Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Sep 3 23:42:49 2005

>>> While browsing for a specific topic on this site using Yahoo, I came across this thread: http://www.batspeed.com/messageboard/2465.html

Jack says, "Only hitters (like Big Mac) that can generate a lot of early bat speed with top-hand-torque can hit the outside pitch with real authority. They delay shoulder rotation while accelerating the bat-head."

Looking at this video--http://media.putfile.com/machrd--where does this happen? To slow the video down, pause it while it's playing, and press left and right on your keyboard or drag the progress meter. I see no acceleration of the bat-head until after shoulder rotation. <<<

Hi BB

Welcome to the site -- I have 44 clips of Big Mac that were all taken from the same viewpoint (left-center field). It is apparent in these clips that the farther the ball is outside, the less shoulder rotation he attained by contact. I would agree with you that, unlike Sosa and Bonds, he uses little pre-launch torque and therefore there is little rearward acceleration of the bat-head before shoulder rotation.

However, his degree of shoulder rotation used while accelerating the bat-head rearward to the lag position is notably less on outside pitches than pitches middle-in. To reach the outside pitch, his lead-arm casts more away from his body into a wider path. Applying THT keeps his bat-head accelerating in sync with the wider hand-path. With these mechanics he can pull outside pitches a great distance.

Batters, who initiate the swing without THT to accelerate the bat-head rearward to the lag position, quickly fall behind the power curve on outside pitches and the bat-head lags behind the hands at contact. This results mostly in weakly hit balls to the opposite field.

Note: I have three HR clips of Big Mac where he did accelerate the bat-head rearward before any appreciable shoulder rotation. The balls appeared to be 3 or 4 inches off the plate. --- When charting swings for the study, I waited until I had at least 15 clips of each player before rendering a swing classification.

Jack Mankin