Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Dec 18 14:47:29 2000

>>>at setpro.com paul observed that you can swing a bat one-handed ALMOST , if not AS fast as by swinging the bat both-handed......and over the years i have made similar observations.........let's just suppose that you could hold a bat (one-handed) tight enough that you don't have to worry about the bat being knocked loose when bat strikes ball.....you could probably have one-handed batspeed of 90-95 % of two-handed bat speed......but yet the ball will travel only about 70 % as far using one hand rather than two......so....it seems there is ANOTHER FORCE AT WORK BESIDES BATSPEED....WHAT IS THAT FORCE?...<<<

Hi grc

First I would like to address the one-handed swing. -- Some may find it surprising that a person swinging a bat with one hand can obtain bat speeds within of 90-95 % of that attained using both hands. But if we consider that swinging the bat with one hand allows the arc radius of the hand-path and the length of time that rotational force can be applied is greatly increased, it should not be that surprising.

The two-handed baseball swing has an arc radius (center of axis to center of hands) of about 18 to 20 inches. The hands travel about 22 to 26 inches to contact in 5/30 of a second. My one-handed swing had an arc radius approaching 40 inches. The hand-path was nearly 60 inches and force was applied for almost a full second to bring the bat-head to contact. --- When I swung the bat with a steering wheel knob attached, to eliminate torque, and used the standard baseball swing hand-path, the best speed I could obtain was just under 40 MPH. This supports what I have stated before -- with good mechanics, about ½ the bat speed is generated from an angular hand-path and ½ from applying torque.

As far as your other question: “it seems there is ANOTHER FORCE AT WORK BESIDES BATSPEED....WHAT IS THAT FORCE.” Grc, I also have had my doubts about bat speed being the sole determinate of ball flight. The excepted theory is that the bat is swung as a free object and what is holding it has no effect. Although I am 90% sure this is the case -- I still have lingering doubts.

Steve T covered this subject in Dec., Read “Conservation of Momentum.”

Jack Mankin