Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Aug 23 12:15:31 2004

>>> Jose Guillen has emerged as a very good hitter--something he definitely was not before last year. He uses great torque in his swing, lifting his elbow and NOTICEABLY pulling back with his top hand.

I am curious to know whether he did this early in his career, because he made a TREMENDOUS jump in hitting after 2002. I think this big jump is due to improved mechanics. <<<

Hi Brandon

I have not had a chance to study Jose’s swing in detail but his “TREMENDOUS jump in hitting” is just one of many Major League hitters who has seen similar results after converting to rotational transfer mechanics. I have often stated that the rise in home runs and batting stats we are witnessing are the result of the increasing number of hitters converting to rotational principles (THT, CHP, & BHT).

In the early 1990’s, I only found around 22 Major League hitters who exhibited rotational transfer principles. The most notable conversion of that time was Terry Pendleton. Terry was a 260 average - 6hr linear hitter in his six years with the Cardinals. Then, the following year, at the age of 36, he showed up in Atlanta with pre-launch and rotational mechanics very similar to Barry Bonds. That year, Terry’s stats jumped to a 330+ average, and 35+ hr with about 130 RBI’s.

Just think about it, in the first year after Terry’s conversion (at the age of 36), he went from a lifetime 260 – 6 hr hitter to become the National League’s Most Valuable Player.

Jack Mankin