Posted by: ray porco (rporco@verizon.net) on Sat May 28 11:20:03 2005

Jack,

Your quote:-------

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I think one of the main reasons the torque and chp hitters are leading the performance stats is because they do not need to change their basic swing mechanics due to pitch placement. They are able to use the same mechanics regardless of where the pitcher throws to them and still hit the ball hard. The only adjustment they need to make is a slight change in how they initiate the swing. Once that change is made - their mechanics for the balance of the swing is on autopilot regardless of where the pitch is.

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Probably the two most crucial words in the above statement are the first two.

I have heard/read that statement (or in similar language) from you many times. In fact, going back to when I first came to your website. This is quite a statement. Extremely important and crucial to your teachings – this, “…slight change in how they initiate the swing.”

HOW this “slight change” is accomplished has also been described/written by you many times.

Your quote:------

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The change in the batter’s initiation that programs the swing is controlled mainly by the direction of pull of the top hand. In other words, the direction of pull of the top hand at initiation sets up trajectories (of the bat, limbs and body) that control the balance of the swing.

As an example - say the pitchers mound is at 6 o’clock and the plate is at 12 o’clock - On an inside pitch the direction of pull of the top hand is in tight, say at 1 o’clock, the back elbow will come almost straight down to the batters side before little rotation of the shoulders can occur. The pulling back of the back-hand keeps the lead-arm across the chest and generates a tight hand-path and thus a low-load resistance to shoulder rotation. The back elbow coming fairly straight down with little body rotation means less top-hand-torque was developed and the batters finishes the swing with a lot lead shoulder pull and bottom-hand-torque.

On a pitch more in the middle 2/3’s of the plate, the pull of the top hand is more straight-away - or at 12 o’clock. With a more straight-away pull, the shoulders rotate a few degrees as the back elbow lowers to the batter’s side allowing a greater amount of top-hand-torque to be applied. This direction of pull also causes the lead arm to cast slightly away from the chest and generates a somewhat wider hand-path. A wider hand-path generates greater bat speed and a higher load resistance to rotation. Less shoulder rotation means less bottom-hand-torque. So on the pitch in the mid-part of the plate, what we wind up with is greater bat speed from a wider hand-path and more balance between bottom and top-hand-torque being applied.

On recognizing an outside pitch, the batters pull of the top hand is more away from center - or at 11 o’clock. This direction of pull causes the back elbow to sweep some distance before full body rotation begins and the elbow lowers. This allows top-hand-torque to be applied over a much greater portion of the swing. This direction of pull also causes the lead arm to cast out farther and develops a wide hand-path and thus a heavy resistant load to rotation. The greater load limits shoulder rotation which equates to less bottom-hand-torque being applied. So, on the outside pitch the swing produces a wide hand-path with a lot of top-hand-torque and little bottom-hand-torque. – With less shoulder rotation on outside pitches, the lead leg may not be fully extended while the back-arm becomes more extended.

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But,

You have never PROVEN it. In all of your website, I cannot find any proof to support this claim.

I mean WHAT led you to believe this is true? It must’ve been video analysis, right?

I have searched the Menu Board [About, Batspeed Research, Swing Mechanics, Truisms and Fallacies, Discussion Board (as much as I could without a search engine) etc.].

This “slight change in initiation” is then, more than a statement by you. It’s more like an “assertion”.

But I don’t think, that it doesn’t have to be proven.
Which begs the question, “can you prove it?”

I am not arguing against. This is important for you to understand. I’m searching.

What kinds of proof?

Since you can’t ask successful major league hitter’s for endorsement, I suppose we are left with video analysis.

I wish this site had such a tool. I mean, don’t you get tired as well, going to YouthBaseballCoaching?

I would think to demonstrate your assertion, - that a frontal view with pitcher in the video, and a sequence of pitches to the same batter demonstrating the same batter hitting a various assortment of pitch locations.

Perhaps rather than YouthBaseballCoaching, Shawn could invite you over to his site (I know that you visit there) and supply some video.

I haven’t asked Shawn, but knowing him (through many years of posting) I’m quite sure he would be more than happy.


Then you could verbally comment or demonstrate.
If you don’t want to post there, then at least you could comment on videos posted over there, here.


And I may be putting the cart before the horse, but we probably would first have to clear up possible misunderstandings.
One question would be your use of the hands of the clock to demonstrate bat position.
Is this from an aerial view?

Well,
Whadayasay?