Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Fri Nov 22 00:41:48 2002

>>> I think the best way to describe a short swing is to have a link from the start of your swing, with your circular hand path to the front shoulder. Remember if you start your hands wrong nothing else matters, so that is what a short swing is.
> If you have questions Jack has posted the lead arm pull and the connection of the front shoulder to bring the bat around so just go back and refresh yourself. I think if you read Jacks posts you will get the hang of it. – John <<<

>>> Do the top hand and arm have any influence on whether a swing is long or short? <<<

Hi Major Dan

I would say that how a batter uses the top-hand at initiation is a defining factor to the length of the swing. --- A powerful swing that brings the bat-head to contact with the shortest hand travel in the least amount of time, requires the energy from both the lead-side and the back-side to be equally transferred. This balanced transfer can only occur when the rotation of the lead-shoulder cause the lead-hand to be pulling on the knob end of the bat just as strong as the top-hand is applying force in the opposite direction.

Since lead-shoulder rotation is pulling the lead-hand around toward the pitcher at initiation, the top-hand must be pulling back toward the catcher. If instead, the top-hand is shoved forward (in the same direction as the lead-hand) the lead-arm will separate from the rotating body and the force supplied to the lead-hand diminishes. This leaves the development of bat speed mainly up to the extension of the back-side alone.

I define a long or short swing by how far the hands traveled from launch to contact and how much time elapsed (number of video frames from launch to contact). – Transfer mechanics that rely mainly on back-side drive and extension of the top-hand is longer in both hand travel and time elapsed. Professional hitters who have the back-arm near full extension as the bat becomes perpendicular to the ball’s path require 5 to 5.5 frames and the hands travel 8 to 12 inches past the “L” position. -- Good rotational hitters require about 4 to 4.5 frames and make contact (middle-in pitches) with the back-arm still in the “L” position.

Jack Mankin