Posted by: Mark () on Tue Jul 3 15:40:58 2001

HI I AM HITTING THE BALL HARD AND I AM MAKING VERY GOOD CONTACT BUT I AM HITTING EVERYTHING EITHER TO FIRST OR SECOND BASE, I AM A LEFTHANDED BATTER, I DONT WANT TO CHANGE MY SWING BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HIT THE BALL TO THE OUTFIELD ONCE IN AWHILE.PLEASE HELP,
> > > > JEFF
> > >
> > > Jeff,
> > >
> > > If you are not briging your bacK elbow to your side before you start your forward movement with you hand you can bring the bat to the ball at a very steep angle. Usually you will hit the top half of the ball on this angle driving the ball into the ground. Once in a while you will hit a weak pop up to the infield or short outfield.
> > >
> > > Look that the frame by frame on this site. The elbow has to come in before the hands start forward.
> > >
> > > Joe A or B, I forget.
> > >
> >
> > It also sounds like you just might be a little in front of the ball. If you swing with a slight upswing (like almost everybody naturally does) and you're making contact too far out in front you're going to hit the top half of the ball.
> >
> > As Ted William's said in his book:
> > "Ground out a lot? You're probably swinging too early. Popping up? Probably swinging late. It's a slight upswing, remember, and when you're late you're under the ball, when you're early you're on top."
> >
> > (you can read his book online for free at TedWilliams.com)
> >
> > To fix this I'd go to a batting cage and working hitting slow pitching up the middle.
>
> Jeff,
>
> I don't agree with the last post. I am in dissagreement with most people about this. I don't think that a hitter can swing "up" on the ball unless its high out of the strike zone. I mean like shoulder height.
>
> Heres my idea. Most hitter hold their hands in their stance about arm pit level. Some push the bat straight back before they start their swing. Others lower their hands a little. But I am not aware of any one, expect maybe slow pitch softball hitters, who lower their bat to a level at or below a high strike.
>
> So, the hands are launched toward the ball from a level above a high strike. This is a downward path to a high strike and anything lower. The only way to swing up on the ball is to lower your hands below the level of the ball before the swing OR after you start your swing, swoop the bat below the level of the pitch then up at it. Try it and see if you think its possible to hit a ball with any consistancy or power.
>
> The reason people think that hitters swing up on the ball is that at the end of the swing the bat is moving upward. And I agree, it is. But try this. Do a practice swing and make sure it is level or a little downward. Notice that after the bat passes the hitting area that your right hand (for a right handed hitter) rolls over your left and your left elbow colaspes to your side. Also notice that this causes the bat to rise on the follow through, giving the impression that the swing was up.
>
> Joe B.
>

Joe B.,

I am impressed with your confidence. Disagreeing with Ted Williams without so much as an excuse me. Very bold.

The bat starts above the zone. It goes down to the zone to hit the ball. Then it finish high. During all this, you need to match your bathead path with the path of the ball at or near contact. Since the ball path is downward, your bathead path needs to be upward, at or near contact, in order to match the ball flight path. Anything else means that you are crossing the ball flight path with the bathead path leaving no room for timing error to hit the ball solidly. Therefore, Ted is right. If you are slightly early, your bat has risen slightly above the intended contact point and you pull a grounder, etc.

Now if the pitch is low inside, all bets are off IMO. The only way to match the ball flight path is to golf it up the middle, unless you are back off the plate like Mac is reportedly doing now. If you are early now, you lift the ball. If on a low inside strike, you pull the ball, you are, once again, crossing the ball path with the bathead path, rather than matching them. This last paragraph, is IMHO.