Posted by: dougdinger () on Sun Oct 3 23:19:35 2004

While I'm still working on the CHP top-hand drill, I just read some things in the Swing Mechanics section that has confused my understanding, so far, on pre-launch torque. My understanding so far was that: Once the stride heel lands, the back elbow comes down to the batter's side-creating the pre-launch torque. Then once the elbow is down to the side, the top hand continues applying torque-in the Top-Hand Torque phase. Then before contact, the bottom hand kicks in, applying bottom-hand torque.
However in the Swing Mechanics section in Frame #B, when the "inward turn starts", it says "The hands are being pulled toward the back-shoulder (mainly by the top-hand pulling backward toward the catcher - "Pre-launch torque"), which causes the bat-head to starts its acceleration (sweep) from a more vertical position back toward its normal launch position behind the head." In little league terms, as you stride, you bring the hands back toward the shoulder. You are "loading up", or "bringing the hands to the launch position". All you are doing is bringing the hands backwards, pretty much. That's all I see when I watch hitters at my college games or on TV.
Frame D: "The back-elbow rises as the batter continues to accelerate the bat-head back toward the launch position by pulling the hands (mainly with the top-hand) toward the back-shoulder." As the back elbow rises, wouldn't the bathead naturally start to tilt just the slighest bit so as to point it more at the pitcher? Frame E "launch position:"The pitch has been read and the batter is ready to fully initiate rotation and Top-Hand-Torque ("THT" - top hand pulls back toward the catcher, assisted by the back elbow lowering, causing the bat to accelerate toward the catcher in an arc)."
So I'm confused. You apply pre-launch torque while you inward turn? Don't the hands go back while the elbow goes up, pointing the bat more toward the pitcher? So where exactly does the Pre-Launch TORQUE ( "the result of two forces being applied to an object from opposing directions") come from? The pitch hasn't even been read yet (not until Frame E), how can you start applying bat speed and start your swing without even knowing what and where the pitch is? Wouldn't you be committing your swing too early-less ability to wait for an offspeed pitch?
What exactly is the point of applying Pre-Launch Torque anyway, to add a tad bit more bat speed? How can you start supplying power and bat speed to the bat as you stride and bring the hands almost straight back toward the shoulder? It sounds to me like you are starting your swing before you even start your swing!
I always figured that you started applying torque at the same time you open up the hips. Apparently it doesn't say that in the Mechanics section. One would assume then that the quicker you bring the hands back during the stride, the more PLT you apply and the quicker the bat, but that would just get the hands way ahead of the body and the rest of the swing (the kinetic chain thing).
I must be confused somewhere, cause it doesn't make sense to me that you can accelerate the bathead when you bring the bat back toward the shoulders. As I bring my hands back and elbow up from about 85 degrees to just above 90 degrees, the bathead naturally tilts and points more toward the pitcher. Should the bathead tilt be in the opposite direction then? If you can clarify this, and even provide a clip of someone (most likely Bonds) and some kind of a drill that can help teach and clarify PLT, that would be great, cause I'm kinda lost right now. And thanks a load!