Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Dec 3 22:06:57 2006

>>> Hello Jack

I think a batter has some control of where the hinge angle is released.

I think it is partially controlled by weight shift and I believe you can move the unhinge out front even in rotational swings.

In golf , a great way to get off the back side is to make sure you take the hinge angle past your lead pocket before you let it go.

I can do that and hit a low stinger. If I stay more centered and let the hinge angle go at my zipper then I can hit a higher shot. Too soon is called flipping it and it is analagous to casting and or reverse pivoting. When you flip it you will reverse pivot worse and the knob kicks backward as the club releases with no weight transfer.

Sorry for the golf stuff...maybe you can clear the question up some <<<

Hi Donny

The overlapping of the hands in the golf grip is designed for the wrist to roll as they un-hinge to contact. It is the rolling of the wrist that causes the club-head to sweep outward approaching contact – the cherished outward divot. The rolling of the wrist prior to contact is great for the golf swing but it is a killer flaw in the baseball swing.

Also, the baseball grip is much more restrictive to the wrists flexing and un-flexing than the golf grip. What we attribute to wrist action in the baseball swing is more due to the push/pull action of the forearms. – Try it for yourself. Grip a bat and set down at a table. Place both elbows on the table and see how much wrist action (un-hinging) can take place without the push/pull of the forearms.

Here is a clip of Big Mac’s swing -- http://www.youthbaseballcoaching.com/mpg/mac03.mpeg – Note that each wrist remains fairly straight to contact. It is the lead-forearm pulling back as the back-forearm is driven forward that accelerates the bat-head from the lag position. – Mac’s “knob kicks backward” approaching contact. Is he guilty of “flip it”? We refer to the knob being pulled back as the “hook” in the hand-path – area of increasing rate of angular displacement of the hands about a point.

Jack Mankin