Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Mon Jan 14 12:07:11 2008

>>> Jack,
I have a kid who can really swing it and is a prospect. This weekend he said to me he got some good pitches to hit was on time and just fouled them straight back. He wasn't late he was on time with pitches but just missing them this weekend. Also, some of his balls were hit well but just missed going straight up but on time. What are some mechanically insufficient things he might be doing at the plate that could cause that and what should he do to correct that? <<<

Hi Mike

First, let me say that without seeing your son’s swing, I can only speculate. – If I recall correctly, you indicated that your son has been practicing and has become proficient at adding THT in his swing. Although THT is key to maximizing a batter’s bat speed, I would caution you that if not applied correctly, it will also lead to flaws in the swing plane (as I pointed out in the A-Rod clip below).

I would suggest you study a frame-by-frame frontal view of his swing and see if his swing plane is clean. If there are dips and waves, it could account for his not making consistent solid contact.

Jack Mankin