Posted by: Jim E. () on Mon Aug 9 18:09:39 2004

Jack,

A great response and one I can grasp.

Thanks,

Jim E.

> Hi Jim
>
> I would guess that most posters who say they can see THT being applied are referring to the pre-launch phase of applying THT. During pre-launch torque, the hands start a good distance from the back-shoulder (like Bonds or Sosa) and bat-head acceleration occurs before shoulder rotation. Even the most skeptic observer should be able to see that the pulling back of the forearm (and thus top-hand) applies torque that causes the bat-head to be accelerated back.
>
> I agree with you that THT is hard to see once the hands are at the back-shoulder and the bat is in the swing plane. Even though the pulling back of the top-hand continues during initiation, shoulder rotation is accelerating the hands (as a unit) around toward the pitcher. Therefore if the hands (as a unit) is rotating in one direction, it is hard to see, or understood by many, how the top-hand is applying a force in the opposite direction (back toward the catcher).
>
> Jim, regardless of what muscles or mechanics it feels like you are using, if it results in you pulling the top-hand back around a slower moving bottom-hand, you are applying torque that is accelerating the bat-head.
>
> Jack Mankin
>