Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Fri Sep 9 09:37:29 2005

doug-

"Theoretically", I find the sequence/phases of the hitting swing very similar to golf. One hugely important/essential difference is probably best captured by Jack's "torque component of the swing concept". This is essential to quickening the hitting swing (to cope with limited reaction time),but is anathema in golf (which needs to be optimized for different requirements.

This means among other things that hitting is much more of a twohanded/push pull action,not one where the grip/hands/wrists act with a more fixed/single action.

Still,taking lessons from golf as well as similarities to how the body loads for the overhand throw,I would say that the start of the "back swing is lead by the front side,then the back arm/top hand takes over,then the lead arm/bottom hand become the active gripping part again.

So that is a hypothesis that you can then try on yourself and look for in others.

It works well for me to start the inward turn with more pressure in the bottom hand,then the top hand becomes the pressure area for the hip cok/hand cok/preleaunch torque phase,then the bottom hand becomes the pressure area for THT at launch and for the remainder of the swing with the top hand staying loose so there can be no slippage.no deforming of the lead wirst,no wrist roll before contact.

What might be seen on video ?

When I look at lots of very high resolution clips,I do see the batter tighten rhythmically on hand then the other as part of the rhythmic preswing activity.

In particular,I have seen several clips of Bonds where he tightens first the bottom hand then the top hand with the last visible tightening of the top hand as the bat is coked after the inward turn.

See what you think.

Grip pressure/swing phase:

1-bottom hand - inward turn

2-top hand - hip cok

3-top hand - hand cok

4- top hand - rotate into toe touch/wind rubber band/pre-launch tht

5- bottom hand - drop and tilt - tht at launch (top hand loosening)

6- bottom hand- through contact

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> doug-
> 
> "Theoretically", I find the sequence/phases of the hitting swing very similar to golf. One hugely important/essential difference is probably best captured by Jack's "torque component of the swing concept". This is essential to quickening the hitting swing (to cope with limited reaction time),but is anathema in golf (which needs to be optimized for different requirements.
> 
> This means among other things that hitting is much more of a twohanded/push pull action,not one where the grip/hands/wrists act with a more fixed/single action.
> 
> Still,taking lessons from golf as well as similarities to how the body loads for the overhand throw,I would say that the start of the "back swing is lead by the front side,then the back arm/top hand takes over,then the lead arm/bottom hand become the active gripping part again.
> 
> So that is a hypothesis that you can then try on yourself and look for in others.
> 
> It works well for me to start the inward turn with more pressure in the bottom hand,then the top hand becomes the pressure area for the hip cok/hand cok/preleaunch torque phase,then the bottom hand becomes the pressure area for THT at launch and for the remainder of the swing with the top hand staying loose so there can be no slippage.no deforming of the lead wirst,no wrist roll before contact.
> 
> What might be seen on video ?
> 
> When I look at lots of very high resolution clips,I do see the batter tighten rhythmically on hand then the other as part of the rhythmic preswing activity.
> 
> In particular,I have seen several clips of Bonds where he tightens first the bottom hand then the top hand with the last visible tightening of the top hand as the bat is coked after the inward turn.
> 
> See what you think.
> 
> Grip pressure/swing phase:
> 
> 1-bottom hand - inward turn
> 
> 2-top hand - hip cok
> 
> 3-top hand - hand cok
> 
> 4- top hand - rotate into toe touch/wind rubber band/pre-launch tht
> 
> 5- bottom hand - drop and tilt - tht at launch (top hand loosening)
> 
> 6- bottom hand- through contact

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