The Problem with a
One-Handed Finish

Injury problems directly related to hitting are generally pretty rare. Yes, on occasion you will see hitters develop problems with their obliques, but these are rarely chronic or career-ending. However, there is one thing that does seem to increase the risk of developing shoulder problems.

A one-handed finish.

To be clear, I like one-handed finishes. Among other things, they can keep hitters from cutting their swings short.

Hanley Ramirez

However, the picture above of Hanley Ramirez (which is NOT photoshopped) shows the problem with a one-handed finish. Notice how his upper arm is externally rotating and his hand is well behind his coronal plane (basically, his back). This (obviously) puts tremendous strain on the shoulder, and I have seen labrum problems in hitters who have one-handed finishes.

The problems tend to fall under the umbrella term of batter's shoulder.

If you choose to use a one-handed finish, you need to be sure to not cut your shoulder rotation short and you need to not let your bat hand get behind your shoulders. If you cannot do this, and/or if you have problems with your non-throwing shoulder, you should consider using a two-handed finish.