Posted by: skip (piks5@sbcglobal.net) on Mon Jul 9 11:41:37 2007

> > > >>> All year long me players ages 11-12 have swung the bat late. They strike out or foul off balls the opposite way because they try to hit the ball over the plate instead of in front of it. I have gone back to soft toss, using the tee and batting cage. They do extremly well in the cage but when it commes down to the game they swing late everytime. It has to be the way I am coaching for the whole team to do this. Any advice. <<<
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> > > Hi Kenneth
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> > Coach Kenneth. With regard to your students, you may wish to have them practice their team hitting by you pitching to them as well as having other kids pitch to them. This way they can stay used to picking up the release point. Also make sure the kids are following the ball all the way and keeping their head down when the swing.
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> > We should remember that most of the old school major batting champions swung late and use the opposite field more than the pull field. Thus the late swing in itself does not have to be a problem for all the hitters.
> > > Welcome to the site. – When a batter is continually swinging late or hitting foul balls to the right side it means the bat-head is trailing too far behind the hands at contact. The batter may get the hands out in front of the plate but the bat-head is dragging behind in the contact zone. This is due more to their swing mechanics than timing. The mechanics taught by most coaches has the batter quickly extending the hands (A to B) toward the pitcher. This linear theory relies on a whipping action that is supposed to occur as the hands near full extension.
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> > > However, a whipping action of the bat-head (pendulum or flailing effect) only occurs when the hands are accelerated in a circular path (like swinging a ball on a string). With a straight extension of the hands, the bat-head just trails behind the hands and the batter must then try to bring the bat-head around by driving their top-hand past their bottom-hand (torque). This type of mechanics requires strong arms to attain even moderate bat-head acceleration, and that is why batters using these mechanics have limited power (especially to the opposite field) even with very light bats.
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> > > Kenneth, I would suggest your players would better attain their batting potential practicing rotational transfer principles. Rotational mechanics use the larger muscles of their legs and torso to fling the hands into a circular path. They would then be swinging the bat-head around instead of trying to muscle it with their arms.
> > >
> > > ** Brian illustrating the CHP in an overhead view of the swing using our Motion Analysis Software.
> > > www.batspeed.com/media/John_CHP.wmv
> > >
> > > Jack Mankin
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> What I've seen through the years is that 12-and-unders are habitually late striding and getting their foot down, which makes even a technically flawless swing kind of useless.
> Most non-elite 12u's need to be continually reminded to step early enough. As long as they do this, even some of the less co-ordinated kids seem to be able to get around on 50-60 mph pitching.
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> Hitting starts from the bottom up. Watch their feet real carefully. If they're habitually late, they're probably stepping late. If they aren't stepping late, then move to the next step on the diagnostic flow chart, which would be the various points that Jack makes as to why the bathead isn't accelerating into the hitting zone.
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> skip

I'd like to add something. I know it's obvious, but needs to be re-stated. There's a HUGE difference between practice hitting and game hitting.

Practice: large margin for error: many hittable pitches; no big deal if you mis-hit some; no pressure to be selective to maybe get a walk; you probably won't get hit in the face by a pitch; if you miss the first 3 no problem you'll gauge the speed eventually; no scoreboard lights staring at you from the outfield; and the pitcher is rooting for you to succeed.

Game hitting: little margin for error: if you mis-hit one you're out and wait a long time before you can try again; your parents, coach and teammates are exhorting you to be selective (often causing paralysis by analysis); the kid pitcher may mess up and throw the next one at your head by mistake; if it takes you a few pitches to get your timing you're out of luck; the pitcher and his teammates are trying to fool you and are rooting against you; and your teammates, dad, and coaches are imploring you, "We need a hit" as they offer a swing-by-swing micromanaged critique of what you're doing wrong.

And if you nevertheless crush one, it might be right at somebody.

I think a kid needs a gambler's mentality in order to naturally thrive under these circumstances. Others develop the proper outlook, but it can take years.

In games,under internal and external pressure,young kids know that if they only swing at "strikes", they can possibly get a walk or, alternatively, put a better swing on a ball at the heart of the plate. So they do the "smart" thing: they wait until the ball is virtually over the plate, now they're totally sure whether it's a ball/strike/good ball to hit. And they swing. Late.

Little League is all about getting indecisive pre-teens to make up their mind and start their swing early enough that they'll be on time, even though they have to decide before they're SURE whether it's offspeed or in good location to hit it. Exhort them to be aggressive, and don't second guess their decisions, even with a grimace, or you'll end up with even more hard-hit liners into the fence by the first base dugout.

Senior Leagues are all about getting aggressive teens to let the ball get deep and swing at the last possible split second, since the pitchers try to get them out over their front foot instead of staying back and crushing the ball.

Some kids have it figured out at age 7. Others are perpetually late until they get on the big field. Quite a few jump to the big field and are still late because they squander the extra 10-14 feet of pitching distance and remain last-second indecisive.

Skip