Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Thu Oct 13 16:44:51 2005

>>> You have to factor in pitch location when asking people to watch a video of a player. If the pitch is middle to middle in both arms are bent at contact. On an outside pitch you can still keep you hands inside the ball by letting the ball get deep and rotating on it later. A liner hitter will throw their hands at an outside pitch and extend both arms and a rotational hitter let the ball travel knowing that their mechanics will allow them to still keep their hands inside the ball. However, if the rotational hitter is early you will see their lead arm bar but the ream elbow is still tucked in the slot.

I think Griffey is more on an exception than a rule because he seems to bar his lead arm on most swings. Bonds is a better example of hand path because it is rare for him to chase a ball out of the zone.

The best thing about big league hitters is the adjustments they make to the ball so when evaluating a swing you have to watch several swings at different pitch locations. <<<

Hi Dave

You state, “I think Griffey is more on an exception than a rule because he seems to bar his lead arm on most swings. Bonds is a better example of hand path because it is rare for him to chase a ball out of the zone” – Although some hitters (like Bonds) do maintain a greater degree of bend in the lead-elbow, I found most of the better hitters have a straighter lead-arm that closer resembles Griffey Jr. and therefore do not find his straighter lead-arm to be an exception.

Examples

http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/bagwell1.mpeg
http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/boone_bret_side_oppoHR.mpeg
http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/dunn_adam1.mpeg
http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/mac01.mpeg
http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/palmeiro2.mpeg
http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/Chipper01.mpeg

Regardless of the amount of bend in the elbow a hitter has at initiation, the important point to note is that the best hitters generate greater bat speed from the pendulum effect of a circular hand-path by maintaining that angle during rotation. Obviously, if the batter is jammed or reaching for and an outside pitch, the bend in the elbow must adjust.

Jack Mankin