Posted by: Scott (stwinton@netzero.net) on Wed Apr 27 22:18:04 2005

> Scott,
> Why are you so hung up on Jack using Bonds as his model ??? Use Chipper, Luis, Sosa.....any of them and its exactly the same. I , personally like to watch Chippers swing because to me it is a picture perfect model for rotational swing mechanics with a CHP. Scott, why are you fighting this rotational mechanics so hard ???? If your so dead set against it and you cant be convinced with all of the science and other people out there teaching this stuff , why argue it....just agree to disagree. Jack is certainly not the only person out there teaching this method and it has been a controversy in the hitting world forever but its clear as a bell to me.....Jack is right on target with all of his assessments. I think sometimes a MLB power hitter can be linear but most of the time they stay with the RSM w/ CHP.....Ive seen several pics with Bonds front toe completely closed at the point of contact and then I see others where he is rotating that toe to a semi closed position as in the mechanics that Jack teaches. I think Bonds and other hitters are constantly modifying their swings and thats where the discreprancies come in to play but I do know that most of the power hitters in the MLB are using the RSM w/ CHP.....its crystal clear. If you took a top view of those guys it couldnt get any clearer. Just my opinion :-)
>
> BT
>
>
> > >>> Equating the hand speed of Bonds with anyone in the major Leagues is unfair, attempting to use his hand path and speed as a teaching model for little league, jr. high, high school and college players is in my opinion is very unsound and wrought with swings that any trained eye will see as long, casty, loopy and filled with holes...what Bonds can do hand speed wise has never been seen or equaled in the history of the game.
> >
> > Bonds stands virtually on top of the plate, so it stands to reason that a pitch on the inside black with a CHP would at some point (his hands) be outside the baseballs path...? From his starting position on this pitch how far away do his hands get from his chest (especially if his first move is perpendicular to the flight of the ball)...if he is as you say 'never outside' the pitched ball, then this path is by far much more angular (A to B) than rotational or circular.<<<
> >
> > Hi Scott
> >
> > It is not just Bonds, almost all the great hitters' (past and present) hand-path is in the 22 to 24 inches range, they have a 4 to 4 1/2 frame swing and make contact with the back-arm still in the "L" position. Teaching a young hitter to extend their hands (A to B) to contact is a prescription for mediocrity.
> >
> > Scott, when a batter keeps a fairly straight lead-arm across the chest as he rotates, the hands do start their arc perpendicular to the flight of the ball. However, the hands barely protrude past the back-shoulder (maybe 3 to 5 inches). This means the circular path of the hands is only 3 to 5 inches wider than the rotational path of the lead-shoulder. The meat of the bat is more than 20 inches from the hands at contact. --- I just cannot understand why you would think the hands could go outside the ball with this circular path.
> >
> > Jack Mankin

why…humm?

well, I feel like I know how to hit…I have personal numbers to back it up (and no not slowpitch softball numbers but real numbers)…I played at a very high level…I’ve coached at a very high level , I’ve coached professional players down to 5 year olds…I’ve talked hitting with literally hundreds of coaches, big league coaches, college coaches, legendary hall of fame coaches…I’ve been to clinics and dissected 100’s of different coaches hitting philosophies…while I can accept a different approach, and a fresh look at an old skill, I cannot agree with this philosophy. I don’t agree with the stance that these elite big league players (who are being coached in a linier method) discount it and use rotational mechanics by default…I think the quote was something to the effect like, “there doing it they just don’t know it.”

I don’t believe that if this was truly a revolutionary hitting system that with all the money that is pumped in to the long ball you wouldn’t see bandwagoners jumping on at first sight…and by bandwagoners I don’t mean little league Johnny’s parents…I’m talking about MLB hitting coaches, I’m talking about major college baseball programs coming out with its endorsement…why hasn’t this happened? Hell, its not like this is a new site? How can you be so right and the RESPECTED (key word) baseball establishment so wrong for this long?

Believe me, I work with hitters every day…EVERY DAY! I’m not talking about theoretical philosophies about mechanics I’m talking about the whole ball of wax, mental, physical mechanical…you name it, if I thought this was sound I would be the first to start converting guys…however when is sounds to good to be true it, in most cases is.

Realistically I think were debating about 3 inches…in most cases, (aside from pulling all pitches, thats different story) However when you start making up your own terminology, catering and marketing your video to overzealous parents who will do anything to continue their disillusionment about their 7 year olds power numbers I have an issue…trust sound coaching, this is not sound, this will not make you a better hitter…you may swing the bat with a little more speed, but you will be long and in most cases around the baseball, listen to guys like Tony Gywen talk about what it takes to be a good hitter, shoot listen to Bonds…