Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Mar 7 18:12:43 2004

>>> Jack, I can understand why you want to ban the term "scap load", considering all of the insults outsiders have made, promoting other web sites, etc. But if you could just bear with me, I would, if I could, once and for all, get a brief analysis from someone who is familiar with both terms as to what, if any difference there is.
With all due respect, I do not wish to hear from Teacherman (nothing personal, Teacherman, it's just that you seem to be lightening rod for negative discourse that tends to degenerate into a match of insults). I would prefer to hear from Jack, Tom, BHL or RQL. Thanks <<<

Hi Robby

My purpose of the post “Thoughts on Posting,” was not to ban discussing “scap load.” I added the conditions for posting in order to clarify just what the primary purpose of this mechanic is. I read what Paul made available at Setpro. What struck me first was that although he described most of the muscles and bones involved in “scap loading,” he never described what effect the mechanic had on the bat’s trajectories.

The ultimate purpose of all swing mechanics is to gain maximum acceleration of the bat-head into a predictable swing plane. Yet, although Paul wrote a number of paragraphs about “scap loading,” he never even once even mentioned the BAT, much less the effect “scap loading” had on it.

If “scap loading” (and the pulling back of the elbow) is just to bring the hands back to prepare a good launch position, I would say that “scap loading” may be a good cue for it. However, if “scap loading” (and the pulling back of the elbow – and thus, the top-hand) is claimed to accelerate the bat back into the swing plane, then we have a problem of someone claiming a defined batting principle by giving it a different name.

From my research, the defining mechanical principle that separated the great hitters from all the rest, was that they first accelerated the bat-head in an arc back toward the catcher with a mechanic I termed “Top-Hand-Torque” (pulling the top-hand back). I think you will find that many average hitters “load the scap” while preparing their launch position. But these hitters do not accelerate the bat-head back into the swing plane (THT).

Frame-by-frame analysis will show that average batters may start with a more vertical bat, but they bring their bat to a near stop (little or no angular displacement) at the launch position before they initiate their swings. Once the bat is in the launch position, average hitters do not accelerate the bat-head back by pulling back with the top-hand. They thrust their top-hand forward.

Jack Mankin