Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Oct 20 15:21:59 2008

>>Jack I agree with your point but after going thru both mechanics I have found a way to use some of the do's with rotation.!st knob to the ball,I can use this cue with rotational mechanics as a hand eye swing plane setting even though it is only 1 frame that the knob is at the ball and before and after it is not but you invision it at the ball for some barrel awareness at the ball works.2 hands inside the ball,well the feeling I try to instill is that as you turn the furthest point away from body that hands are is when the knob points at ball and at that point hands are inside the ball.The hands do not need to go parrallel past the ball like 2 lanes of traffic to stay inside the ball.3 Hit the inside of the ball,jeter has a rotational inside the ball swing that works well for specific times and situational hitting,while in linear this is their best swing at the ball to drive it.4 keep shoulder in there,as I show and prove to kids that their shoulder does not stay in their,learning how to load and keep it in there til the right time to pull it out is very key.5 hit against firm front side,as I show right at or just after contact or [hit] the front side is firm and you hit against,people mean stride into firm front side with linear. <<<

Hi Rql

As you have probably noted from listening to Sport’s Broadcasters, the linear “Do’s” have been taught for so long they have become ingrained as ‘the’ language of batting mechanics. Since they are about the only terms most coaches have to communicate batting ideas, it is understandable why a rotational coach may attempt to modify the intent of these terms to fit his teaching. But keep in mind that what you may mean by “Knob to the Ball” is not how most coaches and players interpret the cue. To them, they are not just referring to the bat’s position at some point in the swing. They mean the hands and knob ‘are’ being extended at the ball. -- Saying you find merit in the cue may be interpreted by many to justify a very different meaning than you had in mind.

As far as “Keep your hands inside the ball” is concerned, I have asked a number of coaches to demonstrate some of the “Do’s”. I saw no mechanical difference in how they demonstrated “A to B”, “Hit the inside of the Ball” or “Get your arms extended” from how they demonstrate “Keep your hands inside the ball.” Therefore, I must conclude that when someone refers to any of these cues, chances are they are referring to an “A to B” type of mechanic.

Hopefully, the day will come when Rotational Cues will become well enough known that coaches will not need to modify the linear ones to convey batting principles to their hitters.

Jack Mankin