For those of you that know me, you know that I am always trying to improve, whether it be on a professional level, a personal level or a spiritual level.With that said, over the years I have compiled several questions that I have been asked and questions I have asked myself regarding baseball in general but more specific…hitting a baseball.
We all know that can be several answers to the same question and I can only offer you my opinions based on my experience as they relate to the questions below.Question Why do I hit ground balls all the time? Answer The quickest response I have for this question is…are you swinging down?More often than not your player has been told to swing down, or hit the top half of the ball and he is just doing what he’s been told.
I would also venture to say that his chin is down and he’s trying to watch the ball hit the bat.
Take a look at his front knee during his swing, is it bent to the point that he appears to be lunging towards the ball?Question My player always seem to swing late, almost as if his timing is off, then he hits the ball just above the grip tape on the handle of his bat, how can I fix this?
Answer Timing can’t be taught, that is something a player must, “feel,” when he’s in the box. My first inclination is to check the weight of his bat, it may be too heavy.If this is not the case the answer is simple, he’s not tilting correctly and pulling his bat through the swing with his front elbow.If you watch his swing in slow motion, I can almost guarantee that his hands are not staying inside the ball causing him to sweep his bat and swing level. Question I take my player to the batting cages all the time and he does fine there, when he gets into a game, all he hits are foul balls.It almost looks as if the pitchers he is facing can’t throw as fast as the machines he has faced but I know that’s not the case.Is there a quick fix to this?
Answer Quick fix….I don’t like the term but yes, this can be fixed.He needs to wait on the ball and stop over thinking the situation (remember less is more).
For the older players (high school and beyond), the mental side of the game definitely comes into play here.Pitch anticipation, pitch patterns and out-thinking the pitcher, all three topics are discussed in Prime Time Hitting's™ rotational hitting program.Question Why can’t I stop lunging and coming forward when I swing?
Answer Are you doing the Torque™, Numbers™ and Enforcer™ Drills?All three are specifically designed to stop lunging.The swing analysis software used by Prime Time Hitting™ will help identify exactly what it is you need to work on.
First off though, I would look at his stride length, is that being controlled, is he striding too far?Is he balanced throughout his swing, I would bet not.Question My player is bigger in size than most, but it doesn’t appear as if he has any power when he hits the ball.How can I fix this?
Answer There is a HUGE difference between powerless effort and effortless power.In order to achieve the latter, he needs to be in the proper torque position before the pitch, his hips need to lead his hands during the swing, he needs to sit back and pull the bat through and stay on the axis of rotation that is set up during his stride.These are all taught in the rotational hitting program offered at Prime Time Hitting™.
If you have a specific question, please dont hesitate to ask by sending me an e-mail or signing my guest book. I look forward to hearing from you!!
