Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sun Jun 26 12:40:45 2005

>>> My brother in babe ruth seems to be flying out alot and always pulling to left field. We know he is getting under the ball, but does anyone have any drills we can practice before allstars to get him a more "level" swing????? <<<

Hi John

I can not give exact recommendations without studying your brother’s swing. However, I can suggest some principles for him to keep in mind during his BP. – Making consistent solid contact requires timing and swing mechanics that produce a consistent swing plane.. Once those mechanics are acquired, it becomes a matter of matching the swing plane of the bat to the plane of the incoming ball.

Below are some excerpts from my posts regarding the swing plane. – Have him keep in mind that the plane of the incoming pitch is not "level."

Jack Mankin

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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.

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The bat is an extension of the lead arm. Therefore, on any pitch lower than the shoulders, the bat-head should be lower than the hands. --- Your interpretation of the plane at contact is the same as mine. And with a good swing, you will find that the lead arm will always be in that plane from initiation to contact. If at initiation the correct forces are applied to the bat, it will also be accelerated into that plane. But if forces are applied that cause the bat-head to accelerate in a more vertical angle, you will see the bat-head falling below the plane of the lead arm. The natural reaction of the bat is to then accelerate upward toward the swing plane. This sine wave action of the bat to the swing plane causes a loss of power and consistency.

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Nearly all of the better hitters start with the meat of the bat higher than the back-shoulder. And since contact is made below the belt, it is obvious the bat must be swung downward before it starts in an upward path. The difference between having the swing plane in line with the path of the ball or cutting down through it is determined by the batter’s mechanics. The better hitters keep their hands back at initiation and the bat-head is accelerated on a downward path back behind the back-shoulder (back toward the catcher). The path of the bat will then bottom out and be on a slight upswing in the contact zone. If, on the other hand, the batter thrusts the hands forward at initiation, the downward path of the bat will most often occur out in front of the shoulder and will normally continue its downward path right through the contact zone. --- The main point is – did the bat start downward ‘behind’ or ‘in-front’ of the batter?

Jack Mankin