Posted by: Jeff () on Sun Apr 23 21:26:34 2006

> Hi, I am new to this site and I just want to ask one question. What is the difference between Scapular Loading and Top Hand Torque, and which one creates more batspeed?

There is plenty of difference, and the aim should be to use or incorporate both of them into your swing. Scapula loading is the process of rotating your back scapula so you sort of feel a pinch in this process. An easy way of doing this is to hold your back elbow up to a 90 degree angle and to rotate it backwards until you feel some tension.
Top hand torque is the process of creating a wider arc during the swing process, rather than shoving your hands straight toward the pitcher. Using pre-launch torque(sheffield-bonds) might be an easier way of acquiring this. The bathead can overcome inertia by starting its movement premature to the body's rotation. giving it sort of a headstart to the swing.

In my opinion a hitter like alex rodriguez or ken griffy jr. do a better job of loading their scapula than a player like tim salmon, although both of them use top hand torque.I always thought Sammy Sosa did a great job of combining the two. and also in my opinion, If you can't hit a homerun, then your not ready to learn top hand torque, you still need to work on the basic fundamentals, which are responsible for the majority of the batspeed.