Posted by: Bill () on Sun May 16 12:03:23 2004

>>> Pure undadulterated hogwash.
> >
> > Bat quickness does not equal bat speed. It has nothing to do with linear. It has everything to do with proper rotation. It has nothing to do with THT. How could it? It doesn't exist.
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> > Quickness is how fast you can get the barrel to contact. Speed has to do with how fast the barrel is moving at the time. Two very different concepts. One doesn't automatically lead to the other. <<<
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> > Hi Teacherman
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> > It is time for you to prove the accuracy of your statements.
> >
> > (1) Top-hand-torque does not exist.
> >
> > (2) Bat quickness does not equal bat speed.
> >
> > I will not except any further posts from you that do not pertain to offering proof THT does not exist, and that from initiation (rotation and hands accelerated) a bat can reach contact quicker without attaining greater bat speed. – Proof , Teacherman, not your opinions. There are also plenty of clips available for you to make your case.
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> > Jack Mankin
> >
> >
> I'm no scientist so you may not consider this proof. But I've spent enough time in the batters box to understand the difference. Maybe I can demonstrate it. Stand in the batters box against any very fast pitching. Live or machine. Say 90+ mph. A speed that you likely can't catch up to because of your age or level of development. Take your best mechanically sound cut trying to generate your top batspeed. Your success will probably be very limited, just like mine. Take 10 cuts. Note your success. Jack, a guy your age or my age, is lucky to touch the ball. We're lucky to foul one off. We have decent batspeed but lousy control and we can't catch up. As we generate our top batspeed we resemble every hitter who has reached his limit. We resemble Dave Kingman. Good swings. Good batspeed. No success.
>
> Now, stand in the box in a very relaxed state, bat on your shoulder if need be (similar to a pepper stance) and try to contact the ball by simply playing pepper. Forget about generating batspeed. Just make solid contact. Making contact is easy. Making solid contact is possible. Why???????????????????????????
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> Because we are much quicker to the ball in the pepper example where we are not trying to generate batspeed.
>
> Therefore, there is a constant trade off of batspeed for bat quickness as you learn to hit. Of course the better hitters learn to do both, but, even their best game swing is not their top batspeed. Quickness and control first. Batspeed second. Develop the best batspeed you can within your quick swing.
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> Teaching top batspeed to young hitters will cause them early failure. The mechanics to be quick to the ball which is absolutely essential will be bypassed and they will fail.
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> On my summer team last summer my best hitter registered 64 mph in batspeed. He was 9th out of 12 players on my team in batspeed. Most all of the kids were 75-80 mph. He led the team in HR's, doubles, slugging percentage and average. Was an allstar in a select league. If you polled the opposing coaches they'd surely say he had one of the top batspeeds in the league. Far from correct. He had a very quick swing under control. Because of his quickness and control, he could wait longer than most and hit the ball solid. Sweet on sweet is 100 times more valuable than high speed off center.
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> As far as THT is concerned, I don't have ability to post clips but I can swing and create the bat movement that you label THT and not do it with my hands. It comes out of efficient rotation, not any torquing in the hands. The pressure felt in the hands, that you are labeling THT, is simply a reactionary force to the efficient rotation of a well trained and mechanically sound hitter.

" Making contact is easy. Making solid contact is possible." True, and you can simply stick out the bat as if you are bunting the ball, make "solid contact" and the ball will travel 100 feet if contacted "correctly". And what does that prove? It proves that for the ball to go over 100 feet you need something else, namely BATSPEED.And how do you get batspeed? With the correct mechanics such as THT. Teacherman, you unwittingly proved the case FOT tht and the equality of bat speed and bat quickness!