Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Thu May 27 11:49:10 2010

>>> I was wondering if you could recommend some drills for getting the top hand torque into the swing along with the rest of what you teach in the videos, ie starting in the lag position and rotating with the front hip. I have been doing those drills over and over and am adding the stride, turn and torque to the swing but I would like to make sure I am not teaching myself something that is going to be in need of undoing! <<<

Hi Joseph

I know your question concerned THT and how it is applied. But I would first like to address your following statement because it pertains to a question asked by Melvin in the thread above on the "Shoulders." Regarding the BHT phase of the swing, you state, "ie starting in the lag position and rotating with the front hip." -- I should point out that although 'hip rotation' is important, it is of no value if it does not induce a stronger 'shoulder rotation'.

It is also important to keep in mind that what links the bat to the body's rotation (arms - wrist - hands - bat) is connected at the shoulders - not the hips. There is no way the rotational energy of 'hip rotation' can be transferred to the bat if the shoulders remain static. Therefore, when we refer to "staying connected" to rotation, we are referring to the rotation of the shoulders.

Joseph, when practicing the BHT drill in the "Final Arc ll", it is the rotation of the 'lead-shoulder' back toward the "105 degree position" that pulls the lead-elbow and bottom-hand rearward (Hook in the hand-path). Most of my students achieve full 'hip rotation' without much instruction. Getting the correct 'shoulder rotation' requires a lot of work. -- Below are a couple of videos that addresses this topic.

Burrell & Bonds - BHT

Good and Poor BHT

We are currently working on THT drills to be used in conjunction with our new Rotational Training Aid. The 'on-site' Instructional Video and Aid should be on line in mid July. I think the best way to practice applying THT is to have a good understanding of the principles involved and working on incorporating them in your swing. -- Below is a video that illustrates those principles

THT Principles

Jack Mankin