HItting- The top hand and the bottom hand

Hitting a baseball is a two handed process. Yet, usually one of the two hands play a dominant role in the swing. The best of hitters have coordination with both hands and both hands work in conjunction to provide a consistent powerful swing.

Each hand on the bat provides a distinct purpose for the swing. Understanding what each hand does allows players to improve their swing and also monitor the swing during the course of the game.

The lead arm's role acts as a lever to the core. As the core rotates violently to attack the ball, the lead arm stays connected to the core providing an opportunity for the bat to come into the hitting zone with maximum bat speed. Some signs of betrayal by the lead arm are when there is too much flex in the lead elbow. Also, if the hands do not move backwards before moving forwards the lead arm(technically it's more than ust the lead arm. It's the lead arm and the scapula complex located behind the lead shoulder) is not functioning properly.

The top hand is responsible for bringing the barrel to the ball. If a hitter has a lazy top hand you'll see a lot of opposite field hits, pop ups and even swing and misses. The top hand definitely is a barrel controller. You may not drive the ball if you hit it but you should be able to put the barrel on the ball if you have a solid top hand.

There are so many permutations of swings and dominance of hands. Understanding how each hand works enables the hitter to have a better understanding of his swing and what might be a proper fix.