Posted by: Shawn (mariner0324@yahoo.com) on Sun Aug 19 22:39:14 2007

> Hi Teacherman
>
> You have obviously changed you opinion on many aspects of swing mechanics lately. A year or so ago, you were certain that the bat rotated about the spine instead of the hands. For years, you made numerous posts to this board stating that “torque and THT did not exist” in the swing. You inferred that they were just figments of my imagination.
>
> Now, you have had a revelation that the bat actually rotates about the hands and not the spine. Now, you not only proclaim that torque and THT exist, but also give your version of how to apply them.
>
> Teacherman, the readers has had a chance to review your material and draw their own conclusions. Feel free to give the address of your website for those that wish to pursue your concepts.
>
> Jack Mankin

Teacherman,

You said,

"In a good swing, you want it completed or almost completed before the shoulder turn. Ball is gone. Shoulder turn is part of the follow through. May not be exactly as this is written. But, the reason you don't want shoulder turn as part of the swing is because it pulls you out of the swing plane. It pulls the hands/forearms, the axle, out of the swing plane. Can't have that."

My reply is simple and readers can judge for themselves. One of Jack's observations is that the shoulders rotate all the way to contact. Hitters who did not do this performed at a lower level.

Jack is also the one (not Paul) who Tom and I originally discussed connection. Jack calls it transfer mechanics.

Anyways, here is a clip that completely destroys drummed up theory. While I don't agree with THT, I do agree with Jack on many things.

First off your both wrong, that bat first maintains a 90 degree relationship or the hands remain cocked as the hips begin.

Second, it's not THT or the second engine that turns the bat. It's simply a rotational hinge. Rotation is the cause and not some separate entity such as THT or second engine. And this goes back to the first point, hitters are trying to remain cocked for as long as possible.

This is all easily seen in this clip,

http://home.comcast.net/~ben_2004/billy1.mov

I will continue after everyone has seen this clip.