Posted by: Sam R. () on Thu Jul 20 20:04:45 2006

I brought up Steve's response in previous post on level swing here to prove my point.

Steve said-

"According to Ted Williams and others - a level swing is one that is on the same plane as the incoming pitch. The general consensus is that a hitter will actually be leaning BACK a bit at contact (approx 5 to 15 degrees). This, along with a swing that is perpendicular to the spine (or center of rotation) would look like a slight upper-cut, but would indeed be level to the pitch."

Steve- do you start to get how confusing the term "level swing" has to be to a kid being told this over and over again??? In your own explanation, borrowing from Ted W. no less, you say a level swing is one on the same plane as the pitch (which would mean the ball upon release from pitchers hand would never deviate from its level path)when we all know it does? So there is no such thing as a level strike plane from the point of release.
Next you state "hitter is actually leaning back a bit" (I.E. NOT LEVEL) then you define a slight uppercut (also NOT LEVEL) and then somehow in all the UNLEVEL examples you give you come up with how this same hitter would "indeed be level to the pitch."

Another response to my question what is level was this one:

"Hands are level but the bathead goes up up and through the ball plane."

OK so what are the hands "level to?????" You can't just throw out something is "level to something" without making a connection to what is the level point??? Sorry guys, you have all added to my point.

Do any of you guys actually read what you write??? Not a single person has provided ANY verifiable level anything in a swing which REALLY is my point...there is NO such thing as a LEVEL swing just like there is no such thing as a level pitch!!!!! So why do coaches who can't even define or describe it as level- keep trying to teach kids to swing level????

If in fact there is no such thing as a level pitched strike (and there isn't) then why would anyone teach a kid to swing level at a pitch we KNOW is not level???
For all of you advocating keeping the bathead in the same plane as the ball "I AGREE"...I would hope you do not also teach your hitters to swing level because the two do not mix.