Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatSpeed@aol.com) on Wed Oct 20 23:02:39 2004

>>> Should bht's tourqe feel like tht's tourqe when applied? If I'm understanding bht correctly then I would say that tht has more tourqe. Is it because tht starts while moving slow (from a near stand still) and bht is applied to the bat while moving faster? Hope I make sense. I'm trying to teach my son how to maximize the "spank" given to the ball when bht is applied. <<<

Hi Tonyd

The top or bottom hand does not apply torque independently of the other. To apply torque, each hand is supplying a fairly equal force at the handle but from opposing directions. At initiation, shoulder rotation pulls the lead-hand around toward the pitcher as the top-hand is pulled back toward the catcher. This applying force from opposing directions continues throughout the swing as the body rotates. By the time the bat rotates around toward contact, the direction of the force of the hands will have reversed. Body rotation is now driving the top-hand around toward the pitcher while the rotation of the lead-shoulder to the 105 degree position is pulling the bottom-hand back toward the catcher.

As I stated earlier, torque is constantly being applied throughout the swing. I termed torque applied during initiation as Top-Hand-Torque because it is the most active hand at that point. It is being pulled around a slower moving bottom-hand. And, at contact, the bottom-hand is being pulled around a slower moving top-hand – thus BHT.

Tony, it may feel like the hands are exerting a greater force at initiation. However, in a smooth swing, pressure sensors indicate the force remains fairly constant. --- Most hitters have never felt the sensation of a bat accelerated from BHT. Their bottom-hand is still sweeping forward at contact as they attempt to extend the top-hand past the bottom-hand.

Jack Mankin