Posted by: Coach C () on Fri Dec 13 10:00:17 2002

I am sitting here watching video of some of my high school players hit and on the screen next to me is Sosa (and switch out and put in Bonds). The biggest difference in the swing path to me is: contact point for my players is further out front regardless of pitch location. But there swing is rotational, the bat head goes to the cathcer the elbow is slotted, the "L" is there, connection maintained. Are there any good drills or advice for these kids who for a long time swung linear and slow and had to hit the ball out front to change their mindset to hitting it deeper or "perpendicular"?
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> They do and have done the heavy bag drill for months but in live pitching they still go out and try to get it and they are rotating - in fact, I go frame by frame with Sosa and Bonds and arc and swing radius and handpath is very close, but not contact point.
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> Some say start later or stride longer or wider/longer handpath, what do you think? Is it timing or mechanical or mental or all?

I believe it's the length of the bat that creates problems with the swing. I have my kids swing short heavy bats and then choke up. We do this for several sessions, then we have them hit with their regular bats. This instills a swing that is done with much shorter arms, which brings the contact point much closer to the body. Great hitters hit the ball deeper, regardless of the method. Also swing handle weighted bats that encourage the hitters to carry the weight and not cast the weight. I never encourage extension, that is when we get fooled. Extension needs to be available to me for when I do get fooled. Hit with alligator arms and adjust out, not the other way around. Lastly teach kids how to dominate the inside pitch, which will encourage short arms, then they can sit on the plate and know they can dominate the entire strikezone. This approach eliminates fear. In my opinion this is what Bonds does. Good Luck