Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Wed Jan 11 22:42:32 2006

>>> If all the power that you produce from your swing is to be expelled when you make contact with the ball and have just enough to follow through, then why does Bonds make that turn step at the end of his swing? <<<

Hi P.M.

We must keep in mind that during the bat/ball collision, the bat is only in contact with the ball for 1/2000 sec and the bat only moves about 3/4 inch before the ball is gone. Once the ball is gone, any energy expended during the follow through is just wasted energy that should have been more efficiently applied earlier in the swing.

The average hitter's swing mechanics accelerate the knob but leaves the bat-head trailing behind the hands too far into the swing. The bat-head does not reach maximum angular velocity until it has swung well past the optimum contact area. This is why the batter has little power to the opposite field and most of the best hit balls are usually pulled foul. In an attempt to attain maximum velocity, these hitters are still driving on the handle well after contact and into much of the follow through.

Great hitters have swing mechanics that generates angular bat-head acceleration right from initiation and attains maximum velocity in the optimum contact zone. The way a great hitter has depleted his rotational energy at contact is similar to the way a lumberjack sinks his axe into a tree. The lumberjack depletes his energy accelerating the axe and allows the momentum of the axe to sink the blade into the tree - the has expended his rotational energy and his shoulders, arms and hands are almost motionless at contact -- Note: The same is true with a batter working with the "heavy bag." The batter should also be motionless at contact.

If the tree were not there to stop the axe, its momentum would pull the arms, torso (and that "turn step at the end of his swing") around the follow through. -- The bat/ball collision only depletes a portion of the bat's momentum. The balance powers the follow through.

Jack Mankin

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> >>> If all the power that you produce from your swing is to be expelled when you make contact with the ball and have just enough to follow through, then why does Bonds make that turn step at the end of his swing? <<<
> 
> Hi P.M.
> 
> We must keep in mind that during the bat/ball collision, the bat is only in contact with the ball for 1/2000 sec and the bat only moves about 3/4 inch before the ball is gone. Once the ball is gone, any energy expended during the follow through is just wasted energy that should have been more efficiently applied earlier in the swing.  
> 
> The average hitter's swing mechanics accelerate the knob but leaves the bat-head trailing behind the hands too far into the swing. The bat-head does not reach maximum angular velocity until it has swung well past the optimum contact area. This is why the batter has little power to the opposite field and most of the best hit balls are usually pulled foul. In an attempt to attain maximum velocity, these hitters are still driving on the handle well after contact and into much of the follow through.
> 
> Great hitters have swing mechanics that generates angular bat-head acceleration right from initiation and attains maximum velocity in the optimum contact zone. The way a great hitter has depleted his rotational energy at contact is similar to the way a lumberjack sinks his axe into a tree. The lumberjack depletes his energy accelerating the axe and allows the momentum of the axe to sink the blade into the tree - the has expended his rotational energy and his shoulders, arms and hands are almost motionless at contact  --  Note: The same is true with a batter working with the "heavy bag." The batter should also be motionless at contact.
> 
> If the tree were not there to stop the axe, its momentum would pull the arms, torso (and that "turn step at the end of his swing") around the follow through. -- The bat/ball collision only depletes a portion of the bat's momentum. The balance powers the follow through. 
> 
> Jack Mankin

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