Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Fri May 7 15:08:15 2004

>>> Thank you again. I do believe I now understand exactly where you're coming from. From your two examples, torque is applied to the bat by differential forces in the hands. In the one example, the top hand was essentially pushing the bat creating torque, while in the second example, the bottom hand was essentially pulling the bat, also creating torque and thus bat speed. Combining a push-pull action with the hands unquestionably applies torque to the bat.

One important question remains. From your two examples, it appears that when torque is applied to the bat handle by the two differential forces, the wrists elongate. I cannot envision how one this can be avoided. It seems this is an inevitable consequence of applying differential forces to the bat by the hands.

From my observations, the wrist position on most swings seems relatively fixed until just before contact when the wrists do elongate. If significant torque is being applied to the bat during the swing, then based on your examples the wrists should elongate or possibly contract during the swing. Since at cursory level they do not seem to do this, this appears to be a contradiction.

Can you please explain this apparent discrepancy? <<<

Hi JJA

The fact that you observed “the wrist position on most swings seems relatively fixed until just before contact when the wrists do elongate” tells me you have studied clips frame-by-frame and have a keen eye. I would only add that the wrists remain relativity fixed in a “good” swing.

While doing video analysis of hundreds of young player’s swings, I have found that the batters whose mechanics accelerate the bat linearly (knob first) exhibit considerably more flexing and then un-flexing of their wrists during the swing than good rotational hitters. The reason you noted the wrist of those good hitters remaining relativity fixed is because the angular displacement rate of their bat stayed more in sync with the angular rate of their hand-path. This is why using torque during initiation to accelerate the bat-head back toward the catcher before directing energy toward the ball is so important.

JJA, you ask intelligent and informed questions.

Jack Mankin