Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Sep 1 11:02:36 2002

Hi Nick

I think it might be helpful to the discussion if I brought forward the post to the thread you are referring to.

Jack Mankin

## Little Miller#
John,
When 'preloading', I have always taught my fp players to have the butt of the bat, pointed slightly towards the catcher, with the elbows down. But I have been challenged, stating that this will not work for girls, and that the butt of the head of the bat should be angled towards the catcher, almost flat. This was stated because their upper body is not as strong as a boy, so they need to have the bat head angled back, so it is a flat swing. HELP!!!!

## Shawn ##
Little Miller,

Only if the bat gets into the lag position smoothly, like the grace and beauty of Clemente.

Otherwise you must create all the power yourself. The way your describing the swing is mainly an arm swing. This swing cause and creates more problems than it solves.

The swing, wrists, start to release with bat head coming around the back shoulder and out of rotation. The lag position is a place where you can check the swing, stop from releasing the bat head.

This natural way of swinging, bat angle starts roughly at the same angle as the shoulders is 'superior' to the what your being told. And the superior fastpitch hitters do it the same way as the baseball hitters. There is no need to force the bat into the strike zone with a good swing.

No hitter laying the bat back can get the bat around or through the strike zone faster then the traditional (common sense swing) swing. You might find it easier to guide the bat to the ball, or punch the ball from your lag position. I have seen hitters such as Clemente who are a mixture of the two, but Clemente and others do it with grace and not some force position with the wrists uncocked.

There is no challenge, whoever served up this information to you doesn't know hitting, they only know gimmicks or band aids


## Jack Mankin ##
I assume that during “ pre-loading,” you mean “having the butt of the bat, pointed slightly towards the catcher” is the same as cocking the bat-head toward the pitcher. --- I find little value in cocking the bat-head forward unless the batter is well versed in the proper execution of pre-launch torque. This is an advanced mechanic that offers great rewards to those that successfully master it. However, most batters either (1) bring the bat-head back to a static (stationary) position before initiating the swing, or, (2) start the hands forward as the bat-head accelerates back toward the normal launch position.

The number (1) movement is meaningless. The batter would have been served just as well starting with the bat in the normal launch position, about 45degrees above the shoulder. For pre-launch torque to be effective, the bat-head must be continuously accelerated from pre-launch right into launch. Starting and then stopping (or slowing down) the bat-head is of no value.

The number (2) movement is a serious fault that hampers the swing of most hitters trying to perfect both pre-launch and top-hand-torque. ### The hands (as a unit) cannot move forward away from the shoulder as the bat-head accelerates back toward the catcher ###. Wrist-binds and an inconsistent swing plane will result. The direction of force of the hands must be coming back toward the back-shoulder as the bat-head accelerates behind the batter.

Getting the batter to perform this mechanic correctly is very, very difficult. For years they have been taught to keep the bat-head back while accelerating the knob. Now, we must teach them to keep the knob back while accelerating the bat-head into the arc of the plane. ---Should you attempt to teach it? Yes, but I would suggest that you learn the feeling of performing it correctly yourself so you can relate to your players problems.

PS You stated “with the elbows down.” We have discussed the back-elbow, but why would you want the lead-elbow down?

Little Miller, I wish nothing but the best for you and your players,

## Jack Mankin ##
Hi Shawn

I have often wondered what the terms “release” and “lag position” means to imply. When a batter is told, “don’t release the bat-head too soon”, it seems to imply that there is energy somehow stored in the bat and the batter can determine when it is released. Am I correct or would you help define it better?
What is meant by “lag position?” Is the bat supposed to lag at some position? I would appreciate your help.

## rql ##
Jack, I think the lag is refering to a time in the middle of the swing when your on plane with the ball but the barrel is lagging behind the hands [a point right after the barrel stops pointing at the catcher]. I think it is just apoint of reference in the swing. I can only speculate the release to be a premature wrist roll to take the barrelout of the chp. Shawn may clear it up.

## Jack Mankin ##
Hi rql

I think your definition is correct. If it is just a position the accelerated bat-head passes through, then fine. But some may think they can wait until the bat reaches that position (lag position) before applying force to accelerate the bat-head. You just cannot start the swing from that position (flat bat) and still generate good power on anything other than an in-side pitch. If the bat-head has not been accelerated by that time, you’re dead on middle-out pitches.