Posted by: BHL (Knight1285@aol.com) on Tue Apr 24 15:12:04 2007

> >>> Jack (or someone),
>
> Could you please explain how and why your approach differs from that of Mike Epstein?
>
> I know that Epstein gets multiple things wrong, but I would like to hear from you exactly how your ideas and approaches differ. <<<
>
> Hi Chris
>
> There is probably little difference between Mike and I on the lower-body mechanics we teach to generate body rotation. We may have different approaches in how we teach, but we both are seeking the same results – rotation about a stationary axis.
>
> As I explained to George in my post below, Mike and I present very different concepts in our instructional DVDs on how the batter’s mechanics transfer the body’s rotational energy into bat speed. In Mike’s DVD, he teaches his batters to extend a boxed lead-arm (similar to throwing a Frisbe) to contact. This allows the hands to take a more direct path.
>
> It appears it is his belief that there is a “whip-effect” that accelerates the bat when the hands reach full extension. In our DVD, “The Final Arc 2” we use the PathFinder to prove that there is no whip-effect of the bat from a straight extension of the hands. However, there is bat-head acceleration from a “pendulum-effect” when hands take a circular path.
>
> This is why video analysis (over-head view is best) shows that all the best hitter’s mechanics produce a CHP – not a straight extension of the hands. Video analysis also shows that the best hitters do not extend a bent elbow to contact. In order to produce a the most productive CHP, they keep their lead-elbow at a fixed angle as they rotate. – Keeping the lead-elbow at a fixed angle (straight or boxed) during rotation is one of the “7 Key Positions” we look for in our new “Swing Analysis” DVD.
>
> Jack Mankin

Hi Jack,

I agree that a CHP can create batspeed. However, a curvilinear handpath can also produce the same effect. Repeated studies have shown that, at the point of contact, the hands are exerting very little force on the bat. Hence, the "whip effect" that I refer to is not a rigid object (i.e., a bat) bending, but, instead, results from the fact that, as batspeed increases, the hands are exerting very little force (or torque) on the bat. In other words, the batter "whips" the part of the bat nearest the hands around. (The bat itself not undergo a dramatic shape alteration in the swing.

Best,
BHL
Knight1285@aol.com

P.S. By the way, I agree that, although you teach different "cues" from Epstein in promoting developmental mechanics, both are geared toward developing a good rotation around a stationary axis.