Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Sat Oct 5 08:44:04 2002

>>> I was curious to the que that Lau uses, "rotate hips while pulling
the knob to the ball" I've tried it many ways and I've figured if you
grip the bat lightly with the top hand, and you let the bottom hand
"level out" before pulling, than it seems that Tht is created. I'll
have to hear from Jack on this but, Can THt be created without a pull
from the top hand rather letting the bottom hand level out from a near
vertical position before pulling it through, your thoughts?
> The Hitman <<<
>
> Hi Hitman
>
> After the back-elbow lowers to the batters side, the knob (and the
bottom-hand) rotates around the top-hand. It is the pull from the
rotating lead shoulder (through the lead-arm) that supplies the pull
on the knob-end of the bat. The knob never moves linearly, it is
constantly turning. Because at this point of the swing, the
bottom-hand is arcing around the top-hand, I call it
“bottom-hand-torque.” --- Note: As you know, torque is when forces
from opposing directions cause the bat to rotate around a point (in
this case, that point is the top-hand).
>
> Jack Mankin
>

More "cue madness"-

IF body action is similar for golf and hitting at the particular time
when coiling finishes and uncoiling starts,then as Epstein "cues"
it,the opening of the hips pulls the torso around while it is still
stretching/coiling."Heel drop" seems to be a good "trigger"/cue for
this reversal in direction.

Unlike golf,the "backswing" needs to be minimized in hitting(Hank
Aaron).I don't like the Epstein "cue" couterrotation because it seems
to create too much backswing.

I do like the Nyman concept of "scapula loading".

Bart's preference for "cocking/uncocking" can work,but the cocking
uncocking needs to be with the big muscles which also raise and lower
the elbow,not with the wrists or you get "wrapping" and a tendency to
lengthen the swing.

Jack's leave the knob where it is and move the bathead description is
similar to Epstein's "flat hands" and "scoop sand with the top hand"
cues.

Jack also points out the importance of loading the hands in behind the
head (use the big muscles).The "torque" idea seems very important(to
the non-scientist) because it gets the bat turning around an axis
close to the handle which seems to improve "bat quickness"(get to top
speed quicker when bat angle is favorable) at the expense of ultimate
batspeed(max batspeed can be higher with "longer" swing,but later when
bat angle is less favorable for inside pitch or with more extension
which cuts into reaction time for outside pitch).

The bat should be "uncocking" while the last bit of coiling/stretching
is created at "heel" drop.Posture should be set with the bat turning
"on/in plane" when hip deceleration starts.

Now there's a mouthfu