Posted by: Jim (jwelborn@lexcominc.net) on Tue Jan 17 19:02:19 2006

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> Hi Jim
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> The difference you describe is a very key difference. Many poor as well as good hitters rotate around a stationary axis. The defining difference is the transfer mechanics the batter uses to transfer the body’s rotational momentum into bat-head rotation. One of the key components of accelerating the bat-head to contact occurs in the area we call the “hook’ in the hand-path – that area where the angular displacement rate of the hands maximizes.
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> The “hook” is created as the bottom-hand’s forward progress slows and the rotation of the lead-shoulder starts pulling it rearward. It appears you are saying Candrea wants the hands to continue extending to contact. I agree this would slow the bat-head’s acceleration and possibly keep it in the contact area longer. – I just want to point out this is a very important difference.
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> Jack Mankin




Jack,

Two points to clarify my post.

1. As Candrea demonstrates extension, most of it is completed AFTER contact without stopping rotation or being disconnected from rotation at contact.

2. Extension does not eliminate hook unless it is overdone. Extension demonstrated by Candrea simply elongates hook. It is also tends to be a variable that occurs more as the middle/away pitch is hit to the opposite field, and less as the middle/in pitch is pulled.

Jim