Tips For Correcting an Upper Cut Swing

Tips For Correcting an Upper Cut Swing
By guest author: Jim Bain


I have witnessed coaches, who I thought were going to have a cow, in their reaction to a player having an upper cut in their swing, but one must realize there are times an upper swing is quite appropriate and possibly the proper swing.

When a pitch is low in the strike zone, and the situation requires a fly ball, such as trading an out for a runner scoring from third, the hitter wants an upper cut in order to lift the ball into the air.

Historically, Left Handed Batters' Power Alley, ball location where the hitter can utilize his entire core strength when swinging, has been low and inside using an upper cut swing.

So just to set the record straight, there are times a hitter using an upper cut swing is beneficial. However, to have a permanent upper cut motion in every swing, regardless of ball location, will only lead to high strike out numbers and easy fly ball outs.

The reason for a high strike out ratio is simply, it's difficult enough to solidly strike a baseball when the bat is traveling on the same, level plane as the ball, much alone the bat traveling in an upward motion, which totally throws eye to bat to ball timing in the waste can.

Secondly of course, if the hitter is successful at making contact, the baseball comes off the bat with a back spin, which not only creates lift, but also restricts distance, as the ball is essentially Clawing its way back towards the plate, which normally results in a high fly ball to the shallow outfield.

More than likely, somewhere along the line, the batter developed a hitch in his hitting mechanics, which is producing the repetitive upper cuts. The batter is not consciously swinging upwards, but rather the muscle memory responsible for producing the swing is the culprit. These muscle memories must be re-programmed, which can be a tedious and time consuming project, or a change of one part of the mechanics may have near immediate results. Plan on a lengthy project and be overjoyed if it happens quickly.
We are not concerned with creating power or bat speed or anything else other than flattening the swing and there's no substitute for taking hundreds of correct swings in order to achieve that purpose. That's exactly why the use of a batting tee is an excellent method in eliminating an upper cut.

Set the batting tee at slightly above belt height, anything higher will create a handcuff effect and will do more harm than good. Using a whiffle ball and bat, remember we're changing mechanics and actually the lighter weight of a whiffle ball bat allows more swings without fatigue than a regular wood or metal bat, a practice swinging Down on the ball.

The downward swing will produce ground balls, so the hitter is able to immediately know if the swing was proper, if it wasn't the ball will be hit into the air. When the batter can successfully drive ground balls off the tee, the next step is to hit a moving ball.

We then move to the batting cages and while using a regular bat and a moving baseball, see if we can continually hit ground balls. Should the batter fail to hit ground balls, it's back to the hitting tee for more practice.

Bear in mind, when hitting, whether off the tee or in the batting cage, you will hit an occasional fly ball, which doesn't mean you're failing. Set a goal of hitting 2 ground balls for every fly ball, then increase to 3 ground balls for every fly. Also, don't become frustrated if your ground balls are not hit with authority, that will correct itself as you become more efficient at hitting the ball on a level plane.

Jim Bain - Former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth. Visit his exciting info packed website: http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com

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Tips For a Great Batting Practice

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Article: Tips For a Great Batting Practice
By Mike Posey

Batting practice is an important ingredient to every practice, but it can also be a time waster. Many players at a young age accomplish little during an ineffective BP session. Here are a few tips to help every coach run a quick paced, exciting, BP session.

Batting Practices that Rock!


Stay in Small Groups. Divide your team into groups of 4 or 5. One group can hit BP, one can be in the field shagging balls, and one group can be with another coach in the batting cages working on tee drills or toss drills.
Good Batting Practice Pitchers Throw Strikes. A good BP pitcher must throw a lot of strikes and keep the pace moving. We also use a hack-attack pitching machine twice a week to supplement our pitching. Use coaches to throw BP when possible and let the players throw in scrimmages.
Take Quick Short Rounds Hit in quick short rounds of no more than eight (8) swings. Keep the hitters moving in and out. Usually hit 3-5 rounds.
Have a Goal for Each Round Each round must have a purpose. First round can be to the opposite field, second round can be hit and run, third round can be moving runners over from second, etc.
Use a Lightning Round at the End. Lightning rounds can be fun as the last round. The concept of a lightning round is every hitter gets one pitch, if he hits a line drive then he gets a second pitch. Every line drive will result in another chance. If they miss, then the next player jumps in. Keep them moving in and out.
Use a Roll On Batting Tunnel A portable roll on tunnel will help BP move much faster. Every league should invest in a good roll on to use every day at practice.
Hustle make sure everyone is busy and hustles when changing groups. Group in the field can rotate to the cages, the cage group rotates to the field BP, and the BP hitters go to the field. Use a stop watch or field timer if needed (you can even use an air horn when its time to change groups, train them to hustle)
Running the Bases If you have enough players for a fourth group, then add a base running group. If not, you can have groups of four or five, with two base runners while the others hit. But plan to practice base running at times during BP.
Take Ground Balls If possible, have fielders rotate into short and second. A coach (or volunteer) can hit fungo ground balls in between BP pitches.
Situational Hitting Some BP sessions can include a round of situational hitting. The coach calls out the situation for the hitter to execute (if you have runners on base, put them in a situation). For example, runners on third with no outs. (hit a ground ball in the infield or outfield fly ball) Runner at second base with no outs (hit behind the runner to move him up to third base)

Batting practice should be fun. Keep them moving and throw strikes.

Mike Posey "CP"
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Little League Baseball Drills - Batting Practice

By Chris Campbell

I have heard it said by many an accomplished athlete, that one of the hardest things you can do in professional sports, is to hit a major league fastball. Or any major league pitch for that matter. Just ask Micheal Jordan. He may be a living legend in the world of professional basketball, but he only managed a 202 batting average for the Birmingham Barons (a farm team for the Chicago White Sox). The moral being, it's best to get your little leaguer started early, if they plan on challenging some of the MLB hitting records.

With that in mind, lets consider a few hitting drills that the kids can use to get their bats swinging true, and making contact as soon as possible. One of the best drills you can do with your kids, is simply to grab a bucket of balls, and pitch a few to them every day you can find the time to do so. It's practically impossible, for most kids to get enough batting practice with the team. There's a limited number of pitchers, catchers, and backstops for most little league coaches to work with. It's almost impossible for them to get more then a few minutes hitting each practice. A one on one practice with mom or dad every day or so will really help out.

Now just swinging for the sake of swinging will make you a better hitter, but there are a few simple points you should keep in mind, to maximize the time put in. Don't harp on these items too much, as they can be a bit technical and boring for kids. Try to make it fun for them at the same time.

Choosing The Right Bat

Picking a bat that's appropriate for your child's height and strength can make all the difference. It should feel comfortable for them to hold and swing the bat. If the bat is slowing down their swing too much, it's probably a little too heavy. There is a simple way to test a bat, even before you buy one. Simply have your son or daughter hold the bat by the handle, and hold it straight out to the side, so the bat is parallel to the ground. They should be able to hold the bat steady for at least fifteen seconds. If they can't, or their arms starts to shake, you should try a smaller bat.

Batter Positioning

It's important to know where the batters box is, where home plate is, and where the strike zone is. That way, even little league players, can put themselves in good position to reach any ball that is passing through the strike zone. Even if your in your back yard practicing, you can mock up a plate, and batters box. Just use a can of spray paint on the grass to mark out home plate and a made up batters box. Don't worry, it'll disappear the next time you cut the grass.

Little League Baseball Drills is a great resource for helping your little leaguer get the most out of his or hers favorite pastime. With a little good training, amateur or even professional ball players will see a dramatic improvement in the way they play.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Campbell

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