Ray,
I would also agree on pitch location. All i am saying is get your hand path inside the path of the ball. And the front elbow move is only 2 inches.
This is what Don Slaught teaches and we all know his credentials.
Sorry it took so long for me to reply. This thread had me thinking about some things.
I am reiterating that I don't think the front elbow jut is the way to go.
The way I would present is that both arms have to work together to swing around the torso - yes the torso turns, but not all together as a unit. And while I see value in the drill I posted it is not the end goal (I think I mentioned this)
Try to visualize this
There is a laser pointing out of the knob of the bat. With a ball on a tee align the bat angle so that when you swing your arms the laser will slice through the ball. This is the quickest way to get the barrel moving (and this is the goal, is it not??)
The barrel of the bat should follow this path the knob and laser have carved out.
The barrel does not have to stay in the shoulder plane to achieve this path. The arms are directing this path by working together.
If I use the elbow jut - the laser/knob will not slice the ball, but instead slide/push through the ball (assuming the player even understands how to line up the knob path). How the barrel reponds to this action is what it is all about.
The hands stay inside in both cases, but one path is optimum for the barrel and the other is not.
So, in the case of live hitting the hitter is trying to slice where the ball will be at contact (like on a tee) and not direct the knob to where the ball is coming from.
Any kind of bat dropping/flattening is the kiss of death.
IMO, the arms adjusting (elbow flexion/extension) are an adjustment for the laser/knob to create the barrel path.
There is golf machine called the Iron Byron that illustrates this idea. The machine hits the perfectly every time because the levers (arms) line up the knob with the ball so that the club head can follow a clean path.
The machine does not jut the elbow, it swings.
Here is a clip
Torso rotation is not cause of this arm action. The torso supports and transfers momentum up the chain. Momentum is transferred though the arms and into the bat as the clip above shows (watch how the club head catches up and gets lined with the lever arm by contact. Same as getting the front arm and bat lined up by contact.
Keep in mind that an "inside out" swing is a tool to use in 2 places. When you have made a mistake and been fooled on an inside pitch (not good)and is the only way to get the ball posible to the outfield or to hit behind runners(very good). The close up tee is a great muscle memory drill so the body knows how to use this technique. Be careful not to over do it. No power in this way of swinging.