Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Tue Mar 22 23:15:21 2005

Let me ask you a different way. Does a CHP produce a more consistant bathead speed throughout the bat's path to contact, or does the bathead increase in velocity much like a car going from 0 to 60 MPH.

>>> My guess would be that the CHP would be a more consistant high rate of speed leading up to the optimum contact point. If that were true, wouldn't this support the use of rotational mechanics as an advantage? In the common occurance that a batter is too late initiating either method of swing, wouldn't the rotational hitter have the advantage because higher bathead rates of speed are reached sooner within the bat's path? Wouldn't this produce a harder hit ball at various contact points throughout the bat's path?

I would be interested in a graph depicting an average bathead velocity build throughout the swing by using both methods. I suspect that linear mechanics would produce a linear acceleration of the bathead to contact. And I further suspect that the rotational mechanics would produce a steep increase in bathead speed at intitiation, and a leveling off as the bat reaches top speed. Any data on this? <<<

Hi JRR

You are correct in saying that rotational mechanics produces a steeper rise in bat speed earlier in the swing than linear mechanics. This allows the bat-head to attain its maximum velocity in the contact zone. The problem with linear mechanics is the bat-head trails behind the hands to far into the swing and does not reach maximum velocity until it has passed the optimum contact point.

I do not have available a summary of the data from the Motion Studies Computer, but I will place below a conclusion I wrote from the study.

Jack Mankin
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Bat Speed Research
Greater Bat Speed = Hitting the Baseball Harder

Does Bat Speed = Pop

Most batting instructors would agree that there is a correlation between the velocity of the bat and how far a hit ball will travel. Yet, I have noted that two players swinging the same bat on about the same plane with comparable bat speeds may vary greatly in the power they display. One might hit balls well over 400 ft. while the others would carry only 300 ft. This would seem to be contradictory until you take into account when the maximum bat speed occurred during the two swings.

The bat speed that really counts is that attained at (or by) contact. Swing mechanics of a great hitter allows him to generate higher bat speed much earlier in the swing than average hitters. Players with a lot of "pop" in their bat expend all of the body's rotational and torque energies before and at contact. After contact their limbs and torso are how in a relaxed and coast mode. The follow through portion of the swing is from the momentum of the bat pulling the arms up and through.

Average hitters are still expending energy to gain bat speed for 20 to 40 degrees (poor hitters past 60 degrees) of bat travel after the bat passes the contact point. Some coaches would contend that gaining speed after contact is beneficial because of the "driving through the ball" effect. --- The facts do not support this theory. --- The ball is in contact with a 35 oz. wood bat moving at 70 MPH for about 1/2000 of a sec. During this time the bat moves less than 1 in. (about 3/4 in.) --- Not much space for "driving through" or (I might add) "wrapping around" the ball.