Posted by: Thorpe Facer (tfacer@yahoo.com) on Fri Oct 24 07:40:24 2003

i have basic issue...my son is 14 yrs old...good athlete and has been an above avg hitter....in the past 3 weeks he has struggled at the plate to just make contact.....not as a result of being fooled by offspeed but just plain missing the ball on his swing.....we've worked on his swing countless hours but not much improvement.....it's not his eyesight and we've worked at 40-45 feet and basic pepper to help him focus on "contact" whihc he can do at that distance and at pepper.....he appears to be "lunging" a litle and also noticed that the angle of his bat appears to go flat as he starts his swing a litle......any idea on drills would be greatly welcomed...thks


Here is a drill I use. It helps keep the bat on the proper plane. However, only you have seen your son's swing so only you can judge what is needed. I offer this for what it's worth.

Buy a one inch diameter wood dowel (craft stores, Wal-Mart). They usually come 36" long which is fine. I wrap athletic tape on one end to create a knob and help with grip. I also wrap an area about three inches long in the hitting area to create the concept of a sweet spot for contact. Then I pitch golf size whiffle balls from ten or fifteen feet away. If a player can hit these balls consistently then they are doing many things right. Watch for initial frustration as I have had players hit only one or two out of thirty the first few times we do the drill. But they rapidly improve. I like this drill because it minimizes instruction from me (I rarely say anything except encouragement) and maximizes the player's involvement (conscious and sub-conscious) in solving the 'problem.'

A couple of things to watch for: Make sure the player is using his real swing and not just punching at the balls with his arms and hands. Since the wood dowel is so light, it's easy for the player to not swing fully. The goal is a full swing with contact. Second, I always stand so that I am pitching downwind. If the wind is in my face or coming from the side, these little balls move too much and the drill becomes too difficult. I realize that this means the player is hitting into the wind, but I emphasize that it's not about how far they hit a whiffle ball but how solid the contact is. Third, the whiffle balls will dent on good contact. I use these balls anyway but warn the player that a particularly tough pitch is coming. They usually rise to the challenge.