Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Thu Apr 22 00:30:57 2004

>>> Okay,
Drew is 7 & a very good athelete. (See earlier post for our delima.) Machine pitch league, about 35 mph. He hit great last year @slower speed. Lots of BP this year & 10 strike outs in 13 AB. 1 home run (to the fence)1 dbl,1 tpl. He uses a Tri-Shell 28-17oz. NOT too heavy for him. The strike out, dbl & tpl last nite came from using his $18. Easton 27-20 oz bat. Sat. game (tri-shell) had 2 strikeouts, only contact was a foul that bounced off 3rd base dugout about 10 ft high and went to the fence. Then proceeds to swing waaay ahead & strike out. I know the heavy bat is not the cure for this. What to work on first, pulling his head, or decrease his stride (big stride) to prevent the lunge? I just received Jacks tape w/ review & heavy bag. Nice instructional video Jack. Will the rotational method decrease strikeouts? Is it just a timing issue? He times it fine w/ soft toss & bad to great at BP. He says he is nervous in the game & it shows. He was moved from 6th to 10th in the batting order for last nite's game. The coach (& my friend) apoligized saying that Drew is too good of a player to be batting out of the top 4. Should I go ahead & send Jack the review tape or try more drills on timing & send it later? Sorry for the long post.
Drew's Dad <<<

Hi Drew’s Dad

Swinging too early or too late is more of a timing issue than mechanical, especially with slower pitches. I would recommend Drew stick with just one bat. When choosing the bat, it is good to keep in mind that the optimum mechanics for accelerating a lighter bat are very different than required to swing a bat with greater substance.

When swinging a very light bat (say –11 or -12) there is little bat inertia to be overcome. Therefore, good bat-head acceleration can be obtained with mechanics that rely mainly on using the arms (linear extension mechanics). But as the weight of the bat increases toward –3 or heavier, these mechanics just can not adequately accelerate the bat-head.

As the weight of the bat increases, the batter’s swing mechanics must rely more and more on the larger muscle groups in the legs and torso to gain maximum bat-head acceleration. Rotational transfer mechanics is the most efficient way to transfer the energy generated by the lower body into bat speed.

Dad, I understand that most young players use more linear mechanics, and therefore find more success with the lighter bats. Having fun and being able to compete is what makes the game worthwhile to the young athlete. However, you must also keep in mind that the longer the hitter uses these mechanics, the more ingrained they become. And later, the harder these mechanics will be to change as the batter strives for higher levels where heavier bats and more bat speed are required.

I would have Drew only work on the basic rotational principles. Then send his swing in for a review. When he is 10 or 11, you can teach him the more advanced rotational drills presented. I will review his swing again at that time.

Jack Mankin