I have been looking for information on the roll of the bottom hand fingers in the swing and haven't found much. Lots of info on the proper grip but nothing on the tension level and the consequences of loose fingers. So I cut the handle off an old bat and have been sitting on the couch watching softball and playing around with grips and grip tension. I have taken an interest in this because I have a couple of players that swing with an angle of less than 90 degrees between the bottom hand forearm and the bat (handle). They also have a problem getting the barrel out into the zone quick enough. They can't hit the outside pitch and can't pull the inside one. It seems to me that there is a lot flexibility in the bottom hand, the last 3 fingers aren't very strong and the soft tissue in the crotch of the thumb allows the bat handle to move substantially. I'm thinking that this 'looseness' allows the bat head to lag too far behind the hands. I have tried getting these players to focus on turning the barrel into the with the top hand but it's not working.
To stiffen the bottom hand the first thing I tried was an elastic wrist wrap. It has a loop that goes over the thumb, then I wrap it around the last 3 fingers and up across the vee between the thumb and the index finger. This cuts the flexibility in the hand and makes a substantial difference in my swing. The barrel definitely gets out sooner.
Next I tried a Pro Hitter pad on the bottom hand and this too made a similar difference, but it's uncomfortable and not very stable. I ordered a Thumb-Per to try.
Lastly, being a golfer myself I tried a full finger golf grip where the thumb is placed on the handle and the top hand fits over it. This too had a similar effect. The thumb adds a significant amount of support to the bottom hand grip. This week at team hitting I'm going to have my problem hitters try these methods.
To stiffen the bottom hand the first thing I tried was an elastic wrist wrap. It has a loop that goes over the thumb, then I wrap it around the last 3 fingers and up across the vee between the thumb and the index finger. This cuts the flexibility in the hand and makes a substantial difference in my swing. The barrel definitely gets out sooner.
Next I tried a Pro Hitter pad on the bottom hand and this too made a similar difference, but it's uncomfortable and not very stable. I ordered a Thumb-Per to try.
Lastly, being a golfer myself I tried a full finger golf grip where the thumb is placed on the handle and the top hand fits over it. This too had a similar effect. The thumb adds a significant amount of support to the bottom hand grip. This week at team hitting I'm going to have my problem hitters try these methods.