Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Oct 1 10:44:11 2007

>>> Next, I will tell you how the arm actions of hitting are similar to throwing a baseball. Find and study some pictures of proper pitching mechanics. You will see that once the glove arm's elbow is pointing up and the glove is pointing down as the throwing arm's elbow is pointing down and the baseball is up upper body rotation begins. The bends of each arm should be mirroring each other equally yet opposite of each other. Once you have begun to rotate your upper budy, you should pull your glove arm's elbow back and down while bending it.

Arms: At contact the arms should make a V. The back arm should be a lil' bent and the front arm is straight. As your front arm heads downward and forward towards contact, that front elbow should be pulling down from the load postion and back like when throwing. <<<

Hi Above&beyond

For the most part I agree with the points you make in your post. However, the points you make regarding the lead-arm in the swing appear at odds with this Site’s position. As an example you state, - “Did you ever hear about keeping your front elbow in? That is because your front arm has to tuck its elbow down and backwards in the swing just like in the throw to create good shoulder torque.”

I would agree the front elbow starts high and tucks downward during the throwing action. But this is not the case in the swing. In fact, the actions are more opposite. In the swing, the elbow rotates in the plane of the swing -- which starts lower and rotates upward -- rather than starting high and tucking downward.

Secondly, you state, -- “Once you have begun to rotate your upper budy, you should pull your glove arm's elbow back and down while bending it.” – and – “Arms: At contact the arms should make a V. The back arm should be a lil' bent and the front arm is straight.”

Your statements seem to indicate the lead-arm starts bent and then extends to contact. This site has long held that in order to apply maximum torque to the bat, the elbow must maintain the angle it acquired during initiation. In other words, the lead-arm may be bent or straighter as the swing is initiated. In either case, it should maintain that angle to contact. Allowing the arm to start bent and then extend to contact is counterproductive in applying torque.

We may actually agree in principle and our differences could be in the interpretation of our descriptions. In either case, further clarity would help.

Jack Mankin