Posted by: John in FL () on Fri May 9 07:39:57 2008

If you are looking at angles, a more downward swing is the ideal hitting stroke. Kids that are taught to 'swing level' usually end up with an upward wing which is not ideal when you are looking at the objective: batting average. However, a swing angle more than 35-40 degrees is a problem. Instead of focusing on changing the swing, try getting the kid to focus on pinpoint hitting. In a nutshell, have the kid focus on hitting spots on the ball, most notably, the top half of the ball. If the kid can learn to do that, progress to having him hit to spots on the field. Chopping may be less of an issue unless he can't even make contact due to that motion.