Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Aug 19 09:51:36 2001

>>> Jack,my question has to do with the very first movements of the hands. When the top hand is pulling or turning back what is the bottom hand doing and what is the lead shoulder doing at this very instant. <<<

Hi RQL

Sorry for the delay in my reply to your post, I have been away this past week. – What the bottom hand and lead shoulder are doing at the very instant the top hand is pulling or turning back, depends on whether or not the batter is applying “pre-launch torque” and the starting position of the hands. The better hitters who cock the bat-head past vertical toward the pitcher use pre-launch torque to accelerate the bat-head back to the normal launch position before initiation (shoulder rotation) begins.

Some hitters like McGwire and Griffey Jr. use little pre-launch torque. They have the bat cocked close to their ear and their hands are back close to the back shoulder. For pitches from the middle-in, the pulling back of the top-hand (lowering of the back-elbow) and the start of shoulder rotation occur at about the same time. The bottom-hand stays back near the armpit until the back-forearm rolls around toward horizontal. The back-elbow stays at the batter’s side during rotation. It is the rolling action of the back-forearm that separates the bottom-hand from the shoulders – not forward thrust.

Batters who use pre-launch torque may start with their hands held high above the shoulders (A-Rod, Juan Gonzalez) or more forward and below the shoulders (Barry Bonds, Jeff Bagwell). But regardless of whether the hands start high or low and forward, the bottom-hand will be brought (up or down) to the shoulder as the top-hand pulls the bat-head back. And, once the bat reaches the normal launch position, rotation starts. --- Pre-launch torque is sort of like letting a runner start 5 yards behind you. When he passes you – you can start.

Jack Mankin