Posted by: Ricky () on Wed Apr 12 08:40:51 2006

It seems like the majority of High School coaches in our area (Las Vegas, NV) have a swing down and hit the ball the other way philosophy. I hear a lot of beat the ball to the spot but when the kid does that they are admonished to stay back?

I would agree that a program to get them on, get them over, and get them in wins games and it is not wise just to sit back and wait for the 2 run homer at the high school level. It just seems funny to get a lead off walk and as the next batter is walking to the plate he gets several tips on how to hit a hard ground ball which he does as he rolls into a double play. It seem like that works in little league because fielders have to handle the ball but at the high school level a lot of the fielders were the best players in their little leagues. In Vegas there are incredible shortstops like the one from Bishop Gorman that seems to throw the ball to 1st at 90mph.

I have wondered why in a place with a year around baseball weather, large amounts local little league and club ball teams, and large indoor hitting facilities with professional hitting trainers do not have a lot of high round draft picks. Does this have to do with the hitting techniques they are taught? They seem to do drills opposite of what is talked about on the final arc video.

The size is there. There are many teams with players over 6 ft tall that look really strong but all they seem to hit are hard ground balls. Is the techinque they are being drilled on responsible for this? If a pitcher is taught to throw the ball down and produce ground ball outs why are the hitters taught to swing down and hit ground balls? Isnt the idea to beat the pitcher? Why would we do what the pitcher wants? Where did this idea of hitting come from?

When rotational mechanics is brought up these days to the professional hitting trainers they respond that its an old technique that the majority can't do that produces all pull hitters that are not wanted at the high school level. I was told that rotational hitting produces more stike outs and players that cannot hit the outside pitch and since the majority of pitchers only pitch outside due to the metal bats, if they can't hit the ball the other way then they can't hit. Does rotational mechanics produce only pull hitters? Is that why they shift on Bonds and use to shift on Ted Williams? Is it they could not hit the ball the other way?

I am sure as I read more of this board someone else may have asked these questions. I guess the real question it where does everyone see rotational hitting going? Will it be a technique that should be taught to younger average players or is it only for the big strong players? It seems like in the pros there is a shift to moving runners, bunting them over and team concept (White Sox)and a backlash to the home run hitter (Steriods did all the work. Will this shift rotational machanics back into the closet?