Opinions on attacking the lead elbow

[ArmWhip]

FFS Thanks. I thought that hand would be open from the start of the swing. What's the purpose of this drill, plus this does not look like a game speed swing but with slo-mo it's sometimes hard to tell.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Lau Jr and Peavey are big advocates of the "Open Top Hand" drill.

Lau believed that advocates of an active top hand were advocating creating power by pushing the top hand through the swing. Lau seemed to be unaware that many advocates of the top hand agree that the top hand should NOT be used to push the bat forward, but for rotating the barrel forward via a twisting action of the top hand (supination).

Lau was concerned that those that preached an active top hand didn't want the top hand taken off the handle of the bat and that this would lead to roll over of the wrists as the top hand was pushed through the hitting zone.

Lau's use of this drill was to "tame" the top hand and prevent the top hand from becoming dominate ... with a goal that the wrists not roll over.

By having the top hand open Lau felt that he was forcing the hitter to concentrate on "pulling" the knob of the bat with "both" hands.

Lau believed that with the top hand open that it could not dominate and "push". Without the top hand's influence, Lau believed that both hands allow the bat to be released with maximum velocity ... and that this leads to lead-arm extension.

 

[RayR]

It's open from the start - the top hand fingers running parallel with the bat.

It is not game speed, but close.

I was also working on sequencing.

It keeps the top hand from pushing and it gives the bottom hand the feeling of controlling the barrel turning. If you try to do this drill by using the shoulders it is tough to keep everything in plane.

It also probably is keeping the rear scap from being too active. I don't know if it is pinched, but I don't think it is sliding away from the spine too early either.

FFS Thanks. I thought that hand would be open from the start of the swing. What's the purpose of this drill, plus this does not look like a game speed swing but with slo-mo it's sometimes hard to tell.