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May 7, 2008
948
0
San Rafael, Ca
BM continues to describe things almost exactly the same as Mankin.

BM:"......Isn't torque truely just a way to deliver the energy build in the hips/torso to the barrel.......Without "slop" in the linkages?........"

Mankin's model is all about how "transfer mechanics" make this happen, and one of his absolutes is that the shoulders needs to rotate all the way to contact, not stopping prior to contact on video.

"Rotation is the power source of a great hitter. But, generating power is not worth a dime if the batter's mechanics cannot efficiently transfer the energy into bat speed. Of what use would a 1000 horsepower engine be if the transmission slips? --- "

More Mankin:

Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

"During my study I found that what separated the great hitters from all the rest was the mechanics they use to transfer their body rotation into bat-head rotation. The most talented natural hitter ever born cannot 'will' the bat-head around. Like the average player, the bat speed he attains will be governed by the forces his transfer mechanics applies to the bat. Even a great athlete like Michael Jordan could not overcome the poor transfer mechanics Hriniak taught him.

"There are two (and only two) forces a batter applies that accelerate the bat-head. They are from a "a circular hand-path" and "torque". An angular displacement of the batter's hand-path (a circular hand-path) transfers body rotation into bat-head rotation. Great hitters keep their hands back and allow body rotation to accelerate them into a CHP. Average hitters use the arms to extend the hands toward the pitcher. The straighter the hand-path, (or more linear) - the less bat speed generated.

"Doug, this site defines any cue or mechanic that causes the hands to be extended into a straighter path as "linear mechanics." Almost every film, video or book published on batting technique promotes mechanics that extend the hands, or knob, straight back at the pitcher. Therefore, for 18 years I had no choice but to teach linear mechanics and most coaches still do."


==========

Where I disagree with Jack Mankin is in how thw way the shoulders work is described. shoulder primarily TILT and their connection to the turning torso is enhanced by running start of bathead. They do not actively turn to then turn the bathead. The SEQUENCE here is important.

The shoulders in my opinion are best though of as the scaps which are slaved to the arms and they work to initally RESIST rotating with the hips. In this sense, the primary action of the shoulders is to support the arms and hands in torquing the handle while the hands stay back. At the same time the hips fire by rear hip thrust.

Shoulders RESISTING ("bypassed" in terms of powering rotation/ shoulders are "along for the ride"/shoulders are turned by connecting to torso as it unloads) lets the hands control direction and timing adjustment of the load so that when the torso unloads, there is quick acceleration/turning all the way to contact with well matched swing plane.

This handle torquing action gives the bat a running start that accentuates resistance and creates a better stretch and fire, then triggers effcient sequential unloading/connection/summation as opposed to a gate swing.

When you try to instead turn things actively with the shoulders, the hands can not stay back, torso loading is interrupted/rushed and unloading is less quick because bathead can not fire out quickly via running start.

The hand loading and early handle torque is an extremely powerful and precise control mechanism that is essential to get right in the high level swing like throw pattern. it requires shoulder action that resists turning synched with turning action powered by rear hip thrust.
 
Last edited:
Jul 14, 2008
1,796
63
And last, and probably the most important, if the batter's swing mechanics are efficient: (10) The bat will come to contact as the shoulders finish rotation. ---NOTE : The farther away from contact that bat is as the shoulders stop rotating, the weaker the swing.

Exactly..........
 
Oct 12, 2009
1,460
0
Seriously......Isn't torque truely just a way to deliver the energy build in the hips/torso to the barrel.......Without "slop" in the linkages?........The torso/shoulders better be turning ALL THE WAY to contact......OR YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO PUSH BOTH hands to keep the barrel moving..........

See Tewks drill.......He hits the ball with his "back shoulder"........

My view of torque is that it helps to maintain the box and the hinge angle, which contributes to force production (but indirectly).

Mankin's view is that torque directly boosts the force of the whip (1+1=2), which everything I have read (and viewed) says is wrong.
 
May 12, 2008
2,210
0
Yep.

As to what Boardmember presents, I've never gotten that he believed in Mankin's top hand torque.
 
May 12, 2008
2,210
0
Seriously......Isn't torque truely just a way to deliver the energy build in the hips/torso to the barrel.......Without "slop" in the linkages?.

Yep. Restraining torque keeps the barrel from flopping against the body when you begin to rotate.

........The torso/shoulders better be turning ALL THE WAY to contact......OR YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO PUSH BOTH hands to keep the barrel moving..........

Yep.

See Tewks drill.......He hits the ball with his "back shoulder"........
Good swing thought.
 
May 7, 2008
948
0
San Rafael, Ca
Mark says:

"Restraining torque keeps the barrel from flopping against the body when you begin to rotate."

and as studies such as the Rod Cross study show, the swing requires this early "positive couple" or what Nyman calls "holding torque" to prevent "drag"/slow acceleration.

Now, sequence wise is this force applied at the same time the shoulders rotate or after or before ?

I vote for before. Always.

If it is before, it has to be by live and independent hand/arm action and shoulders are not going first.

In fact, shoulders are not going first and when they DO go, they initially resist turning.
 
Jan 14, 2009
1,589
0
Atlanta, Georgia
10 Mankin absolutes:

Bat Speed -- Baseball Hitting Forum

And last, and probably the most important, if the batter's swing mechanics are efficient: (10) The bat will come to contact as the shoulders finish rotation. ---NOTE : The farther away from contact that bat is as the shoulders stop rotating, the weaker the swing.

Yeah, I saw this first hand with DD this Saturday. I was throwing front toss trying to get her comfortable with the changes she's made. Every swing that got videoed, she was early. It's amazing how badly the swing breaks down when a 13 year old girl with weak arms, is early. I was pretty happy with the swing right up until a couple of frames before contact, when she pushes her hands forward because her shoulders had stopped rotating. The ball hits the bat and the bat basically just dies. It makes for a really ugly follow thru. Unless you're on sterioids or weight lifting; once the shoulders stop, there's not much left to power the swing. It's basically all wrist and arms.
 
Oct 12, 2009
1,460
0
Yeah, I saw this first hand with DD this Saturday. I was throwing front toss trying to get her comfortable with the changes she's made. Every swing that got videoed, she was early. It's amazing how badly the swing breaks down when a 13 year old girl with weak arms, is early. I was pretty happy with the swing right up until a couple of frames before contact, when she pushes her hands forward because her shoulders had stopped rotating. The ball hits the bat and the bat basically just dies. It makes for a really ugly follow thru. Unless you're on sterioids or weight lifting; once the shoulders stop, there's not much left to power the swing. It's basically all wrist and arms.

Been there. Done that.
 

Ken Krause

Administrator
Admin
May 7, 2008
3,906
113
Mundelein, IL
A few years ago a HS coach told my daughter she was rolling her wrists at contact. I thought the coach was nuts because I knew my daughter's swing and she was not a wrist roller. I even videotaped her to prove it.

Then one day I saw what the coach thought she saw. The problem wasn't rolling the wrists at contact. It was being so early she was making contact when her wrists were rolling over -- well past the point where she should be hitting the ball. Tough to hit the ball well when you're that early.
 

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