hitting and timing suggestions

You can find many different opinions on this topic, and I'm not smart enough to know which is best. Players have different loading mechanisms, strides, etc so part of the answer is to understand how long it takes your son to get into position to hit. I have always been a proponent of starting early. As I watch my son's high school team, getting the front foot down too late is a very common problem.

My son and I work on this using the T. I stand behind the L screen, fake a pitch, asking him begin loading when I break my hands and to focus on my release point, and he simulates tracking the ball to the T and swings. I will vary the speed of my delivery, as well as change my release point. I have no idea if this will work for others, but my son said it has helped him quite a bit and we have seen his timing greatly improve over the last few months.

Best of luck, Longsufferingmetsfan. As a Padre fan, I feel your pain.  

Start slower and earlier. It's a cue that Bautista finally figured out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0AlTsey6MI

Also, head over to noontime baseball and check out pattern and sequence. Your son will notice how many different styles there are to these hitters, yet they all seem to be at the furthest point in the load of the foot coming up, etc., as the pitch is just about to leave the pitchers hand. Obviously at the HS level, we would see some pitching slow enough that a player wouldn't need to start quite that early, but the basic concept should be noticeable.

http://noontimebaseball.com/tag/pattern-and-sequence/

Agree with Bu4ick on many points...  when I first saw the post, I thought "uh-oh, a hitting/timing question".  There are many different hitting philosophies and teaches and this can get messy.  

Bu4ick said it perfectly that there are different loads/strides and that factors in heavily with when to start.  I also agree that getting the front foot down in time is key and a common problem with many hitters at all levels.  (As illustration to the "many different teaches", I know that some here are of the belief that "foot down early" is a bad teach.)   Many hitters that come in new to our program wait until they see pitch location to get the foot down.  Too late.  On the other hand, starting when the pitcher breaks his hands is TOO early for most hitters I work with.  

The swing is two-part but there has to be fluidity.  Foot down generally has to happen (or start to happen) about the time the ball is released or immediately after.  The hitter must reach a balance point at load where he is prepared to fire on time for a FB or wait a split second while maintaining a balanced load position for off-speed.

Look at the old U tube videos of George Brett [for left handed hitters] Question: why not right handed hitters.

Yes, JPG I also [play against Charlie Lau at Detroit Briggs Stadium]. 

If you son is right handed hitter watch the "old" video of Willie or Hank. My favorite would be Ernie Banks. "quiet and calm" then explode!!! Also study the pitcher before the game, visualize success and "fine" focus on the pitchers cap label and then to the release point.

"slow the ball down in your mind"

Bob

Thank you all truly for the great input!! 

I've carefully read each post, watched every video (including Ernie Banks), and visited the suggested website.  Each of you had something very useful to offer, and the thought that you put into your replies was obvious.