Posted by: rql () on Sun Sep 23 16:31:19 2007

> rql-
>
> I think this is also similar to Jack's description of how the direction of THT varies for inside vs outside. Not only is it important that the direction is different, BUT for plate coverage it is important for HOW the variation takes place/sequences, so it as if the same loading path is always started, then interrupted early to turn more/sooner on inside and and continued longer also stretching lead arm longer to get "earlier batspeed" for outside.
>
> In any case. the lead arm needs to not have slop/get dragged by shoulder turn. instead, the lead arm needs to act so load is finished and reversed quickly which is done by the lead arm controlling how the shoulders tilt rather than turn to have the load end with a quick stretch and fire, not a push/drag of the hands.
>
> Peavy has a nice set of 1 arm lead arm drills, then adding the top hand.
>
> Jack's approach is to learn the CHP with one armed top hand drills (learn to avoid top hand dominance pushing/disocnnecting the swing, AND using the heavy bag at contact to learn good timing so the batsped accelerates to max right at contact, then adding lead arm/BHT, then adding back arm/THT.
Tom in your 1st paragraph,you talk about same loading path is started then aborted for inside when read.This means to me that you must be loading for the away pitch 1st,you cant have load intent away and be looking inside,you must look away and adjust inside as you have said here,this has been my contention all along,but there has been discussions in the past when you said epsteins approach was better you felt that you look in then adjust away,but as you have said here that loading the same way cannot be to load for inside then try to change it as longer load for away.Look away react in was my key swing thought when I was tryingto cover both sides of plate and is different than the times when you just look in or out.
I think some of the feel of the hands at the initiation before shoulder turn as they apply forces to turn and control the bat head and get it moving is why many who say [hips and hands]feel the hands 1st and the bat head moving against them and maybe if there doing it right the shoulders are on autopilot for them, which it ultimately should be but what we have had to try and reteach to so many and why the arguments about the hands importance come into play is that proper shoulder rotation and sequencing are never introduced and the way the hands initiate are all wrong with many.The last group that help keep arguments going which ultimately is good because it allows us all to look at something again and again to try to see there point exposes all new ideas.However,the rotation only group as you have mentioned get a great deal of the batspeed swing down but miss out I think on this vital area of swing quickness and plate coverage adjustment,I guess the pcr would fall into this group.It is kind of like the guy who learns to attached the bat to his shoulder and then loads and rotates from there the knob points above the catchers head back toward umpire,I tried this in my 1 arm swings and found my longest hit balls did not come with this approach,nor did I consistently center the ball from just bend at the waist being the only thing setting swing plane.
Anyways my contentionfor the difference I am discussing in this thread is that far more is going on with the lead arm and hand during plt and tht phase than we have discussed in the past,it is the strength of both but even more important the control from both that allows the hitter to get the barrel where he wants it early in the swing and all this happens before the front shoulder begins to pull forward.