Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Feb 21 01:17:11 2000

>>>In one of my previous posts, I inquired about your research on swing characteristics (39) and swing types (12). Maybe you didn't get a chance to read it, so I am asking again. Is there any chance that you would publish this information? It sounds really interesting and could be helpful in identifying or solving problems with my players. <<<

Hi Curt

When I first started charting swings (1988) I had no idea what factors would or would not be important in determining a players hitting potential. So, I gave a value (0 to 5) for 39 different batting characteristics. How wide was his stance, how long was his stride, bat cock, position of arms, hips, shoulders at contact, and etc. This data was entered into a data base program and sorted. At first it took 12 swing type classifications to encompass all the players. After gaining a better understanding of “top hand torque”, only 6 were needed.

After a few years of studying the swing, I found you could make a fairly accurate assessment of a batters potential from 3 characteristics; his shoulder rotation, progression of the lead arm and top hand mechanics during initiation.

I used an old Eagle computer to store the data. When it crashed, we could not find another operating system that could read its disc. At that time I didn’t put much importance on retrieving it. Wish I had.

Jack Mankin