Posted by: Red Dog (gwils@brdwlaw.com) on Tue Jul 13 06:31:54 2010

First thing is look at when and how he is loading. Front foot has to be down before you start the swing. If he is late, he is not ready which means he is not loading, planting the front foot and getting his hands in the slot early enough to hit the ball when it is in the hitting zone. I also would ask him if he is seeing the ball and maybe have his eyes checked. You are correct in thinking that if he is holding the bat tight and is tight at the plate that will make him slower to the ball. Last but not least, some young players don't try and drive the ball in the game they just try and put the bat on the ball. This leads to weak contact and usually to weak ground balls or "Can of Corn" fly balls. Make sure he is swinging hard and trying to drive the ball every time he swings. This is also true on curve balls. He is young, keep working with him and you will be surprised at the progress.