Posted by: THG () on Sun Aug 3 19:58:29 2008

> Hi All
>
> In the video clip below, I discuss the mechanics that accelerates the bat-head rearward in high level swings. As I show, the application of torque at the handle is the main force that generates that acceleration. However, from the time this Board came on-line in 1999, it has been obvious that many coaches felt that “handle torque” was either nonexistent or too technical a term for teaching the swing.
>
> Those coaches that were turned off with the term “torque” went absolutely ballistic when I further broke the term into THT (Top-Hand-Torque) and BHT (Bottom-Hand-Torque). Many of them would not even accept the fact that the bat-head first accelerated rearward much less the concept that the top-hand applied a rearward force during initiation. They had always taught that both hands fired forward during the swing.
>
> When helping a batter reach his potential at the plate, it is important to remember that when both hands are fired forward, little torque is applied until the lead-arm reaches full extension and the back-arm has something to push against. If you do not like the terms THT and BHT, then by all means develop terms you are more comfortable with. But keep in mind that during initiation, it is the top-hand that applies the rearward force and approaching contact it is the bottom-hand.
>
> With that being said, here is the PLT & THT Mechanics video.
>
> <a href="http://www.batspeed.com/media/PLT_THT_Mechanics.wmv">John - PLT & THT</a --
>
>
> Jack Mankin


Jack. With regard to the above I believe some coaches are in disagreement more because a lot of what goes on with the hitter is difficult to see with the naked eye as well as on film.

One person may see the bat accelerating while another sees a collapse or droping of the hands. If it is a hitch, it would appear more of a dropping of the hands. A non hitch looks closer to rearward acceleration.

Perhaps a better term would be a rearward initiation. Why? Because with some hitters the hands seem to be more positioned into launch (Jim Thome and David Oriz), than accelerated (David Wright and Carlos Delgado).

Jermaine Dye and Jason Giambi uses less torque and more of a solid leg base (leverage) from which to rotate. Both choke up on the bat, yet they still hit home runs. Each man weighs 235 lbs. How important is the strength factor? Why do not we see any (more) small hitters in the big leagues hitting homeruns? Are they not taught rotational hitting? Joe Morgan back in the day hit his share

Simply put, there is no way to quantify the strength of the hitter. Mass times acceleration squared is not easy to apply to baseball. Ted Williams was one of the first to discover the importance of batspeed as opposed to the weight of the bat. As such he believed in the concept of the lighter bats seen today. It is curious though that he used a (heavier) 36 ounce bat early in his career and hit .406. Of course Williams elbow injury during a later allstar game affected his productivity.