Posted by: Art () on Sat Feb 5 17:38:50 2005

Actally I have questions on 2 types of torque...
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> 1. Pre-swing torque or pre-launch torque. I was reading the "swing mechanics" section and it sounds like you should be creating torque during your inward turn as your hands move back to the rear shoulder. To me, this feels like more of a "drifting" movement before the front heel drops. For this to be torque doesn't the bottom hand have to be pulling in the opposite direction of the top hand? Why would you want to create torque at this point, before the front heel has dropped and the swing has been initiated? It seems like you would get your hand arc way out in front of your hip and shoulder arcs.
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> 2. THT - Like the others that have posted before me I'm struggling with how to apply this concept. Your top hand can certainly pull back toward the catcher at the start of the swing arc but then once the barrel's arc starts moving toward the direction of third base then toward the pitcher, the rear hand can no longer pull unless you want to decelerate your bat. So does the rear hand ride along after the initial pull or does it pull first, then ride along, then push as the barrel approaches contact? I certainly can't teach this to my son is I can't make it work myself.
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> Thanks.
> Jon

Good questions that have been asked before but never answered. If you go to setpro Paul Nyman and others have fully documented the MYTH of tht. Whenever anyone challenges Jack or tries to pin him down on certain questions Jack simply changes the subject, gives non-answers, says I'll answer that question with a question of my own", etc, etc.
Now, if you think this is coming from a non-believer who is in the minority, let me ask you this: name one Major Leaguer or one prominent hitting instructor or one college coach who believes in tht.
Jack's canned response to this is that he has clips of major leaguers
executing tht and that's all that matters. Well, does Jack have clips of major leaguers consciously pulling their knob toward the catcher? Does Jack have clips that reveal what the hitters are thinking? I can take any clip I want and say "aha, this hitter is executing just like I think he should" but that doesn't mean what he is doing is for the same reasons I think he should be doing.
If Jack thinks tht exists he should be able to justify it with science. That's impossible of course, but why not testimonials? How many major leaguers, professional hitting coaches, college coaches or professional scouts are willing to come forward in support of tht? How many scientists are willing to come forward? All Jack has is an ex-minor leaguer who operates a batting cage and a professor at Cal Poly who has publicly disavowed his "support" (10 years ago) of tht.