Posted by: rql () on Tue Dec 17 13:53:09 2002

>>> For the scap loading part,you might use keep the hands back,keep the hands in,or Epstein's "scoop sand with the top hand".Even the old "knob to the ball" works if the knob is turning while the hands are still staying back and connected.Lots of possibilities.One key to not confusing the student with the cue/interpretation is for the teacher to know what has to happen at a fairly fundamental level.<<<
> > >
> > > Hi Tom
> > >
> > > >>> For the scap loading part, you might use keep the hands back, keep the hands in, or Epstein's "scoop sand with the top hand".
> > >
> > > During the “scap load,” part, would Epstein recommend scooping sand at the catcher or at the pitcher? What to you find in the cue; "scoop sand with the top hand," that encourages a batter to keep the hands back and connected during scap loading?
> > >
> > > >>> Even the old "knob to the ball" works if the knob is turning while the hands are still staying back and connected.<<<
> > >
> > > I agree with you, the bat should undergo a good amount of angular displacement before the hand-path is accelerated. What forces would you say are acting on the bat that cause the knob to turn before shoulder rotation and the hands arc into their path?
> > >
> > > Jack Mankin
> > >
> > > At some point in the future I might try to put all these posts together & make sense of them. A lot of stuff to absorb (good stuff I might add).
> >
> > In the meantime,this , in 20 words or less is whar scap loading feels like to me. Stride, hands go back/stay back....at about the point where stride foot is ready to land (toe touch), I feel at maximum seperation...I feel like this is now the point where, in the abcense of me forcing my hands to go back further than they should, my hands have nowhere to go except in a swing mode....i shoulder feels like it's loaded but yet i don't do anything to make this feeling happen other than the normal hands back/stride....i would appreciate your comments...
>
> Please excuse any duplicate/blank posts.I am having a combo of human and computer error.
>
> As I have tried to figure out how the power swing is produced over the years(>30),the biggest single progress for me was Jack's idea of bottom hand torque/pull back.That was a great moment in the batting cage.There are still lots of other questions and learnings.One thing I had noticed for years was the feel when I was in a good groove that the swing was underway then a quick acceleration would be superimposed over this and the result was good and quick.I mistakenly thought this was the shoulders and bat moving slightly.I now think this is the feel of the bat uncocking between "hip cock"(inward turn) and "launch"(when torso turn starts).There is a window of timing possible between front toe touch and launch that is controlled by when the hip uncocks(Nyman points out that efficient generation of force requires the torso to hook up and be driven by the hip when the hip turn is at maximum angular velocity as produced by "uncocking").The window of timing is limited by how much the chain can adapt the timing of its coiling/uncoiling without interruption/rupture.I believe it is important to teach how the limbs move to cock the hip,then make sure hip cock is not lost until it is time for "uncocking" to initiate rotation(this will be after toe touch or at toe touch at the earliest.As to what causes the angular displacement of the bat during the scapula loading phase between hip cock and launch,it feels like a sequential push/pull action of the hands driven by upper toros muscles associated wwith the scapula/positioning of the shoulder complex.Torque is a good way to communicate the video analysis/description of this.How much this describes the feel is variable(teacher student deoendent).How much it reflects the underlying physics is beyond mu ability to assess.Still,I find torque a very useful concept.A lot is happening in this scap loading phase of the swing including setting swing radius and posture while creating and maintaining connection.

>>For me scap load,is how I teach my students to coil back as they stride forward .It gets the body loaded and connected without over inward turning of the shoulders.I also think we only load or pinch the rear scap,while we stretch thr front.When the heel comes down and the rear elbow begins to pull down I think the initiation of the swing has begun or prelaunch if you will but scap loading is over.For Jack,the forces that I believe that are working on the knob before shoulders begin are the top hand pulling back on the bat,however I also believe that it is the larger muscles of the arm that pull the rear elbow in the slot which cause the t.h. fingers to pull back on the bat and begins the angular displacement of the knob before launch.rql