Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Thu Sep 8 13:38:32 2005

>>> With due respect I read your response to Tyler and I can't speak for him but I still don't have a clear response as to whether you advocate swinging level and what is level in the swing phase?

You offer mathematical angles, degrees and even a multiple choice questions about Big Mac when all I really want someone to tell me is "what/where" does level come into the swing? It is also possible you answered it but I'm just to simple to decipher it so if Tyler is a kid (which I'll assume he is) I don't know how he got it either. Tyler, if you got it, please let me know!

My interpretation of what you wrote Jack is that it sounds like the bathead is level in reference to home plate at point of contact (POC). As opposed to arcing down as in chopping at POC or visa versa in swing up at POC. Am on track with this? Or am I still out of the ballpark in my analogy?

As far as my reference to the catch phrase "back elbow up", like the oft heard "swing level" from coaches, when pushed to ask for coaching explanations why for these terms, that is when the typical response "because everybody says/knows that" comes in. In other words, these coaches can't give any real explanation as to why either? <<<

Hi DBC

Sorry if my reply left you with questions. Maybe the wording in the following exert from an earlier post on this topic might help clear things up.

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“Nearly all of the better hitters start with the meat of the bat higher than the back-shoulder. And since contact is made below the belt, it is obvious the bat must be swung downward before it starts in an upward path. The difference between having the swing plane being in line with the path of the ball or cutting down through it is determined by the batter’s mechanics. The better hitters keep their hands back at initiation and the bat-head is accelerated on a downward path back behind the back-shoulder (back toward the catcher). The path of the bat will then bottom out and be on a slight upswing in the contact zone. If, on the other hand, the batter thrusts the hands forward at initiation, the downward path of the bat will most often occur out in front of the shoulder and will normally continue its downward path right through the contact zone. --- The main point is – did the bat start downward ‘behind’ or ‘in-front’ of the batter?

Note: At http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/swings.html there are 50+ clips where you can look at some of the best hitters swing plains. I could not find one where the bat was angling downward at contact. In all of the swings, the bat had bottomed out an on an us-slope at contact.”
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You stated, “ As far as my reference to the catch phrase "back elbow up", like the oft heard "swing level" from coaches, when pushed to ask for coaching explanations why for these terms, that is when the typical response "because everybody says/knows that" comes in. In other words, these coaches can't give any real explanation as to why either?” – At http://www.batspeed.com/tf09.html I give my reason why most of the best hitters have an elevated back-elbow.

Jack Mankin