Column -- guest or staff

Skill, not Size or Pricey Bat, is Key to Great Hitting

Jan. 1, 2001 – Senior Softball-USA

Last edition, I wrote about the "Mechanics of the Modern Bat." Now it's time to point out the benefits that come from our "senior experience" in using these modern bats.

Some of us use our experience to develop wisdom and some of us choose to continue to gather it, but not apply it.

Why not apply some of our experience to hitting?

As a bat manufacturer, I am glad that many of you continue to look for equipment to make you better. No question, there have been many improvements in the equipment, particularly in the bats and balls that are available these days.

Even our wildest marketing claims wouldn't speak of 100-foot distance hitting improvements just because of the bat.

However, going from an easy pop-up to the third baseman to a solid hit to the fence ˆ a better than 200-foot carry difference ˆ can be achieved by improving the same swing. It's possible by making sure that your mechanics and the bat you are using give you control to solidly meet the ball each time.

Are you spending the same time in developing your abilities to make this solid contact as you are researching and seeking the best equipment?

My bet is that if we could always strike the ball solidly on the sweetspot of our bat, then we would have more influence on our success than any change in equipment can bring about. Sure, a good bat can help your mechanics, but good mechanics can more assuredly help any bat.

All of us have seen the big 250-pound "linebacker" get out-hit by the 150-pound athlete ˆ frequently. There is no question that size is an advantage in hitting the ball, but this only shows itself if the mechanics and technique are correct.

The batter who doesn't use the large body mass muscles correctly wastes them. As in golf, the successful hitter strikes the ball on the sweetspot and he gets the bat up to high speed with an "efficient" swing. Both involve swings around pivot points.

If you can properly rotate your body and store energy in the larger mass parts for exchange to the bat at contact, you have a much more "efficient" swing. Batters, like golfers, who develop this efficiency don't appear to be swinging hard, yet generate high-swing speeds.

In order to do this, the early part of the swing must keep the bat's center of gravity tucked in close to the pivot point. No uncocking of the bat should take place until well into the swing, and then the energy stored in the moving large mass parts is exchanged to the bat.

Early uncocking requires much greater expenditure of energy to get to a high speed and also makes control more difficult.

As I can attest, seniors need to be more efficient because we tend to lose a little strength and flexibility as we get older. (We usually don't have nearly as much problem developing "mass" as we age!)

We bat manufacturers will continue to try to be "efficient" in our bat designs in order to make them easier and more forgiving of your swing. You can spend your time in developing yourself and your swing to get more "efficiency."

Hopefully we all can be better for the effort and no one can question our wisdom in the attempt.

-- George Manning is vice president of Technical Services for Louisville Slugger and a contributing writer for Softball News.