Posted by: Bart () on Fri Oct 4 14:04:41 2002

I think this is yet another term that means different things to different people. It dawned on me today that actually the term does have some useful meaning if understood properly. It has to do with Nyman's top hand "rabbit punch", except that knob to the ball would be more accurate.
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> > Knob to the ball, if incorporated very early in the swing (like at toe touch) will enhance elbow-in-the-slot and for that matter it will facilitate the technique that I think you all refer to as top hand torque.
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> Lau Jr. uses this cue also, you are correct Bart, I think this is one that you have to be careful with. My question is this, should the cue be, "knob to the ball", or should it be knob to a fixed point, more or less directly away from the catcher, or directly at pitcher?. As torso rotation is initiated, and bat is planed, (lagged?), should knob always be consistently pointing straight out, or aimed/pointed to the ball, (pitch location).

As the last part of the uncocking motion, the knob arcs toward the catcher, away from the body and at the point where the bat is parrallel to the ground the knob will be facing the pitcher (flight of the ball?). At this point (commonly called the "lag position"), the bat head is ready to arc OUT (remember, the bathead had to first com down before it could arc out), and at the same time the knob starts heading back towards the body (and unless/until the knob does head back in toward the body, how can the bathead ever be arced out?).

And maybe Tom can enlighten me, but is this by any chance( arcing back in of the knob and at the same time arcing out of the bathead) what some of you have referred to as the "hook" and/or "bottom hand torque?