Posted by: dougdinger () on Wed Jul 28 21:19:17 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.
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> Please correct me if I'm wrong on this. <<<
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> Hi Marcus
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> 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.
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> 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).
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> 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.
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> 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.
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> Jack Mankin
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> So is the back elbow still in contact with the hitter's side at contact on middle and inside pitches? I happen to be very skinny, so keeping my elbow tucked in at my (thin framed) side creates a very short swing and when I keep my elbow in, even on inside pitches I hit them on the end of the bat, and I cut my swing short of extension in the follow through. So is the back elbow, lead arm, and hands supposed to cast out a little (not sweep out) as the swing goes on? All my hits this year are on outside pitches, where I can extend my arms out and use more of an arm swing with less hip rotation, remember my earlier post I said I had an all arms swing with limited hip rotation.