Hit the ball farther

put more backspin on the ball...swing just a tad bit downward and follow through. let that ball get deep and hammer it. other times, power just comes naturally to some guys. you make it sound like hitting line drives is a bad thing...trust me, coaches will gladly accept consistent line drive singles over a fly out.

quote:

Originally posted by SixMonthsInALeakyBoat:
put more backspin on the ball...swing just a tad bit downward and follow through.

So, if you swing down, the ball goes up?

I think what sixmonths is getting at is that you hit the bottom half of the ball which creates backspin that leads to loft / distance.

Back to the original question is you need to evaluate how the ball is coming off the bat. If you are hitting line shots that fly off the bat I think you are in good shape. But if the ball is floating off the bat then need to look into some stuff that might need fixing.

Overall to hit with power you need a strong core. Find / create a workout that really focuses on improving the strength of that area. Next make sure you are flexible and loose overall. Muscles and connective tissues that have a broad range of motion allow for more power. Last make sure your mechanics are good. If you could post a video of several swings we could probably help out a lot more.

quote:

So, if you swing down, the ball goes u

Here we go again!

I never knew where people came up with "Nice Level Swing Now". You do not swing the bat level. You swing the bat like you are chopping wood. This is how you create backspin, and the proper way to swing a bat. At the Professional level, you never hear a coach say "Nice Level Swing" it is amazing how this is stated.

What they mean is, don't get long and loopy, don't swing it like a pendulum. I guess instead of "swing level", they should say "swing MORE level". But not purely flat to the ground.

I don't get into many of the hitting discussions around here because it's like arguing religion with some people, but as a matter of simple physics, hitting the ball slightly below center will create backspin. You don't have to chop down like you were playing ping pong or something. And if you look at the swings of MLB power hitters, they all have some degree of upper cut, some more than others.

Seriously, hit the ball in the middle.....

So just to clarify to elevate the ball get backspin on the ball and swing with a slight upper cut.

If you're looking for flyballs which will be caught, then, yes.....

Focus on hitting line drives. And sometimes you will miss just a little and drop a bomb. And sometimes you will miss just a little and hit a screaming ground ball.

Its hard enough to square up a baseball by trying to barrell it up. Can you imagine trying to swing down on a baseball and have a consistent approach? How perfect do you have to be to be in the zone such a brief milisecond at the exact time the baseball is in that same location? And the result will not be good anyway.

The same can be said for trying to lift the baseball on a consistent basis.

Hit the ball in the face. And sometimes you will hit it in the chin.

I guess that is what separates the Professional Player from the regular player. T Work is a prime example of swinging on the downward plane. Now I do not mean a drastic downward plane. T work is the best place to work on this swing. It's not rocket science.

People read way to much into this, and try to re invent the wheel.

I dont know what you mean about T work being an example of swinging on the downward plane? And I certainly dont believe that T work is the best place to work on your swing.

The only drill I like on a T is the high T drill. But thats just me. T's imo have probably hurt more hitters than they have ever helped. Its the perfect way to perfect improper swing mechanics. And it does nothing for the most critical element in hitting. The timing process and how it relates to the actual swing process. Working on one without incorporating the other is pointless and detrimental to a hitters ability to learn.

But thats just my opinion.

Optimal is 1 inch below the midline, using a 9 degree uppercut.

Every batter should keep a protractor in his back pocket!

Back to the topic, swing as hard as you can under control. When i play bad teams I always swing for the fences, and against the better pitchers i am thinking line drives.

The swing is a double-pendulum. Not down

quote:

Originally posted by SultanofSwat:

quote:

Originally posted by SixMonthsInALeakyBoat:
put more backspin on the ball...swing just a tad bit downward and follow through.

So, if you swing down, the ball goes up?

If you swing down on the ball at an angle, youll generate backspin. causing the ball to rise

quote:

Originally posted by Blue Collar Baseball:

If you swing down on the ball at an angle, youll generate backspin. causing the ball to rise

Many have heard this myth. I used to believe it also.

lol i guess well agree to disagree sultan

yes, if you swing a tad bit downward, not a huge amount/straight downward, it hits the bottom half of the baseball which will put backspin on it. guy from triple-A said that all the taught was to put backspin on it to make it go. I play the game, i'd say I'm a decent hitter, and I have experimented with this stuff.

Dude, just see it and hit it. the best advice I can give you haha. not going to get all technical here because that's the one thing I hate as a hitter, is hearing a coach or a guy who thinks he knows about hitting tell me what to do and sounding like a broken record. it gets real old after a while. see it and hit it; if it goes far, it goes far. if it drops somewhere for a base hit, then so be it...

"You want to hit it farther?" Then what does logic tell you to do?

TRAIN to hit it farther by getting BIGGER, FASTER and STRONGER. LEARN what the three forementioned physical aspects have to do with Power (Research the Laws of Motion & Sir Isaac Newton). Discover what aspects of Hitting mechanics enhances your ability to drive the ball. Do all these things and you will have given yourself YOUR best opportunity to hit the ball LONG.