[Yoda]

Since Appleby stops at the top and Els goes to the end, could I assume that Appleby is hitting and Els is swinging

The shorter Backstroke does serve as an initial 'flag' when attempting to differentiate Hitters from Swingers. This is particularly true when the Hands at the Top of either the Straight Line or Angled Line Delivery Path (10-23-A/B) are accompanied by a 'high' Clubshaft, i.e., a Clubshaft that remains well above the 'parallel to the ground' position. However, even this additional Loading Action clue offers no fail-safe guarantee.

The bottom line is that both Hitters and Swingers can use the Top of the Line Delivery Path -- Hands Right Shoulder high and On Plane -- as the Top of the Stroke. We therefore must consider other elements before making a final determination.