Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatSpeed@aol.com) on Thu Aug 5 13:25:45 2004

>>> Ok are we saying the same thing and seeing it the same way?

I'll say the top hand is more active during initiation. In the clip the bathead moves from slightly pointing toward the pitcher to back toward the catcher with minimal forward movement of the hands (there is forward movement).

The bottom hand must also (leads arm) fight the build up of angular velocity, centrifugal force?. That why we get blisters on the bottom hand if we haven't swung in awhile.

The bat itself wants to swing out of rotation. I heard a term I liked, the bat is prepelled.

I agree the bottom hands serves as a rotational point, but I think the top hand is still active in turning the bat. Even though the tophand is active early, it doesn't complete the entire 90 degree turn until contact. So we would have two forces acting in turning the bat. I think you would agree with what I'm trying to say.

View the Giambi clip today and get back to me. I will post a overhead shot for further discussion on what happens in the swing. <<<

Hi Shawn

Yes, I would say that once we clarified our terms, we see the swing about the same. I would like to make a point that I have found to be the key in generating bat speed. – As you rightfully pointed out, shoulder rotation alone will cause the bat-head (and thus the top-hand) to arc from its launch position back toward the catcher during initiation.

This would be true even if the back-arm and shoulder complex remains relaxed during rotation. However, the back-arm does not remain dormant. The amount of bat speed generated will be governed by whether or not the direction of force supplied to the top-hand adds to or detracts from this natural bat-head acceleration (back toward the catcher).

If the back-arm and shoulder complex (call it scap-loading if you wish) continues pulling the top-hand back in the same direction induced from shoulder rotation, the bat-head will be even further accelerated. However, the natural tendency of most batters (probably 98+ percent) is to drive the top-hand forward during initiation. This direction of force is counter to the top-hand rotation induced from shoulder rotation, which reduces bat-head acceleration and directs the hand-path into a straighter course.

The pulling back of the top-hand applies torque at the handle, which adds to the bat speed derived from shoulder rotation. – Shawn, I will address the swing clip in another post.

Jack Mankin