Posted by: Mack (mackrich@aol.com) on Wed Apr 6 08:35:16 2005

Jack:

Please take a look a picture located at the following link.

http://www.kcchronicle.com/MainSection/283005589164650.php

This shows a member of a local minor league team (Oakland A's Kane County Cougars, "A" affiliate)using a bottom hand, one-hand tee drill. (If you click on the picture, it will enlarge.) The photo shows the hitter just slightly before contact. I wonder what your opinion of this drill is based upon the mechanics the player is demonstrating here. I understand that the photo represents a "point-in-time", and should not reflect upon the player or the coach. Also, we do not know what the player or coach is trying to accomplish (ie strength). Just for fun, let's say that they are trying to develop proper rotational mechanics.

I think I know what you will say based upon your comments in The Final Arc. Here are my top four. First, I do not like the drill because the object is to hit the ball, or at least that is what it becomes, drawing away from concentration on proper mechanics. Secondly, it appears that the lead arm is not as straight as it should be on contact. Thirdly, shoulder rotation is poor. This could be due to the fact that this drill doesn't allow the hitter to use the top hand. Then what is the point of the drill? Fourthly, doesn't this drill demonstrate how little the bottom hand contributes to bathead speed? Looking at the weak position of the bottom hand wrist and the lagging bathead, doesn't this show that the contribution of the bottom hand to bathead speed at the point of contact has been spent and almost all of the speed contributed is through the hitter's forward momentum? Thanks for your comments.