Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Nov 15 12:48:27 2004

>>> Epstein prefers to start the swing with by firing the hips. The hands then follow. Your method focuses on starting the swing with THT
(full sweep release) followed by CHP circular hand path.

BTW Same "MB" that owns your videos and has been posting here off and on for the last several years!!! <<<

Hi Mb

First let me say that I have always valued your contributions to the board. I was just curious because a couple years ago there was a post worded almost exactly as your post. --- Mb, in my first reply to your post, I stated “it is sometimes a matter of interruption.” What I meant to say was, “it is sometimes a matter of ‘interpretation.’ I am going edit the statement.

You stated earlier, “IMHO Jack teaches hands controlled pivot in other words focus on the hands and the body will follow.” – My problem is that there are different interpretations that could be drawn from your statement. One might take it to mean that I believe a batter should “throw the hands” and body rotation will follow. However, I have always maintained that the hands should stay back and allow body rotation to fling the hands into a CHP.

Keeping the hands back and allowing body rotation to fling the hands would indicate that I believe in, “ground up” thinking. However, I have also stated that the ultimate objective of swing mechanics is not to rotate the body – it is to rotate the bat-head. I have found when batters acquire a good launch position and concentrate on accelerating the bat-head around the entire swing plane (first back toward the catcher), the mind sets up a lower-body program and timing to accommodate that acceleration. That would indicate “top down” thinking. -- It is a matter of how one interprets my work.

Jack Mankin