Posted by: Chuck (jcsherwood8458@sbcglobal.net) on Fri Mar 28 16:44:32 2008

> First, I would like to thank Jack and the folks at Batspeed for helping us understand what had previously been incomprehensible. It has totally changed my son's performance at the plate. It has also contributed to his being able to play elite baseball.
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> Over the last 1.5 years he has done very well developing his swing and approach according to the principles laid out in the Final Arc 2. He is a 13YO RHH. He is now playing freshman high school baseball and is feeling challenged by the curveball. Any advice on how to improve his reaction and ability while facing pitchers with better stuff, especially curveballs? Thank you.

Richard,

There's 2 major aspects to the situation. There's the whole mental side to the problem. Pitch recognition, knowing the pitcher's tendancies, the count, when you need to be swinging at the curve, when you can take it, etc. Then there's the mechanical aspect of hitting the curve. It's really discipline that you need to keep your good rotational swing intact. Don't go out and get the ball. The ball is breaking away from you on an angle, therefore you have to concentrate extra hard on letting the ball come to you, pushing back and sitting, getting behind the axis of rotation and thus getting behind the ball so that you can drive it, probably to the opposite field. Remember, the pitcher's trying to get you out on your front foot, in front of your axis of rotation, where the best your likely to do is a weakly hit ball for an out. The reaction that you need to learn is to get back behind the ball and not go out to meet it. It's easier said than done, just watch how often major leaguers get fooled. So that brings us back to the other aspect. It's alot easier to hit in a hitter's count than a pitcher's count!

Chuck