Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Aug 25 12:08:38 2007

>>> Hi jack. In reading some of your work, I have come to understand that you teach the lead arm to neither bar (extend too early), or be thrown to the pitch like a frisbee; but rather maintain a near locked position as the body rotates and the swing occurs.....i hope i have not misconstrued what you are trying to teach. What I am wondering is what to do on an inside pitch. Now I was always taught to keep the shoulder in, and extend slowly to the pitch, keeping my hands inside the baseball. In doing this, I will be able to hit the inside pitch without flying open with that front shoulder. Now it seems if I keep my front arm in that (close-to-locked) position throughout the swing, I will need to rotate my upper torso a great amount to be able to get to that inside pitch. This is instead of the linear teaching of throwing my hands to it. If I have to rotate open to allow my semi stiff front arm to hit that inside ball, wont my upper body have left the swing a little prematurely prior to contact? It seems like I'd have to have my upperbody completely open to be able to get that stiff front arm to that inside ball. From my experience at the collegiate level, that usually gets me saw'd or leads to a hooked foul ball....can you explain this a little better to me please?

Hi Sean

Before we discuss the role of the lead-arm, we need to cleanup some misconceptions regarding the role of the lead-shoulder. You state, “Now I was always taught to keep the shoulder in, and extend slowly to the pitch, keeping my hands inside the baseball. In doing this, I will be able to hit the inside pitch without flying open with that front shoulder.”

I have read similar statements from a good number of other coaches. Sean, I do not mean to put you on a spot, however, I would appreciate your helping me understand what coaches mean by “flying open with that front shoulder?” Do you (and other coaches) believe the batter should “Keep Your Shoulder In-There” as they initiate the swing? – If so, at what point of the swing should the lead-shoulder start to open?

I realize I am asking questions rather than answering them, but I need to understand what is being taught out there before I respond to your questions.

Jack Mankin