2022OFDad posted:coach2709 posted:So you believe a line drive swing should be taught until they are physically mature enough to learn to swing launch angle. I don't understand the logic in teaching two different swings based on a fallacy that youth players aren't strong enough to hit homeruns or whatever. Launch angle isn't about trying to hit homeruns - it's about getting the ball into the OF and use all that space to get hits. If it happens to go out then it goes out. No different than using a "line drive" swing.
Baseball is proportional so those youth league hitters who aren't strong enough to learn launch angle are playing against fielders who basically have the same amount of strength and skill. Teach launch angle from day one and it will provide the best opportunity for your son to be successful.
The quicker the ball gets on the ground in “all that space” in the outfield, the better. That is not best accomplished with a towering fly ball. I will do some research today to try to support this, but a line drive to the out field simply has a better chance of resulting in a positive outcome from a plate appearance than a fly ball does. It’s just my opinion, but I will try to find some data to back that up.
I tend to agree with this as well. Ideally, you want line drive HRs. There is now an emphasis on getting the ball over the fence, which is fine. What is not fine is the K rate and the amount of lazy fly balls that come with that approach. When the hitter just misses the ball it results in a 360 ft pop out, not a hard hit.
But I'd also rather have a .300 hitter with 15 HRs than a .260 hitter with 30 HRs. Many would rather have the latter. It is a matter of preference, but FWIW I don't like the way MLB is trending.