Posted by: Rich () on Wed Aug 4 21:08:04 2004

Jack,
> >
> > Great site you have here.
> >
> > I have read numerous post on the THT topic here at your site but am most confused when you or other posters say how clearly you can "see" THT in player X's swing etc.
> >
> > For example,I can see the bathead being taken back toward the catcher but how can I know this action is being caused by THT and not just a less
> > active result other than a "bow string pull" type of action? I mean, I can bring back my hands the same way without necessarily using such force to do so just by shrugging my back shoulder. So how do you determine/identify the movements as THT?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
>
> That's a great question.

Hey Teacherman,

Here's how i see it... one get's on plane in the launch position and initiates the swing with hips and shoulder rotation. no argument there.
Now as the bathead sweeps around into contact you have a choice. 1) allow the bathead to sweep around while lowering the hands perpendicular to contact. or 2) do exactly the same thing as in choice #1 but use the muscles of the forearm of the top hand to FORCE the rotation of the top hand into the palm up position. this force(torque) will SPEED UP the displacement of the bathead. this FORCE is being applied in the EXACT direction of the PLANE of the bat. what might be confusing is the term "pulling like a bow string". that i think would pull the bat out of PLANE. it's a FORCE(torque)of rotation.

Here's an analogy... in weight lifting a person can be squatting down with a bar under their chin(light bar). if they explode up from the squatting position the bar will travel up over their head with no FORCE from the shoulder muscles. same as the choice #1 above.

Now the weight lifter squats down with the bar and explodes upward and at the same time applies FORCE to the bar with his hands, choice #2 above. the speed at which the bar travels over his head is much faster in choice #2 because of the added force applied by the hands... can the eye detect that force? NO but it is unquestionably THERE.

You can apply THT and gain batspeed or you can think there is no such thing and wonder why your fly balls aren't clearing the fence. my 15 year old daughter learned about that force and now her fly balls clear the fence once in awhile. the key is applying the force in the exact plane of the bat. end of story. regards