Pain on bottom hand from contact with knob

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Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Can you explain how? Because I think I agree, but I'm not sure I could articulate it to a skeptic.

The best I can do is "You know how choking up real far takes away whip? This is the opposite of that."

I believe bats are designed to be optimally swung about the knob.

The grip gives me a greater sense of the bat being whipped (felt in my hands into & through impact).

Here's how Busto's positioned the knob in her bottom-hand ... see lowest 'red arrow'.

knob.gif
 

Chris Delorit

Member
Apr 24, 2016
343
28
Green Bay, WI
Westwind,

No pain, no gain doesn't apply here. Another alternative can be to split the ring finger and the pinky, therefor your not choking off the knob of the bat through the swing. She's obviously fighting a bit too much, likely with enough power to do some damage to the grizzle. That's never fun.

Many times it's more beneficial to make the knob an extension of the finger joints rather the the palm. Bat control can be improved as the knob is allowed to work more naturally within the finger joints.

Happy New Year,
Chris
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Anyone swinging a bat daily simply needs to look at their bottom hand. They will find callused skin at the base of their active gripper fingers ... usually the middle finger and ring finger ... as well as the meaty section of the hand that was described in the OP.
 

Chris Delorit

Member
Apr 24, 2016
343
28
Green Bay, WI
Westwind,

Fingers on the outside, grizzle (4th-5th metacarpal) on the inside. My suggestion is pinky and ring fingers, but other variants work just fine. Have your daughter experiment and find the grip points that provide her the best feel, balance and leverage for her favorite bat. Keep in mind that length, weight and load balance can play a part in her grip too.

Also, give a taper a try. If she likes it but prefers grip tape, you can always rough tape the taper and roll with the grip over the top of that.

Chris
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
I personally believe it improves whip.

Do you mean ring finger on the knob?

Does the knob tapering gizmo help or hurt bat speed (whip)?

Here is an observation:

I have DD throw the bat. We use a 30 oz power stick and use the barrel end which is only slightly larger than the regular grip because it "hurts" to use the end with the knob. So I am thinking that she is not fully releasing her barrel because instinctively she knows this will cause pain. Thoughts? I am going to have her try the grip change and also purchase a gizmo.
 
Jun 17, 2009
15,105
0
Portland, OR
Do you mean ring finger on the knob?

Does the knob tapering gizmo help or hurt bat speed (whip)?

Here is an observation:

I have DD throw the bat. We use a 30 oz power stick and use the barrel end which is only slightly larger than the regular grip because it "hurts" to use the end with the knob. So I am thinking that she is not fully releasing her barrel because instinctively she knows this will cause pain. Thoughts? I am going to have her try the grip change and also purchase a gizmo.

Awe ... when throwing bats I ask my hitters to modify their bottom-hand 'grip' such that the knob is embedded in the bottom-hand ... otherwise it can hurt the bottom-hand when throwing bats.

What I like about the tapering gizmo is that it gives more of a feel of swinging a wood bat. Many wood bats are tapered in this way.
 

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