Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Thu Jan 11 15:08:25 2001

>>>what are the differances between top and bottom hand torque? does one lead the other in the swing or do they start at the same time. thanks <<<
> >
> > Hi kac
> >
> > Great hitters are constantly applying torque to the bat from initiation to contact. So both hands are involved in a push-pull relationship throughout the swing. But during initiation and again at contact, one serves more as a pivot point for the other hand to pull the bat-head around.
> >
> > During initiation, the bottom hand remains fairly fixed near the batter’s armpit and acts as a pivot for the top hand to pull the bat-head back toward the catcher (Top-hand-torque). --- By the time the hands enter the contact zone, the roles will have reversed. The top hand now serves as the pivot point for the bottom hand to pull the bat-head to contact. (Bottom-hand-torque). Similar to oaring a boat - left hand pulling on the right side oar and the right hand acting as a moving oarlock.
> >
> > Although one hand or the other is acting as a pivot, it does not mean the hand is motionless. The rotation of the body is constantly bringing the hands around to the contact zone.
> >
> > Jack Mankin
> >
> > >
> >jack...it makes sense except it seems like you have the part about near-contact backwards.....it seems to me that in "the final arc" it is still the top hand that is bring the bat around, wand with the bottom hand acting as the pivot point....respectfully, grc....

grc-

I know this gets confusing and you can go back and forth about one hand being more fixed than the other.I agree with Jack's description since if you keep the hand path circular or tightening,you keep the shoulder turning and pulling the bottom hand back so the movement of the bottom hand is maximized.If instead you were to let the bottom hand cast away from the torso a little bit,the shoulders will slow way down(relative to keeping the handpath from extending) and the relative motion of the top hand would be more-there would be more "L" out of the elbow/more release of the bathead.In the case of bottom hand torque for the inside pitch(keeping tight handpath),this means you get good batspeed,you let the ball come to you more and you keep the ball fair.