Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Wed Oct 6 12:40:10 2010

>>> In your opinions, is THT relatively automatic or do players have to be taught to do it? When I bat, I automatically pull the bat back in order to get my back elbow parallel to the ground. I eagerly await your responses. <<<

Hi Paul

I think I can safely say my Swing Model was the first to define mechanics (THT) that accelerated the bat-head rearward - and explained the importance of that acceleration. When I started my study of how the body's rotational energy was most efficiently transferred in to bat speed in 1988, I found a few (about 25) MLB hitters that exhibited the mechanic. They obviously were not taught the mechanic. They came by it naturally or acquired it through trail-and-error.

My best guess would be about 10 to 15 percent of MLB hitters exhibited the mechanic in the early 1900s. Today, I would say the number is closer to 40 percent. Are some being taught? -- Or, with today's analysis technology, are they emulating what they see in the top performers? Your guess is as good as mine.

I first noticed the presence of THT while plotting the bat's trajectory from over-head video shot from games played in the old Astro Dome. I noted that the top hitter's mechanics produced much greater rearward bat acceleration than the average MLB hitter. Since I had no clue what caused the greater acceleration, I took the plotted trajectories to Physics Labs in So CA and asked -- what forces could be applied to the bat that would produce those trajectories? From their explanation, I termed the mechanic "THT."

Paul, since you "automatically pull the bat back in order to get my back elbow parallel to the ground," you are among the lucky (or learned) few. Most batter initiates their swing with an elevated back-elbow. Only a few apply a rearward force with the top-hand as the elbow lowers. The vast majority of batters drive their top-hand forward during initiation.

Jack Mankin