Posted by: Dave A (oxagin@hotmail.com) on Wed Oct 13 12:04:05 2004

I have been educating myself with this website since November of 2003. This is by far the best website I have found about hitting. I completely changed my swing based on what I learned from this website. I played at a division 2 school that swung wood bats in conference and I went from hitting .355 with 9 doubles and 3 homeruns my junior year (all-conference numbers) to hitting .415 with 23 doubles and 16 homeruns my senior year. (all-american numbers) I ended up signing with the Florida Marlins as a result. Thank you for all of the education. If anyone knows of any sites where I can get more video clips, I would love to hear from you. Thanks again.
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> > > > > > > > Kevin, I extend my congratulations to you. I am a scout for the Mets,and i know a lot of the scouts in both leagues. I can tell you that the Mets, Marlins and the Cardinals have been focusing their efforts on pitching first, speed second and hitters third. But when they do sign a hitter they are looking specifically for a hitter who has sound rotational mechanics such as Jack has described. They are looking for hitters who can drive the inside and outside pitch, and the scouts feel that good execution of top hand torque wull go a long way in achieving this.On the other hand there are some organizations that seem to have a linear philosophy (the A's and Mariners come to mind). Understand that I am not criticizing them. If they feel linearism fits better with their style of slap hits to the opposite field, that's ok. But I feel (as do the scouts with scouts of the Cards, Marlins and my own organization) that in the long run, with tht you can score more runs using tht to drive HOMERUNS to the pull and opposite field rather than going linear and beisng satisfied with slap singles. Again, congratulations on your sucess.
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> > > > > > > Bernie I would like to correct the record. I scout for the Astros. I can't speak for the other organizations, but Astro scouts are always looking for rotational hitters. We equate linearism with batting average, and rotation with average plus power. We equate rotationalism with top hand torque/circular hand path, and we equate linearism with hitting mechanics of yesterday.
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> > > > > > So there are scouts who know what top-hand torque is? Do they actually look for THT now when scouting a young HS prospect?
> > > > > > And what about the Braves and the Jays. They always have camps in my area. Do they look for THT?
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> > > > > Listen, wise guy, I don't know about the Braves and the Jays but I can tell you the at least among the D-1 college recruiters there is an awareness of the benefits of top hand torque. And if I am not mistaken, that's what their job is, they get paid to seek out the most gifted. Any hitter who does not seek maximum performance does so at his own peril.
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> > > > I was just asking. Can you just answer? If I was a "wise guy" I wouldn't be asking now, would I?
> > > > How am I supposed to know anyway, no one has ever mentioned the word "torque" let alone "top-hand" torque around here-ever. Look here: http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/pro-scouting/scouting_hitters.htm
> > > > They don't mention anything on THT.
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> > > I don't know where "around here" is, but at Division I level of play, especially out West everyone talks about top hand torque.By the way, it soumds like you want to believe in tht but are hesitant because you don't see the term splashed across the cover of Sports Illustrated. Well, nevermind SI. Your best source of informaton is people like Jack Mankin, Tom Gerry, Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols.
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> > Up here in Canada, no one's heard of it. Then again, Canada is more of a hockey place.
> > And no I'm not hesitant. All I said was that I'm surprised that scouts and colleges know about it, I always figured they were only looking for "quick hands", "short swing". But that's because that's what I've been taught. I came to this site to learn how to swing a quicker and smoother bat. I can't prove anything wrong in Jack's research so I believe in everything here.
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> Dougdinger
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> Do not say that no one in Canada has heard of THT because I have been teaching it for a while here in BC. I have been on this web site for a while and believe in the power potential that both fastball and baseball players gain by using THT. Just remember that not all scouts and coaches have heard about it and believe in it. Change is not a popular word with most people and it takes a while before it becomes the norm.
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> Good luck in your search for more information and improvement in your game.
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> DAve

I am currently in the recruiting process and I have attended a fair number of camps (Division 1 and Division 3 high academic schools) and none even teach proper rotational mechanics. I don't want to mention the schools names but it really bothers me that I have to even play college ball with the horrible instruction I will be getting at the school I choose. I'm just hoping I can get enough cage time on my own after practices to keep my swing sound. Does anyone know any schools in the East that actually teach rotational mechanics? I know kids who have gone to college after being ranked as a top hitter in his class and then the coach messing up his swing and the kid hitting poorly and sometimes transferring.

I have also attended a good number of high profile showcases and events and have seen what some people consider the "great high school hitters". None of the kids or coaches I have talked to know what THT or CHP is. I also begin to question why SOME of these players are ranked so highly, because many are just big strong kids who can use their physical stregth to beat up the pitching. Some of course exhibit fine rotational mechanics. Chris Nelson (#9 pick overall, 2004 Colorado Rockies) was a no brainer for me and I would have taken him #1 overall (yet I'm just a kid). His video is on the MLB.com site under minors and in the draft section and he has one of the finest if not the finest rotational swing I have seen from a high schooler. Check those swings out, he is likened to Gary Sheffield and put up some big numbers in his first short season of pro ball.

Dave A