Posted by: Graylon (g_dunc@hotmail.com) on Fri Sep 14 00:56:46 2007

> > I'm just an innocent by stander but I have been reading all of the conversations about PLT & THT and I would like to way in. Shawn you have mentioned before that, "the bat arcs in my swing without doing anything special. I don't call it mechanics." I do agree with you that if you simply rotate your hips and shoulders the bat will arc back without doing any thing special. In order to swing a bat the barrel has to arc back, unless you are dropping the barrel straight out in front of you(taking the barrel straight down to the ball, which makes no sense). I also agree that not all good hitters display PLT and that there is more then one way to create early bat speed (not maximum early bat speed). But, is not having PLT the most effective way to hit is the question. The answer is no. The hitters that are mentioned are big and strong and they can get away with starting from a static position(that doesn't make it right or effecient). Lets talk about young teenage kids like the ones I coach that are not as big and strong as the players that are mentioned. PLT is essential to early bat speed. They could not generate the same early bat speed from a static position. So to answer one of your earlier questions about the little bit of movement back prior to initiating the swing, does it really make that big of a difference? Yes, in fact to reach your maximum early bat speed it is a must. Good hitters that are big and strong, who hit homeruns without PLT, don't see a need to adjust there swings. Just because they still hit homeruns doesn't mean there being efficient.
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> Graylon. I think I am hearing you right, but correct me if I am wrong in interpreting your comments.
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> Are you saying that some of the good and or top hitters we see are not using the same rearward acceleration?
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> If the answer is yes, can you name some of the hitters you feel are not using optimum mechanics and or rearward acceleration?
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> Why do you think a major league hitter given the information that is out here and or having a teammate who used proper mechanics would not himself use optimum mechanics?

George,

Just to let you know I don't profess to being a guru of hitting. I can only give you my oppinion of what I see and what has helped the kids I coach.

First let me try to explain what my understanding of PLT is. I believe it to be the torque applied to the bat prior to the initiation of shoulder rotation.

To answer your first question "no" that is not what I am saying. Even Ichiro who is a linear hitter has rearward acceleration, as I see it. Although I believe that his rearward acceleration happens at a different point in his swing. As I mentioned before, When you rotate your shoulders the barrel has to travel rearward. I believe that you yourself mentioned that if this did not happen then you would be chopping down on the ball, which I think we both believe to be wrong.

I will use Bonds and Giambi as examples, Bonds as some one that I clearly see as using PLT and Giambi as someone that I don't, that doesn't mean he doesn't use PLT, I just don't see it.

If you watch Bonds hit as he pulls his hands up to his armpits, raising his back elbow the barrel of the bat points at the pitcher. Prior to initiating his swing he pulls back with the top hand and starts to lower his back elbow while the front elbow begins to raise. In my oppinion this appears to get the bat moving rearward prior to shoulder rotation(PLT). As the shoulders start there rotation the barrel has already got a head start on creating bat speed. As the shoulders rotate the top hand continues to pull back until the bat is flat once the bat is flat and the elbow is slotted the hips and shoulders continue to rotate as the lead arm is pulling in a slightly upward movement causing the front shoulder, lead arm, and bat to get on the same plain as the ball.

When I see Giambi hit I don't see the barrel moving rearwards prior to shoulder rotation. His barrel seems to be very static. I see him start hip rotation then shoulders. It still appears that he is pulling back with the top hand as the shoulders start rotation in order to get the bat to the flat position. So he does have rearward acceleration, but it appears to me that it is caused by shoulder rotation. My understanding is, as I described Giambis swing, that Giambi uses THT but not PLT. I may be seeing something different then you or someone else.

Let me try to answer your last question. I don't believe Giambi uses PLT, I may be wrong,but he is still hitting bombs, he doesn't see the need to make any adjustments to his swing. Why would he mess with something that he doesn't believe needs messing with. But if I remember correctly Mark McGuires swing looked much different at the end of his career then it did in college and his early years in the pros. He saw a need to become more efficient and it paid off. Let me finish by adding that I am not to concerned about the pros because they are already getting paid for doing something they love. My concern are the kids I coach in highschool. I have found that getting the barrel moving rearward prior to shoulder rotation allows them to generate more power then when they start with a static bat and just rely on hip and shoulder rotation. I hope I explained myself.