Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Dec 13 22:40:04 2004

>>> how far from/close to?
whatever would be optimum for each individual batter. there is no magic number of inches.

as far as "...the thumb stuff...", it is impossible for me to touch my top hand shoulder with my top hand thumb as i am swinging. check out overhead views posted some time ago by NickKio (Mercer, Williams, Robinson, Rose). however, today's pros seem to (as a rule) be more tighter (more compact). ARod seems to come closest.

i personally wouldn't use it (thumb to the shoulder) as a training exercise. i'd would have to see it demonstrated (the touching part) to believe it. <<<

Hi Ray

Below is my reply to Walt on this topic.

Jack Mankin
##
(Walt)
>>> But one thing is for sure, the clips do not show the average big league hitter with their hands any closer than 6 or 8 or 10 inches from shoulder, and I can think of several reasons why they would not. <<<

My plan to show just how wrong you are was to take you to http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/swings.html and work our way through some clips. However, I just looked and those clips are not there (I hope not for good). So go to the Swing Mechanics Page and cycle through the swing to “Frame#1”. What you see there is the launch position I have always advocated. It should be obvious to anyone that the hands are closer than 6 to 10 inches away from the shoulder. He could probably extend his thumb and touch it.

I have looked at thousands of launch frames where the hands are about the same position as “frame #1.” Nothing has changed Walt, these are the same principles as I expressed from the beginning. – I just recently found a new cue to teach it. I only regret not finding it before I made the video.

Note: I just reviewed the launch frame of Sosa in the 2003 Home Run Derby. His launch position is almost identical to Frame #1.

Jack Mankin