Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Dec 28 09:50:06 2008

>>> Somehow one of my posts fell through the cracks.

I read your post and links and I've seen that clip many times.

I didn't get into conservation of momentum in my post because I see that as a given.

I also commented that no one I know explains the hands to the ball as a whip theory. There are instructors in the surrounding area that when I talk to parents and players, what they tell me and demonstrate is largely based on the upperbody. I went on and talked about one player who is playing in the Pac 10 at a major school, who has hit .200 and below in her career. Who was taught by one of these instructors.

I will get back to you later on the subject, and show what is considered the loop in the arms/bat in the swing (basically same thing they described in the golf video).

What I said was nobody I know has been taught to create a whip with hands to the ball, mechanics. What they are taught, or what is almost always created is a muscled up swing (in several ways). Which works fine for HS, and not so good at the college level.

That is one thing about the Team USA players, they may not always have a great swing, but they do not muscle the swing compared to many hitter. Which allows them to be quicker, and make adjustments more easily. <<<

Hi Shawn

I concur with your observation. Neither have I heard coaches that promote "hands to the ball" mechanics use the term "Whip Theory." However, those linear cues they are teaching did evolve from a swing model (like Adair's model) that is based on the false analogy of how a whip works to explain the bat's angular acceleration.

To understand and recognize efficient transfer mechanics, a coach must first have a good understanding of the forces that can be applied to a bat that will generate its maximum angular displacement rate. Once the coach understands those forces, he can better understand and evaluate the swing mechanics that most efficiently produces them.

Test we ran at physics labs in Southern California produced the rotational swing model presented on this site. Those tests showed that the two forces responsible for the bats angular acceleration rate were: (1) The pendulum effect induce from taking the hands in a circular path. (2) Torque induces from the hands applying force from opposing directions.

Shawn, you have made it clear in your posts that you discount my CHP and Torque model. It now appears you also do not teach mechanics based on the Crack of the Whip model either. This raises the question of what you do base your teaching on? If you do not believe the whip theory, CHP or torque forces are responsible accelerating the bat, what forces do you believe are responsible? -- Note: I am addressing the forces applied to the bat handle that generates its bat speed, rather than the mechanics and principles that induces the body's rotation.

Jack Mankin