Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Fri Dec 7 20:21:02 2001

>>> Thanks for responding to my Hank Aaron question.I agree that the length of the swing prior to contact is what is important.When exactly the swing is considered to start is not well agreed on.This makes talking about the length of the swing confusing.One reasonable definition based on one of Lau Sr.'s absolutes(bat in launch position when stride is completed-see list in Lau Jr.'s book,p.25)would be to call the start of the swing(for purposes of measuring the length of the swing)the position of the bat when the front foot comes down.

The batter who has the Lau type mechanics seems to stay further off the plate and uses more extension of the lead arm before contact than the Hank Aaron type(a successful hitter prior to the days of Lau Sr.).This would be the equivalent of trying to hit all pitches the way an Aaron type hitter would hit an outside pitch.This can have the advantage of minimizing the number of swing patterns that have to be mastered as well as developing great batspeed(if the hands are not prematurely extended)but would be a longer swing that is not as quick to the ball.There would also be less torso turn before contact which makes the timing requirements of the swing more exact(less of a time window to transfer energy from the lower body to the bat).

In theory it would be more difficult to slip the high inside pitch by Hank than it would Big Mac. <<<

Hi Tom

I agree with your assessment of the capabilities of Hank’s and Big Mac’s mechanics. As a general rule I think we can safely say that the top-hand is more active (or denominate) in generating torque during initiation and until the elbow lowers to the batters side. Once the elbow has lowered, the bottom hand becomes he most active hand in providing torque.

So the back-elbow of a batter who sets up to hit the outside pitch will tend to sweep wider and the top-hand will stay active longer as the elbow lowers. Although this greatly increases bat speed for outside pitches, it also results in less shoulder rotation and therefore reduced lead-shoulder pull for bottom-hand-torque for inside pitches. --- It has always puzzled me why a pitcher would deal outside to a Big Mac type hitter – or inside to the bottom-hand-torque hitting of Luis Gonzalez?

Jack Mankin