Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatSpeed@aol.com) on Sun Aug 29 19:27:52 2004

>>> Hi Jack,

I'm getting no decrease in speed when I bring the hands forward a short distance ahead of the rear shoulder. There's a strong case that can be made that this increases the late uncocking which increases the arc later in the swing (you will have a greater arcing from around the rear shoulder to contact, the arc will be covering a greater distance from frame to frame).

There are lots of ways to apply physics in the swing. The late uncocking holds up just as well as any other way we apply physics.

In the late uncocking there is a force transferred down the length of the bat. There is a forward force in the swing, it might be the arms and bat being pulling forward by rotation.

Here's Chipper Jones showing the bat coming off the tip of the shoulder, after the hands have moved forward ahead of the shoulder, with the bat and wrists still cocked. After getting to that position the hands begin to uncock turning the bat over a greater distance out infront of the body.

http://members.aol.com/bellshw2/Chipper01.mov

I would take that swing any day. There's nothing wrong with swinging forward, it just depends on the mechanics of the individual.

Shawn <<<


Hi Shawn

At this time you may develop your top bat speed while starting your hands forward. But I would not quit practicing keeping the hands back as you initiate your swing. It may require many hours (or months) to gain the timing and rhythm required to reach your full potential. If your goal is 85+mph, I would say that keeping the hands back and generating a CHP at initiation is your best bet. At least that has been true for my students.

So that we understand your point regarding Chipper’s swing, other than viewing two swings (Jones and Sosa) from different perspectives (Jones down the first base line – Sosa from up the line), what differences should we see in Jones’s mechanics as compared to the Sosa clip ( http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/Sosa01.mpeg ) regarding initiation.

As you pointed out earlier, swings viewed from different viewpoints give different impressions of a hitter’s mechanics. I have also found this to be the case. To best compare two batters mechanics they need to be observed from the same angle.

Jack Mankin