Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Wed Feb 23 19:10:18 2000

>>>do the arms move forward(knob of the bat at the ball)independent of the rotation of the hips?if not how do you hold your arms to prevent sweeping when you swing? <<<

Hi Larry

Good question Larry. We have had many discussions regarding the mechanics of the lead arm. Below is a discussion that may answer your questions. Please feel free to give your thoughts or ask for additional information.

Jack Mankin

>>>Jack

>>> Next to getting the elbow up, fear of "barring the front arm" seems to be generating the most resistance to trying this swing. Barring is bad if you are significantly extending the front arm(and straightening/lengthening the hand circle)DURING the swing, but this doesn't mean you shouldn't take the slack out PRIOR to initiation of the swing so the right hand-path can be established throughout the swing. Any comments ? <<<
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Hi Tom

I think you are right. I should have included “Barring the lead arm” in the list of Truisms. --- It definitely would produce a week swing with the old “keep your shoulder in there” as you “extend your hands at the ball” type of mechanics (Linear). Of course the hands would go wide if you barred the arm and swung the arm out away from the chest. But that is not what happens with rotational mechanics.

Suppose you did not allow the barred arm to cast away from the chest. How wide would the hand-path be if you held the arm across your chest and rotated around a stationary axis. --- For pitches from the middle-in, the lead arm will still be across much of the chest all the way to contact.

Please try this for yourself. Stand up – hold your arm across your chest – now rotate without allowing the arm to come away from the chest --- How wide was your hand-path.

Jack Mankin
__________________
(From: Shawn Bell)

Tom

Any ways I'll try to back track my thoughts. Basically what Jack mentioned about how the front arm stays close to chest during rotation should have answered your question.

The Hands and arms are brought forward from shoulder/torso rotation. This does not cause "casting" and it doesn't make the swing longer. The hands have to travel to the point of contact, extending the arms or using the arms takes just as long as using rotation to bring the hands forward (only one has more bat speed).

I have been interested in the effects of having the lead arm barred at the initiation of the swing. I came to the conclusion that if the lead arm as any slack, significantly bent, or to relaxed at the initiation of the swing there would be a break in the kinetic chain. The hitter couldn't apply force from initiation of the swing consistently (apply torque).

I know the first thing people think, But that makes the swing long. If "Nomar" has a long swing using "Torque" than what IS a short, explosive, quick swing? It would be hard to get any shorter than Nomar's swing without becoming a slap hitter (reaching out and punching the ball).

Any ways I wanted to point out a couple of things that Jack wrote,
"DO NOT RELY ON THE MUSCLES OF THE ARMS TO ACCELERATE THE HANDS. --- With Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and hitters of their caliber, the role of the hands are to impart the bat with torque (get the bat to rotate about a point between the two hands). Any attempt to force the hands forward ahead of rotation impedes the natural arc and timing of bat head acceleration."

This is why I have a problem when people talk about keeping both elbows bent, keep the front elbow bent and extend it toward the ball etc. They believe this is a short, quick, powerful swing. I believe it is simply "Slapping the ball". Using arm extension in this manner usually stops rotation before it's even started.

Shawn Bell