My son allways seems to be hitting ground balls. What is going on with his swing that will not allow him hit the ball to the outfield.
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There can be a number of reasons. However, go through this checklist and see what you get.
1. His rotation on the backside is late or he collapses the backside. Once the hands reach the belt they want to roll. When the barrel rolls it picks up and a hitter tends to top the ball. (Try this yourself in slo-mo. Roll the barrel into an imaginary strike zone and watch the barrel raise.)
2. He is being taught to roll to hit, instead of palm up and palm down at contact. I teach to hit the front of the ball through the back of the ball palm up and palm down and keep it as long as possible. You only roll because you have to to finish.
3. He is stepping out or open. The barrel wants to go pull side and rolls early.
Best wishes.
1. His rotation on the backside is late or he collapses the backside. Once the hands reach the belt they want to roll. When the barrel rolls it picks up and a hitter tends to top the ball. (Try this yourself in slo-mo. Roll the barrel into an imaginary strike zone and watch the barrel raise.)
2. He is being taught to roll to hit, instead of palm up and palm down at contact. I teach to hit the front of the ball through the back of the ball palm up and palm down and keep it as long as possible. You only roll because you have to to finish.
3. He is stepping out or open. The barrel wants to go pull side and rolls early.
Best wishes.
gimages,
Does he swing down on the ball too much? Low sinking pitches can also cause too many ground balls.
Not staying in the box could also contribute to problem. Swingplane of box is tilted downward too much which causes swingplane to create flate disc that tilts wrong way. Disc should tilt in upward fashion in swingplane and in finish. Not staying in swingplane in finish can mean a couple of things> bat is too heavy or recoiling bat and not following through with nice high finish in swing.
If bat is too heavy, the batplane could tilt downward causing all hit balls to become ground balls.
Recoiling and not finishing swing also possibility.
Not keeping bat on swingplane in high finish after contact.
Hard to analyze without clip but bet I'm close even without clip>
Could also be the coach is screaming linedrives/groundballs too much in third base coaching box-LOL
Shep
Does he swing down on the ball too much? Low sinking pitches can also cause too many ground balls.
Not staying in the box could also contribute to problem. Swingplane of box is tilted downward too much which causes swingplane to create flate disc that tilts wrong way. Disc should tilt in upward fashion in swingplane and in finish. Not staying in swingplane in finish can mean a couple of things> bat is too heavy or recoiling bat and not following through with nice high finish in swing.
If bat is too heavy, the batplane could tilt downward causing all hit balls to become ground balls.
Recoiling and not finishing swing also possibility.
Not keeping bat on swingplane in high finish after contact.
Hard to analyze without clip but bet I'm close even without clip>
Could also be the coach is screaming linedrives/groundballs too much in third base coaching box-LOL
Shep
Right on Shep and Papa. I also see kids that have a serious upper-cut and the will hit over and on top of the ball most of the time. I believe bat weight, wrist rolling and hitting plane all contribute to a hitter hitting ground balls all the time.
It may be that you are too far back in the box for the speed of the pitches you are facing---you may be hitting the top part of the ball because it is "dying" as it reaches you--
I would try moving up a bit in the box and see what happens before I tinker with the swing-- keep everything the same and move up a bit in the box and see what happens
Just a thought
I would try moving up a bit in the box and see what happens before I tinker with the swing-- keep everything the same and move up a bit in the box and see what happens
Just a thought
gimages,
There certainly is a chance that your son is "drifting" with his lower-half, which will put him on top of the baseball. It is hard to pick up if it is not pronounced.
If he has weak back-side rotation and collapses the back-side as mentioned above he will actually push with the bottom half and end up topping the ball. If he is rotating the back-side, he can still drift, which as I mentioned is hard to pick up, but will also put him on top of the baseball.
If the mumbo-jumbo is too much; send me an email and I will try to help.
O42
There certainly is a chance that your son is "drifting" with his lower-half, which will put him on top of the baseball. It is hard to pick up if it is not pronounced.
If he has weak back-side rotation and collapses the back-side as mentioned above he will actually push with the bottom half and end up topping the ball. If he is rotating the back-side, he can still drift, which as I mentioned is hard to pick up, but will also put him on top of the baseball.
If the mumbo-jumbo is too much; send me an email and I will try to help.
O42
Thanks all for the suggestions. I had my son read your posts. If I were to give him the same advice it would go in one ear and out the other, but coming from you all he gave it some thought. Game on Friday 1 for three - two ground ball outs (hard hits) and a line drive in the gap into right center. Game on Saturday 3 for 4 two singles to the outfield and a double in the left center gap. Thanks again. Way to go internet coaches.
