For those who may be interested, Ted recommended an "extremely firm" grip, with the pressure being applied by the fingers and not against the palms. He said that the bottom hand holds the bat as you would a hammer or golf club, the index finger slightly open. He doesn't say anything beyond that in 'SOH" about the grib that I can find. However careful observation of a closeup overhead still photo on page 43; taken a fraction of a second before contact, suggest that the index finger of his top hand is also not firmly against the handle.
help me find Hitter's post on revised grip, thanks
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Clips please
Crystl and Howard demonstrate this as gripper fingers verses balance fingers.
Simply stretch out your right hand, palm up and then with the left hand use the index finger and thumb clasp it over your forearm.
Now only move the index finger and thumb of the right hand and you will feel a slight movement on the thumb side of the right hand.
Now take the ring and social finger and grip just those two fingers and you will feel muscle activation on both sides of the forearm. These two fingers share a common tendon and are termed gripper fingers by some people.
She had a 250 plus pound dad try to pull the bat out of her hand ONLY using the ring and social finger and he could not do it.
She does grip the bat different in some situations however you would have to ask her yourself. She commented many people try to describe what I do or how I do it and unless they are me in the box and understand what the count is and where the runners are and how many outs and what inning, they do not have a clue. You need to ask me as I was in the box.
The Turbo Slot gloves have a pad between the index finger and thumb. Most people do not understand you do not lay the bat on the pad. You simply take the thumb and touch the index finger and the bat rests on the forward finger tip area of the pad.
Howard simply ties a thick pony tail rubber band on the index finger with a couple of knots like it is a ring. He turns the knot down or towards the palm of the hand. The hitter then places the bat IN front of the knot ( finger tip side) and four less than a nickel even the 8 year girls get it!
Some wear it under their batting gloves and some over it and the results are instantaneous.
Lea Amico showed Crystl this many years ago according to her.
FFS you would have died when she demonstrated what she terms the box and the lead elbow is up and the back elbow is stacked over the hand. She uses a Schutt travel ball tee to demo what she terms the roof on a house and then when she does the box move, it is a half of a square or box. The kids and parents got it quickly.
About 5 people there post and read on this board and they looked at Howard and started laughing out loud!
Simply stretch out your right hand, palm up and then with the left hand use the index finger and thumb clasp it over your forearm.
Now only move the index finger and thumb of the right hand and you will feel a slight movement on the thumb side of the right hand.
Now take the ring and social finger and grip just those two fingers and you will feel muscle activation on both sides of the forearm. These two fingers share a common tendon and are termed gripper fingers by some people.
She had a 250 plus pound dad try to pull the bat out of her hand ONLY using the ring and social finger and he could not do it.
She does grip the bat different in some situations however you would have to ask her yourself. She commented many people try to describe what I do or how I do it and unless they are me in the box and understand what the count is and where the runners are and how many outs and what inning, they do not have a clue. You need to ask me as I was in the box.
The Turbo Slot gloves have a pad between the index finger and thumb. Most people do not understand you do not lay the bat on the pad. You simply take the thumb and touch the index finger and the bat rests on the forward finger tip area of the pad.
Howard simply ties a thick pony tail rubber band on the index finger with a couple of knots like it is a ring. He turns the knot down or towards the palm of the hand. The hitter then places the bat IN front of the knot ( finger tip side) and four less than a nickel even the 8 year girls get it!
Some wear it under their batting gloves and some over it and the results are instantaneous.
Lea Amico showed Crystl this many years ago according to her.
FFS you would have died when she demonstrated what she terms the box and the lead elbow is up and the back elbow is stacked over the hand. She uses a Schutt travel ball tee to demo what she terms the roof on a house and then when she does the box move, it is a half of a square or box. The kids and parents got it quickly.
About 5 people there post and read on this board and they looked at Howard and started laughing out loud!
Does the index finger support or grip during the swing?
Crystl feels it supports as centripetal force or the outward turning or what she says is the Nike Swoosh and then at moment of inertia during the unhinging of the wrist.
They support this by demonstrating how to use a $7 dollar hammer before you buy them a $300 bat. They show how to use the hammer vertically and then horizontally.
At the clinic over the weekend we had a carpenter show us how he uses a hammer and it was the same as Crystl and Howard. Howard ask if his daughter was here. He ask her to use the hammer and she could not do what her father did. So Howard showed her and then pointed the finger at dad and he said my bad!
Crystl feels it supports as centripetal force or the outward turning or what she says is the Nike Swoosh and then at moment of inertia during the unhinging of the wrist.
They support this by demonstrating how to use a $7 dollar hammer before you buy them a $300 bat. They show how to use the hammer vertically and then horizontally.
At the clinic over the weekend we had a carpenter show us how he uses a hammer and it was the same as Crystl and Howard. Howard ask if his daughter was here. He ask her to use the hammer and she could not do what her father did. So Howard showed her and then pointed the finger at dad and he said my bad!
FiveFrameSwing
Banned
I’ll assume that the demonstration you are referring to was that of perfect vertical alignment of the top hand over the rear elbow.
I think you know my viewpoint on that. Video simply doesn’t support that belief … and for a good reason IMO.
If the goal of a perfect vertical alignment of the rear hand and elbow is achieved, if would sacrifice both swing adjustability and the establishment of connection.
I most definitely believe in an upright pinched rear forearm-to-bicep … and I consider it quite important. I personally feel that what has been demonstrated by Howard, Dana, and SL in terms of a perfect vertical alignment takes the upright pinched rear forearm-to-bicep to an extreme, and at the expense of important swing qualities.
While an upright pinched rear forearm-to-bicep is important, it shouldn’t take place to such an extreme that it violates the Hanson Principle or sacrifices other important swing qualities.
- Oct 19, 2009
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The grip to me is an essential part of the swing and so many either teach it incorrectly or not at all. My daughter after her first year at MS was pointing the two index fingers at the barrel of the bat with the two index fingers flat against the grip. She was not hitting the ball with authority and I was looking for a flaw in her swing. I asked what is up with that and she advised that the coach told the hitters to use this grip for better bat control. I tried it and felt it hampered the swing way too much and I could not feel an advantage in bat control. It took me what seemed forever to get her out of the habit of using this grip. 
She tried a pair of the Turbo Slot gloves and they did not make it out of the first practice, they tore in the palm in BP, the store Hibbets would not replace the gloves they are expensive so we did not try another pair. She is using the grip as Howard described and she learned from Crystal in a clinic she put on in Georgia last February and it works great for her.
We’re going to have to make it to one of those clinics of Howard and Crystal after basketball season for a refresher course.
She tried a pair of the Turbo Slot gloves and they did not make it out of the first practice, they tore in the palm in BP, the store Hibbets would not replace the gloves they are expensive so we did not try another pair. She is using the grip as Howard described and she learned from Crystal in a clinic she put on in Georgia last February and it works great for her.
We’re going to have to make it to one of those clinics of Howard and Crystal after basketball season for a refresher course.
Straightleg - curious as to your name, does it imply anything during the swing? Thanks.
When you go out to toe touch, You heel plant and then you have a straightleg
You hit off a firm front leg
Most girls spin out, not good enough weight shift.
Yes my name is part of the swing, and I also try and live a straightlegged life.
Gerry
Thanks. I asked because DD's hitting coach likes to have the stride leg slightly bent at POC and not straight and locked, but flexed.
