Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Thu Nov 27 13:35:11 2008

turn>>> I’m not sure I’m understanding your comments about the cues "you must go back to go forward" and "walk away from the hands". In my opinion having the hands move back towards the catcher during the forward stride has multiple benefits, one of which is obtaining early lead arm extension and the promotion of a semi-circular hand path.

Are you advocating a 30-degree inward turn as opposed to obtaining early lead arm extension? <<<

Hi FiveFrameSwing

Hope you and your family are enjoying this day of Thanksgiving. – I do not find a 30-degree inward turn and having the lead-arm extended to be exclusive. Although some may like a more boxed lead-elbow, I encourage my students to have an extended (or more barred) arm in their launch position. Even with a straighter arm, a 30-degree inward turn should rotate the hands far enough back to hide them from the pitcher.

“Hiding the hands” in the launch position has always been one of the key thinks I look for in my swing analysis. This was reinforced this past spring from my analysis of over 400 hundred college hitters. All the hitters with 700+ slugging percentages (top 5 rounds material) exhibited well-hidden hands at launch. Whereas, not one of the 28 hitters whose hands were brought back less than straightaway exceeded 440. -- It is next to impossible to generate a highly productive CHP when the hands are not rotated back past the straightaway position.

Jack Mankin