If there is separation in these pics than I am tall, dark and handsome!
That being said there is plenty of value in using the split grip for drill purposes IMO...
For my young kids (my t-ballers 6-7) it is tremendous. Over the years, splitting the grip helped us identify a few girls who were more natural from the other side of the plate. Seeing lack of dominance in the top hand is easy when the hands are split.
Move to the next age group...8-10..this age group tends to be bat drag\barrel dump city...some of this is bad sequence and some of it is lack of core strength and arm strength. Regardless of the cause, the split changes the fulcrum point and can prevent this:
After you get out the younger girls, I see benefit in 2 specific spots:
1. Really understanding the feel of how the top hand should be working. In very simplistic terms, the top hand is what turns the barrel, the bottom hand is the fulcrum or pivot point which the top hand turns around. FiveFrame has posted numerous times about the barrel moving AROUND the rear forearm before aligning with the rear forearm to contact. Separating the hands helps the player get this feel. Try it your self...it actually feels different...feels like the entire swing is a PULL with the top hand..,to me, anyway...
Split your hands and inch or 2 and emulate Votto with and without a bat:
2: It really helps with having them understand "short to the ball" because they feel like you've clipped their (s)wings. If you are looking to stop the rear elbow leading\DBSF pattern this might help. The Braun top hand gif that is around could be easily performed with a bat to have them get the feel of the top hand and a direct hand path.
CP
