Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Zach Warne (zachwarne2@yahoo.com) on Mon Jul 25 12:19:47 2005

> Question/Comment:
>
> >>> Excellent observation.
> Comparing to the clips of Bonds in the same post I see exactly what you mean.
>
> In the Bonds’ clips, what is generating this movement?
> Is it “pulling on the bat handle like a bow and arrow”?
> Does it come from simply slotting the elbow?
> Or the lead elbow working up?
>
> Or all of these?
> Or additional forces? <<<
>
> Jack Mankin's reply:
>
> Hi Ray
>
> For the bat-head to be accelerated in a sweeping path behind the head, the direction of force applied from the top-hand must also be directed up and back toward the back-shoulder. I made the analogy of “pulling on the bat handle like a bow and arrow” in 1991 to make the point that in order to accelerate the bat-head back toward the catcher, the action of the top-hand should be pulling rearward instead of shoved forward during initiation.
>
> As far as “what is generating this movement?” it should be noted that most batters, even some poor ones, slot the rear elbow. But they do not generate the sweeping (or accelerating) bat-head motion we saw in the Bonds clip. This is because they thrust the top-hand forward as they lower the elbow at initiation. Shoving the top-hand forward accelerates the knob of the bat while the bat-head remains more static. It basically lowers and trails behind the hands. --- The best hitters have a more static knob while accelerating the bat-head. – The rest accelerate the knob while the bat-head remains static.
>
> I would also like to point out that in both the Bonds and animated clips (and in most clips) the wrist remains fairly straight during initiation. Therefore, the sweeping of the bat-head is not due to the cocking and un-cocking of the wrist. --- You asked: “Or the lead elbow working up?”. The “lead elbow working up” is usually set as the batter prepares the launch position and has little to do with applying THT. Many good hitters have the lead-arm fairly straight across the chest well before initiation.
>
> Jack Mankin

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> > Question/Comment:
> > 
> > >>> Excellent observation. 
> > Comparing to the clips of Bonds in the same post I see exactly what you mean. 
> > 
> > In the Bonds’ clips, what is generating this movement? 
> > Is it “pulling on the bat handle like a bow and arrow”? 
> > Does it come from simply slotting the elbow? 
> > Or the lead elbow working up? 
> > 
> > Or all of these? 
> > Or additional forces? <<<
> > 
> > Jack Mankin's reply:
> > 
> > Hi Ray
> > 
> > For the bat-head to be accelerated in a sweeping path behind the head, the direction of force applied from the top-hand must also be directed up and back toward the back-shoulder. I made the analogy of “pulling on the bat handle like a bow and arrow” in 1991 to make the point that in order to accelerate the bat-head back toward the catcher, the action of the top-hand should be pulling rearward instead of shoved forward during initiation. 
> > 
> > As far as “what is generating this movement?” it should be noted that most batters, even some poor ones, slot the rear elbow. But they do not generate the sweeping (or accelerating) bat-head motion we saw in the Bonds clip. This is because they thrust the top-hand forward as they lower the elbow at initiation. Shoving the top-hand forward accelerates the knob of the bat while the bat-head remains more static. It basically lowers and trails behind the hands. --- The best hitters have a more static knob while accelerating the bat-head. – The rest accelerate the knob while the bat-head remains static.
> > 
> > I would also like to point out that in both the Bonds and animated clips (and in most clips) the wrist remains fairly straight during initiation. Therefore, the sweeping of the bat-head is not due to the cocking and un-cocking of the wrist. --- You asked: “Or the lead elbow working up?”. The “lead elbow working up” is usually set as the batter prepares the launch position and has little to do with applying THT. Many good hitters have the lead-arm fairly straight across the chest well before initiation.
> > 
> > Jack Mankin

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