| Coaching youth and high school baseball batters | | | | closed and directed at the second baseman for |
| requires a watchful eye and close attention to | | | | right-handed batters and toward the shortstop for |
| detail. Baseball coaches must identify and correct | | | | left-handed batters. The stepping out is a more |
| any flaw in batting hitting mechanics. Players | | | | difficult flaw to fix. Having the batter pick the |
| should not be allowed to practice their swing over | | | | front heel off the ground and stepping just slightly |
| and over without correcting their mistakes. Good | | | | toward the plate may help. I frown on putting |
| baseball coaches are always on the constant | | | | obstructions behind the front foot to keep it from |
| lookout for any bad habits that a young player | | | | moving backward, although many coaches do this |
| may develop. Here I discuss three of the most | | | | to stop this bad habit. I often use the "step in and |
| common hitting mechanical flaws and my | | | | hit: drill with a hit trainer, Bat Action Machine or |
| approach to correcting each. Here are three | | | | batting tee. The batter assumes a position back |
| common mistakes I often see at my baseball | | | | away from the ball target that requires the batter |
| camps and when I observe youth games and | | | | to step toward the ball in order to make contact. |
| youth practices. | | | | If the batter does not step toward or into the |
| 1) BARRING THE FRONT ARM - The batter locks | | | | ball, the batter will not be able to hit the ball. |
| or stiffens the front arm as the swing begins. | | | | 3) UPPER CUT SWING - The upper cut swing |
| Many young batters will have assumed the | | | | may be caused by two things that are quickly |
| correct stance and launch positions but have a | | | | identified Dropping the hands and back leg collapse |
| tendency to tighten up as the swing begins. The | | | | can both cause the batter to swing upward. Make |
| barring of the front arm causes the swing to loop | | | | sure that the batter keeps the hands at the top |
| and to be too long. The batter has great difficulty | | | | of the strike zone and does not drop the hands |
| taking the bat to the ball and making contact | | | | or dip the back side shoulder during the swing. |
| unless the ball is thrown exactly on the swing | | | | The back leg should be keep "tall or straight" to |
| plane. The proper swing has a "short stroke" or | | | | prevent back side dipping which can also cause an |
| path to the ball. The best way to correct barring | | | | upper-cut swing. Two great drills that we use to |
| of the front arm is to make sure that the batter | | | | stop this is the "Zone Circle" tee or soft-toss drill. |
| keeps the front arm elbow bent or at an "L" | | | | We make a circle the side of our batting cage by |
| position prior and during the swing. | | | | inter-weaving a white or yellow rope in the net. |
| 2) STEPPING OUT OR PULLING OFF PITCHES - I | | | | The batter must hit or drive the ball off the tee |
| often see this with young kids in our summer | | | | or from a soft-toss into the circle. The batter |
| camp program. They always step out or their | | | | must have a level swing and keep the front side |
| front side often flies open before the ball arrives. | | | | in to be able to hit the zone. |
| This batter has great difficulty making contact. | | | | COACHING POINT: Make sure that the batter is |
| Until this flaw is corrected, the batter will only | | | | not over striding. This too can cause a batter to |
| become frustrated and embarrassed. To keep | | | | pop up. The batter must concentrate visually on |
| the front shoulder in the proper "closed" position, | | | | the top half or middle of the ball to make good |
| teach the batter to keep the front shoulder | | | | contact. |