Posted by: Tim Rexton (timrexton@yahoo.com) on Wed Sep 15 07:26:39 2004

Thanks Jack!
I know you said you are speaking in general terms as you have no video of the swing motion. That being said, let me ask you more general questions about this. First, let me give you some details on his practice routine. I take him to batting cage where I pitch to him. He starts off swinging a wood bat, around 29/26, he then switches to an aluminum bat, 30/21, however in a game he uses an aluminum bat 30/17-19. Any thoughts on this?
Secondly, for this fall season, when this problem occured, he moved up an age group to where the field dimensions are much larger and the mound is two feet further away. I notice that he tends to stand further back in the box then he use to. Could this play a part in his problem? Note: I pitch to him just as fast if not faster than his peers, but of course I'm his dad.)
Thirdly, with this move up the kids have not only matured physically, but mentally as well. Meaning they now take playing much more seriously. I notice that when they dig-in at home plate they really dig-in, as in 2 to 4 inches below home plate. Could this change in perception of ones strike zone, even so slightly, add to his hitting problem? If so how can you overcome it?
Lastly, is there a rule of thumb as to where to stand in the batter's box when you are hitting pop-ups, weak grounders, or when the batter's box is altered by the means of a large hole?

Thanks again!

Tim

>>> My son, 10, is a great hitter, but in the last two months he has been hitting a lot, I mean A LOT of pop-ups.
> I apologize in advance if you have covered this subject already but I need help as my son is becoming visibly frustrated.
> What are the causes of hitting pop-ups?
> What are the cures/drills to correct the problem?
>
> Thanks to all that offer help! <<<
>
> Hi Tim
>
> Welcome to the site. – It would be obvious to say that if your son is consistently popping up, the path of his bat is consistently well below the center of the ball at contact. The problem is, there are many mechanical and timing issues that may be causing it. Other coaches and myself would like to give you sound recommendation. But, without being able to see his swing, any advice we give will be general and speculative.
>
> When analyzing swings with my video analysis, I have found a flawed swing plane (read the post below) with many young hitters who are having trouble making solid contact. Normally, hitting weak grounders is the result of the wrist rolling too soon (top-hand prematurely rolling over the bottom-hand). Many hitters who consistently pop-up exhibit what I term the “Reverse Wrist Roll” (top-hand rolling below the swing plane).
>
> The reverse wrist roll occurs when a batter accelerates (or drops) the bat-head below the plane of the lead-arm during, or just after, initiation. With many of these hitters, the bat-head never raises back into the true swing plane. --- Tim, as I stated earlier, there are other problems that can cause popping-up. This is just one of the most common faults I find.
>
> Jack Mankin
> ##
>
> Re: lead arm, elbow
> Posted by: Jack Mankin (mrbatspeed@aol.com on Thu Aug 28 23:04:29 2003
>
> Question/Comment:
>
> >>> First time posting. Followed discussions for couple years. Purchased Final Arc II about three months ago.
>
> Situation: HS coach told my son to drive his front elbow "down and in." Now he has a downward bat plane as he makes contact with ball.
>
> Question: What is proper position of front elbow in launch position, as back elbow enters slot, and as shoulders turn for contact? Equally important, how do I describe this to me son? Are there any drills that will help him get front arm in right place? <<<
>
> Jack Mankin's reply:
>
> Hi dmaddox:
>
> Think of the plane of the swing as being a flat disc that is tilted down toward the plate so as to intersect the path of the ball in the contact zone. The bat, lead-arm and shoulders should all be in that plane from initiation to contact. You may have the bat more vertical while in your stance, but the bat must drop into the plane of the lead-arm when shoulder rotation begins.
>
> Since the shoulders are rotating on a tilted plane (not horizontal to the ground), the back-shoulder will begin (from the inward turn position) higher and rotate to a lower position as the lead-shoulder starts lower and is rotating upward. You should not have to think about lowering the back-shoulder, it should happen automatically as you rotate if your launch position is correct.
>
> Keeping the lead-arm (including the elbow) in the plane of the swing is an absolute MUST. That means the lead-elbow MUST always remain pointing into the plane of the swing. If the lead-elbow lowers (or drops) down out of the plane before contact -- the swing is ruined. The wrist will start to roll too soon and the bat-head will come out of the intended plane. This will normally cause inconsistent contact and usually results in weak grounders or pop-ups.
>
> Jack Mankin
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