Posted by: The Hitting Guru () on Sun Dec 31 16:20:50 2006

> Thanks for taking the time Guru. You're right about the high hands helping w/ the high pitch. I was toying around today, having him try some of the "tip-n-rip" stuff Swingbuster and DMac have been talking about, and starting w/ his hands lower (near armpit). He couldn't get around on the high pitch for BEANS! :)
>
> I just posted a new clip of him doing this (not too well either) on Teacherman's site:
> http://www.hittingillustrated.com/forum/showthread.php?t=258
>
> Thanks again.

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Sandman. With regard to hitting the high pitch from a lower hand position, it may help to set up a Tee in which your son has to swing at an upward angle in order to hit the ball.

I also noticed by experimenting in the mirror that if one applies the inward knee turn/twist with the front shoulder pointing/twisting toward the second baseman and initiates the swing, the rotation is more complete. As such the top hand torque created in unison with the inward turn eliminates excess movement as opposed to some forms of prelaunch torque in which the batter has to set his launch angle before commiting to the swing. This means more time for the hitter to hit the high pitch from a lower swinging position.

The coil created with the inward knee turn/twist as opposed to an inward knee bend is more efficient in creating the cork screw follow through of Ruth and Ted Williams. The resulting action gives the hitter more of an ability to hook/pull outside as well as down the middle pitches more naturally.

Mr. Mankin probably stated the above earlier at some time, but until know I did not fully understand the process of what was actually ocurring. By studying the exagerated follow through of Ruth and Williams, I began to see they were doing something in addition to what many rotational hitters were doing. This would also explan to a degree why Williams did not have to make use of the opposite field to be successful.