Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Fri Nov 22 13:38:23 2002

There seems more agreement than disagreement to me here.Maybe that's just my overly optimistic nature.Paul Nyman has said that max batspeed is with "extension" at contact, with no disconnection or deceleration before contact.Griffey(and Big Mac) have been given as examples of hitters who get extended at contact.Nyman also states that Griffey gets a lot of separation,but that this is NOT the swing he would teach because it's harder to master,and he prefers a swing that is "quicker to the ball." That doesn't mean he doesn't admire Junior's swing.

Paul's main disagreement with Jack has mainly to do with whether or not/to what degree "hand torque" is a cue verus real underlying principle.I am not qualified and do not intuitively understand this area well enough to weigh in. I would love to see the two of them set up some trials/evidence to elucidate this if their exact differences can be defined.

Jack has described a more extended swing for the outside pitch.Whether he believes this relates to higher batspeed potential I don't know.

I think Lau Jr's "cues" (not really anything like a "law") are descriptions/instructions that produce this more extended Griffey like further off the plate swing.You can't belly up with mechanics like this or you get a serious hole in the zone up and in or just in.You also get more vulnerable(slump prone) to the outside stuff because the timing has to be really exquisite to get consistent contact so near full extension,and with relatively little torso turn.