Posted by: Jimmy () on Tue Feb 19 17:50:33 2008

> You don't get backspin by swinging down on the ball. You get backspin by getting the barrel of the bat even to the flight of the pitch. You must tilt back towards the catcher and keep your hands above the barrel as you swing. This will allow you to hit just under the center of the ball. Swinging down produces ground balls.
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> http://www.travelbaseballusa.com
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> > >>> How do you get backspin on the ball? My son's coach told me that it is by swinging down on the ball and hitting the bottom half of the bat head with top half of the ball. <<<
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> > Hi Bob
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> > Since the bat-head is above the batter’s head at launch and can be at the knees at contact, it is obvious that it must have been swung downward. However, in all high level swings, the downward arc of the bat-head bottoms-out and is on an up-slope in the contact zone. As your post points out, far too many coaches believe (and teach) that the bat should still be angling downward at contact.
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> > As far as “backspin” is concerned, a bat on an up-slope that strikes the ball below its’ centerline will also induce backspin. In other words, the bat does not have to be angling downward to produce backspin. – Below is video clip that shows the bat-heads path in the contact zone.
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> > <a href="http://www.batspeed.com/media/Justin_swing_plane1.wmv">Across the plate view of the swing plane</a –
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> > Jack Mankin

If the bat path is traveling in more of an upward path than the pitch is traveling in a downward path, the only backspin you will see will end up in an infielders glove for a pop out. If the same swing meets the ball square the result will be a weak ground ball with a lot of topspin.

The way to achieve good backspin is to have the barrel travel through the pitch and in the direction that the ball will travel (not hight wise, just field direction).

The thing to remember is that every hitter swings downward at some point and upward at some point. If the hitter can get the proper timing of when the downswing becomes the upswing he will achieve beneficial backspin. To begin the upswing too soon by leaning backward will kill the optimum path. To have the downswing continue for too long the path will also be poor.

The upswing nor the downswing should be forced, keeping the path efficient and natural to the ball. Thus creating the proper unforced down/up swing path through the hitting zone.

jimmy