Posted by: donny (donnybstr@aol.com) on Wed Jan 14 10:05:11 2004

Started my then 11-yr old son about 6 mos ago on the rotational program advocated by so many. He started out as a good contact hitter, but little power... the victim of several (!) flaws in his swing.
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> Now, his swing is completely "retooled" and he has gained a great deal of power and batspeed. He's also completely eliminated the stride, to the point where he pretty much just lifts the heal and drops it as he initiates hip rotation.
> Thus far, it's a huge improvement in his hitting, but one thing we're noticing is quite a few line drives and hot grounders as oppossed to hits with a little trajectory to them. Granted, we don't want high fly-balls, but we would like to see a few more long drives instead of hot singles...
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> Ideas? Comments? Suggestions? I know it's tough without seeing the swing, and I don't have access to filming (a'la Sandman and his wonderful graphics!), but if we assume his swing is largely correct, what typically causes grounders and liners?

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Several of us have been in discussions about trajectory. We feel that the axis that you create at stride landing affects this. THe tilting and the timing of the negative tilting also determines the angle that the ball leaves on if you hit the center of the ball. We were working with a heavy bag last night 17yo. I was going over striding to balance but with a different twist. I wanted him to work on being aware of his angle to the gound at landing and flexing through late approach and contact and not before. I am promoting line drives and scared of the 280 foot high fly ball. Your son sounds like he lands fairly straight and stays here through contact or maybe moving forward after heel plant.I like to see a C coming into the back through contact. THe hands go to the ball and the tilt through contact changes the orbit from down to flat to upper cut depending on timing IMO