Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Apr 25 16:20:36 2005

>>> I notice in my swing that when I take my stride (which for me is just a raise of my left heel) my hands get to a good load position. But then when the ball is in the air, after my stride, my arms go back even further, almost to the point where my left arm is straight. This would explaing for me being tardy on a lot of pitches and hitting many weak pop-ups. I have tried just putting the bat on my shoulder and taking a stride, and this has helped, but I am still slightly barring my arm. Are there any drills I can do to break this habit. Thanks <<<

Hi Eric

A close look at the better pro hitters show many of them also have their lead arm almost straight as they launch their swing. It has not caused them to be tardy or hit weak pop-ups. There are also good hitters who have more bend in the elbow. The main point to keep in mind is regardless of whether you have the lead-arm straight or bent at launch, it should not bend further during the swing. Keeping the lead-elbow at a fixed angle as you rotate (or straightening during initiation) is what develops a circular hand-path (CHP) for rotational transfer mechanics. -- Keeping the hands in tight by allowing the lead-elbow to bend further is a cue for a linear (A to B extension) swing.

Jack Mankin