Posted by: grc () on Wed Jun 19 17:42:18 2002

Since so many alleged hitting experts--especially in the contemporary mold--place a premium on establishing backspin, I still would like to know why so few of the posts on this board concern themselves with hand action per se, as opposed to legs/thighs/knees/hips/balls of feet/Achilles tendons (OK, I'm joking--but only half-joking) etc. Has anybody ever closely examined videos of M. Ramirez and Juan Gonzalex, and to an only slightly lesser extent, Frank Thomas? When they get a pitch in their happy zone, all of them let go with the top hand and seem to almost "punch" right through the strike zone with the bottom hand, such that the leading wrist remains unbroken with the palm STILL FACING DOWN even as they whip the bat around their back in completing their follow through. Doesn't anybody consider this potentially significant?
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> > > > > steve....are you saying there should be more discussion of palm up/palm down, or are you saying there should be more discussion of letting go of the top hand?
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> > > > > having the bottom hand facing down is a fairly universal truth in which i don't think there is any controversy....
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> > > > > letting go of the top hand might be controversial but fairly unimportant....some hitters let go & some don't...charley lau thought letting go would add 20 feet of distance but he was never able to prove his case...i personally don't think it matters one way or another...
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> > > > >>GRC,I think their is a punch action but I believe it is with the top hand not the bottom hand.If their is a punch with the bottom hand it would be some weird side ways punch with bottom of fist,would,nt want to cue off of this.
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> > > rql, i think you are right but depending on which hand/arm is dominent (which depends on whether you are right handed batting right or right handed but batting left)....
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> > I think what allows the bottom hand to stay palm down with no breaking of the wrist is the hooking of the handpath in front of the body,staying connected so torso turn/circular handpath can turn the bat into contact instead of arm extension.
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> >>GRCpicture the movement of the bottom hand and the top ,from a boxing perspective how can the bottom hand punch,I see the top hand like a upper cut into the stomach of an opponent.


rql...i agree the top hand is like an upper cut...and the bottom hand is kind of like a jab....