Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

Posted by: Jack Mankin (Mrbatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Apr 8 20:59:03 2000

>>>i was watching lehigh vs bucknell women's softball today and commented to a fellow spectator that there were as many different styles of hitting as there were women on the field.not one of these players were cocking their hands in order to initiate torque by pulling the right hand back towards the catcher as the swing was beginning.i was told that women weren't strong enough in the upper body to do that.iwas told that a flat swingfrom off the shouder waw the way to go for women.i believe that mr. mankin's swing mechanics can be used in softball as well as in baseball.if i am incorrect,somebody please let me know and also please tell me how one coach can succesfully coach 9 different styles of hitting? <<<

Hi Larry

Sorry for the delay in my reply, my schedule has been very tight as of late. --- You are correct in asserting that applying torque does not require a strong upper body. In fact, developing bat speed by initiating the swing with torque requires less upper body strength than extending the hands (or knob of the bat) and trying to explode at contact. Good rotational energy transfer mechanics supplies smooth ever-accelerating forces from the start of the swing all the way to contact. I just cannot understand why anyone would think that extending a static bat and attempting to generate all the bat speed at the last instant would require less upper body strength.

This is one of the legacies left to us by the “crack of the whip theory.” If you just quickly extend the hands at the ball, the bat-head will come flying through. Sorry folks, it can’t happen. No matter what styles of batting mechanics are used, the bat speed attained is governed by the same laws of physics. --- Bat speed = The angular displacement of the bat derived from the transfer of the body’s rotational energy via an angular hand-path + how long and how much torque was applied - period.

NOTE: I can point the barrel of the bat toward the pitcher (like Gary Scheffied or Berry Bonds) and accelerate (using top hand torque) the bat back toward the launch position using only two fingers of the top hand. This is not a powerful movement, it’s a finesse move.

Jack Mankin

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> >>>i was watching lehigh vs bucknell women's softball today and commented to a fellow spectator that there were as many different styles of hitting as there were women on the field.not one of these players were cocking their hands in order to initiate torque by pulling the right hand back towards the catcher as the swing was beginning.i was told that women weren't strong enough in the upper body to do that.iwas told that a flat swingfrom off the shouder waw the way to go for women.i believe that mr. mankin's swing mechanics can be used in softball as well as in baseball.if i am incorrect,somebody please let me know and also please tell me how one coach can succesfully coach 9 different styles of hitting? <<<
> 
> Hi Larry
> 
> Sorry for the delay in my reply, my schedule has been very tight as of late. --- You are correct in asserting that applying torque does not require a strong upper body. In fact, developing bat speed by initiating the swing with torque requires less upper body strength than extending the hands (or knob of the bat) and trying to explode at contact. Good rotational energy transfer mechanics supplies smooth ever-accelerating forces from the start of the swing all the way to contact. I just cannot understand why anyone would think that extending a static bat and attempting to generate all the bat speed at the last instant would require less upper body strength. 
> 
> This is one of the legacies left to us by the “crack of the whip theory.” If you just quickly extend the hands at the ball, the bat-head will come flying through. Sorry folks, it can’t happen. No matter what styles of batting mechanics are used, the bat speed attained is governed by the same laws of physics. --- Bat speed = The angular displacement of the bat derived from the transfer of the body’s rotational energy via an angular hand-path + how long and how much torque was applied - period.
> 
> NOTE: I can point the barrel of the bat toward the pitcher (like Gary Scheffied or Berry Bonds) and accelerate (using top hand torque) the bat back toward the launch position using only two fingers of the top hand. This is not a powerful movement, it’s a finesse move. 
> 
> Jack Mankin

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