Posted by: Scott B. (batspeed@integritycorp.com) on Thu May 9 19:26:58 2002

>>> I've been thinking about the concept of "casting", because it looks like my daughter is reaching for the ball, extending her arms too far. Obviously, the player needs to be properly positioned in the box, and an outside pitch can make anyone appear to be "reaching" on two strikes.
>
> In linear hitting (LM) mechanics, since the hands move more directly towards the ball, it's pretty easy to spot the problem, and we use the "fence drill" and the "two-tee drill" (inside/outside tee) to reduce the problem. I understand Jack's perspective on the fence drill, i.e. it forces the hands into a linear path, rather than the preferred, torque producing arc. Moreover, with rotational mechanics (RM), I would naturally expect the arms to "cast" more than with LM, since the hands start back further, and are moving in an arc. Then again, players using RM are still supposed to keep their hands "inside the ball".
>
> So, how far is too much, what causes this, and how do we fix it? My guess right now is that her lead arm is too slack, and she's using her lead-arm triceps muscle to accelerate the bat into the impact zone (i.e. as with the LM that she's used for six years, snapping the arm out into the zone). This would force her hands to “cast” outward.
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> How much a role does the lead-arm triceps play in swing the bat with RM? Seems that if the lead arm is supposed to be extended (i.e. no slack) through most of the swing, and torso rotation pulls it through the zone, that the tricep stretches instead of compresses, and should play little role in accelerating the bat.
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> Opinions? Feed back?
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> Thanks to all.. Scott B. <<<
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> Hi Scott
>
> Your last two paragraphs accurately describe a key difference between LM and RM. As you pointed out, the LM batter has a lot of “slack” or flex in the lead-arm and extends straight toward contact. The RM has his/her arm fairly straight from initiation to contact. Therefore, with the RM batter, “casting” is not caused from straightening (or barring) the lead-arm. Casting occurs when the lead-arm is cast away from the chest by the extension of the back-arm. There is NO casting if the “barred” lead-arm remains across (or close to) the chest and allows shoulder rotation to accelerate the hands into a circular hand-path. --- On outside pitches, shoulder and hip rotation slows to allow the lead-arm to “purposely” cast away from the chest for the hands to arc into a wider path.
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> PS: Actually, it would be more accurate to say; the resistance offered by a wider hand-path slows hip and shoulder rotation.
>
> Jack Mankin

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Thanks for the feedback, Jack. I guess I'll run (more) of your drills, tying her lead arm so it remains extended and held close to the chest (i.e. a one-arm bat drill), so only hip/shoulder rotation moves the bat (and her arms can't). Then we'll add the top hand (two arm), and see if she can keep the bat accelerating in an arc towards the ball (and not outward, towards 1B). If she has sufficient hip/shoulder rotational torque at the start of the swing, it'll probably solve most of her problem.

I guess if RM was easy, everyone would be hitting 500' homers. Neither she (or her brother) have added much batspeed yet, but since she's no longer "swinging down", she's contacting the ball better. She's also swinging a heavier bat. (22 oz -7, versus a LL 21 oz).

Thanks for your help.. Scott B