Posted by: Steve (steve@legendsoftexas.net) on Wed May 4 11:28:44 2011

> Is there anyone in this forum that actually thinks that consciously pulling the top hand backward is a good idea? I know that it looks like hitters are doing this but I can assure you that they do not have that swing thought in there head. Watch Pujols at the end of this video demonstrate what he tries to do when driving the ball to the opposite field gap.
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> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1XFrOjpVhM&feature=related

There is no way I would teach pulling back with the top hand to initiate. Whenever I try to do it consciously my swing is choppy and slow. I took video of my swing trying to do it, and swinging normally, and the normal swings were much more sound, and the bat head does travel backwards before my hands move forward. BUT good hitters do get that bat head moving backwards before sweeping into the zone. I happen to think THT is essential, but that it's a byproduct of setting up correctly with hands at the back shoulder with a raised elbow, and letting the elbow lower into the slot as the hands stay back while hips and shoulders start to rotate. Keeping your top hand loose on the bat until launch also helps achieve starting the swing with the big muscles. But I've never heard a hitter anywhere describe this mechanic as pulling back with the top hand, rather they describe staying back and getting on plane and firing the hands through the zone. But if you watch high level swings they all set up correctly which forces the hands into a curved arc rather than straight to the ball, even though they may think "straight to the ball". It's hard to teach hitting by breaking the swing down into the smallest possible movements in my opinion.