Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Wed Jul 28 17:25:59 2004

>>> Thanks for your reply. You talk about adding BHT and THT to a good circular hand path. Maybe I have missed something, but it seems to me that having the proper stationary axis (spine) causes or at least very much influences BHT. Therefore, I see bottom hand torque as a result of a good hand path hooking. I never have thought of BHT as optional...am I correct in thinking this way? I just don't see how you can have the right hand path without generating BHT automatically. THT, on the other hand, is an additional motion to the CHP.

Please correct me if I'm wrong on this. <<<

Hi Marcus

No, you are not wrong. The pulling back of the bottom-hand not only applies torque (BHT) to the bat, it also causes the hook in the hand-path at contact. The reason I say the batter should learn to add torque to a productive hand-path is due to the way I teach the CHP. I have found that whenever the batter has both hands on the bat, the forces he uses to apply to torque usually overrides the development of a good CHC. Therefore, I first teach the CHP using the top-hand only.

I have the batter assume a launch position with the bat in the plane, hands at the back shoulder and the back-elbow lowered to their side (no THT here). I then have them remove the bottom-hand. Without using the wrist to accelerate the bat-head, they should rotate around a stationary axis. The back-forearm will rotate from vertical to the horizontal palm-up position at contact. The elbow should remain back at the side during rotation and still be back in the "L" at contact. This limits the distance the top-hand travels to 20 to 24 inches by contact (I always use the heavy bag).

It normally takes a couple hundred attempts before the batter acquires the hand-path, timing and rhythm to generate good bat speed with the one hand without using the wrist. I then have them place just the finger tips of the bottom-hand on the bat and very lightly start to add just little BHT as they rotate - then add a little more and so on. -- Marcus this is why I said to add torque to the hand-path.

PS. During this drill, batters quickly learn that extending the top-hand forward (out of the "L" position) does not increase their bat speed at contact.

Jack Mankin