Posted by: Richard Schenck () on Thu May 2 17:55:38 2002

For the most part, I think the posts are great. It seems that some are looking for validation of this technique by a major league player. Frankly, I would too. I can name dozens of players hitting near the "mendoza line" that should be trying something different. I have sent tapes to several players, but am not surprised by the lack of response. The baseball fraternity is a pretty closed group and change comes very slowly. Look at the current maple versus ash bat controversey. The people at Hoosier Bat Company and others have been trying to get big league players to use something other than ash for over 15 years. All of a sudden, Barry Bonds tries a maple bat in BP provided by a carpenter and then uses it to break the home run record. I think if baseball people were more open to new ideas like Jack's or mine, who knows what might happen. Until then, I will keep having fun teaching something that makes a difference. Finally, if you were to watch hitters who use my technique, you wouldn't notice much of a difference from other hitters except they would be hitting the ball harder. Thanks. Paul P.
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> > > paul...you know what they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words....why don't you post a clip of your son (or anyone else you know who uses this technique) at setpro.com ?.....i think at least part of the skepticism is due to not being able to visualize this swing from beginning to end....
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> > If you go to Mike Epsteins site and watch the before and after videos of two of his young students you'll see them using the technique. It's under news and then the first two icons on the right indicating before and after pictures. I'm not sure I like the after swings but the hands aspect of the torgue technique is demonstrated.
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> richard, epstein does NOT advocate paul's torque technique....epstein's and paul's techniques are two different things....
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> basically, epstein's "torque position" is, in the launch position, already have the hips nearly fully rotated (which i think is bogus, but that's another subject for another day)....
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> paul's idea has to do with starting out with a "flat bat"....there may be other similarities with other parts of his swing & epstein's swing, or jack's swing, but if i understand paul's article correctly, he is advocating a flat bat (which i also think is bogus)...

I've heard mention of the flat bat on this site but I didn't read anything about a flat bat on webball.com. I suppose the bat could be flat to accomplish the torgue but it doesn't have to be. I thought that "torgue" referred to the two forces going in opposite directions. This can be accomplished with the bat flat or with the bat at the normal (or near normal) 45 degree angle. My sons bats are angled at close to 45 degrees. They press the handle against their upper arms and rotate using the power of their legs. They also torgue their upper body by rotating it away from the pitcher just before lauch.