Posted by: () on Sat Jul 19 19:59:49 2003

>>> Hi. Somewhere on this site-- I can't find where
> > > right now-- I believe Jack suggested swinging
> > > a length of garden hose to get the feel for
> > > swinging the bat through a proper arc instead
> > > of a straight line. He said it removed hand
> > > torque from the equation-- which should be
> > > added after establishing a good swing arc,
> > > since that's much more important-- and that if
> > > you were swinging in a straight line, the hose
> > > would flop at the wrists instead of retaining
> > > straightness through the course of the swing,
> > > like a proper arc should.
> > >
> > > Anyway, I've tried it, and reached one odd
> > > conclusion- I seem to want to hold the bat at a
> > > different angle than before, with the end
> > > pointed more toward the pitcher than toward
> > > the sky behind me. That seems to enable me
> > > to swing in more of an arc. Does that sound
> > > logical? <<<
> > >
> > > Hi Matt
> > >
> > > You made a very keen observation. Body rotation and accelerating the hands should not be initiated until the bat is in the plane of the swing. That is the reason you are getting better results starting with the hose in the lower position. Many hitters, including some major league players, get into trouble with a vertical or cocked forward bat. They have not brought the bat-head into the plane as they fully initiate their swings. It causes wrist bind, bat-head stalls and waves in the swing plane. This is the basic reason Big Mac, Eric Davis, Strawberry and others, went into deep batting slumps.
> > >
> > > Batters who successfully use Pre-launch Torque to maximize bat speed have their bat’s vertical or cocked forward toward the pitcher (picture Gary Sheffield’s bat pointing at the pitcher). But they all accelerate the bat-head back into the swing plane (normal launch position) by pulling the top-hand back before body rotation and a Circular-Hand-Path (CHP) is initiated.
> > >
> > > Matt, try holding your hands out away from your shoulder (like Sosa) with the hose tilted toward first base. Then while keeping your inward-turn shoulder position, swing (smooth and easy) the hose back toward the launch position as you bring your hands back to the back-shoulder. When you get the rhythm and timing right you will already have hose-head speed as you initiate rotation and the CHP. --- The hose-head must be continually accelerated right through the launch position. It is all wasted if the hose-head is paused or slowed before you fully initiate the swing. Make sure you have maintained your inward-turn position and your hands are at the back-shoulder as you start rotation.
> > >
> > > Jack Mankin
> > >
> > > Ive watched sheffields bat and Bonds and there bat always comes to a stop right before they swing.
>
>
>
> "I seem to want to hold the bat at a
> different angle than before, with the end
> pointed more toward the pitcher than toward
> the sky behind me.".........pointing the bat toward the pitcher is another way of saying there is more bat cock & subsequently more bat
> uncocking.....this, in turn results in a higher degree of "torque position" and greatly facilitates the hands getting started in a circular path....yet another way of putting it is that the greater degree of bat uncocking will accomplish jack's goal of starting the knob toward the catcher.....
> pointing the bat straight up toward the sky decreases the amount of torque position...on the one hand it gains you slightly more time in making a commitment but on the other hand it costs you a little time between commitment & contact, thus the need to compensate by having a more "linear" hand path....
> for contact/high average hitters this "linear" approach gives them more time for commitment, and having quick hands will enable them to hit the ball...however, it will cost them some power....

A linear hand path costs you time. The only way to make it up is to hit everything opposite field. The advantage to the linear hand path is it leaves the bat in the zone a long time albeit at a slower speed. Not starting early enough to pull the ball with a linear hand path accomplishes a couple of things. One, you can look at the ball longer before you commit. Two, you avoid the linear problem of having a HUGE difference in the contact point between where a linear hitter has to make contact to pull the ball (often foul), and the contact point to hit the ball opposite field. Too many compromises with a linear swing.