Posted by: BHL (Knight1285@aol.com) on Mon Nov 29 15:37:24 2004

None of the girls on my daughter's softball team use top hand torque except mine, and my daughter is the only PFO on the team, as well as her being the only power hitter. Some of the girls hit for high average, and my daughter hits for average as well as having power.Is there a relationship between using top hand torque and being a PFO? In other words, can you be a PFO and not use top hand torque, or vice versa? I checked the research material at this site but I don't see anything on PFO's, just top hand torque. Also at the other sites there is nothing about either top hand torque or PFO's. Your help would be appreciated. Thank you Mary Lou
> > >
> > > Hi Mary Lou,
> > >
> > > I coined the term PFO (i.e., Pull Field Orientation), a neologism which describes a hitter's inclination to pull every pitch in the strike zone over the shortest fence, the left field fence for a right-handed hitter, and the right-field fence for a left-handed hitter.
> > >
> > > Think of it this way: some individuals have the ability to pull the ball to clear the pull field fence by an adequate amount; however, if they hit the ball to any other field, these hits are outs. Hence, if a batter hits 20 balls exceptionally hard to all field, the batter might wind up with 5 home runs, instead of 20, which he / she could have attained by pulling all pitches, whether they are inside, over the plate, or outside.
> > >
> > > Basically, THT allows the bat to take a wider path when attack outside pitch, allowing them to be pulled, too. Jack Mankin's "The Final Arc II" DVD explains the concept of THT rather thoroughly.
> > >
> > > Also, read Jack's site.
> > >
> > > As for information on PFO, look for posts by BHL, but do not pass over the invaluable feedback given by other posters.
> > >
> > > Thanks for your interest,
> > > BHL
> > > Knight1285@aol.com
> > >
> > > P.S. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
> >
> > BHL what is a "neologism " ? Also, when I hit an outside pitch I use a wider arc like you described but I have one problem (I'm a left handed hitter): when I contact an inside pitch the ball is probably about 1 foot in front of the plate and the bathead is perpendicular to left field. On an outside pitch I can't get the bathead perpendicular to left field unless I contact at about the same 1 foot in front of the plate, but if I contact that far in front my wrists roll.I think it's an anatomy thing, that for the inside pitches I contact in front of plate without wrist roll but outside pitches i have to contact ball with ball coming in farther to the plate in order to avoid wrist roll. But by letting ball get in deeper, I'm not able to get bathead perpendicular to left field (pull field), it's more perpendicular to the opposite field (right field).In addition, on inside pitches I contact when bat has started it's upswing, but an outside pitch, since it comes in deeper, I'm catching ball when bat is still on the downswing (in addition to being perpendicular to opposite field).
> > I hope my questions and problems make sense to you, BHL, or for that matter to Jack or anyone else. Thank you so much!
>
> Sandi I could be wrong but I think what you have to do is stand closer to the plate.That way you can reach the outside pitch as if it were a middle pitch and that way you can hit it to pull field without the problems you describe.Am I on the right track BHL?

Hi Ronny, You are right.

As for Sandi, "neologism" means that a person coins a new term or concept.

Note: Mary Lou and Sandi, the concept of "letting the ball get deeper" is applicable only to spray hitters. Pull hitters do not let the ball get deep; they use less body rotation, but more THT, to reach the outside pitch.

Best Wishes,
BHL