".

Did you have to "tip the bat" earlier to get the back arm internally rotated so that when you do slot the elbow,it doesn't force you to lose scap/shoulder complex load prematurely either by a shoulder joint bind or by the bathead extending prematurely.

Is the top hand staying back against the shoulder at initiation ?

Is the elbow in the slot at initiation?

Is the back scap still loaded ?

Ultimately these are all 1:1 unique in person communications that are very hard to describe in writing. <<<

Hi Tom

That is all fine and well. But as and end result, does “scap loading” accelerate the bat differently than top-hand-torque?

Jack Mankin