Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun May 3 18:32:44 2009

Hi All

I constantly receive e-mails from parents and coaches asking, "What is THT (Top-Hand-Torque) and what is its importance in becoming a good hitter." Although we have discussed this topic numerous times over the past ten years, it is a foreign concept to most new readers. Although over-head views of the best hitters show that their mechanics first accelerate the bat rearward, most of the e-mails indicate their envision of the swing has the hands and bat-head being initiated forward.

This vision of how the swing is initiated presents a real problem in developing high level mechanics. From the hundreds of swing reviews I have done for young hitters, I would say that about 95% of the batter's problems in generating power and bat speed stem from how they initiate the swing. The defining difference between those that have real pop in their bat and those that don't is determined from how much rearward bat speed they develop from the launch to the lag position

Call the mechanic THT or whatever term you choose, all great hitters keep their hands back at the shoulder and apply forces at the handle and accelerate the bat-head rearward -- First, 90 degrees rearward to the lag position, then 90 more degrees around toward contact. -- Hitters with less pop initiate the swing by driving the hands and knob forward while leaving the bat-head dragging behind the hands well into the swing.

As I mentioned earlier, there are numerous posts on site for you to read regarding the mechanics of THT. Basically, this mechanic rotates the bat-head around the swing plane as you rotate your body. Keep in mind that in a high level swing, the hands only travel in an arc forward about 20 to 24 inches to contact - "DO NOT" give up these precious inches easily - right from initiation, for each inch the hands travel, make the bat-head accelerate 4 or 5 inches.

Jack Mankin