Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Fri Jul 7 02:20:03 2000

>>> MY 15 YR OLD SON BATS LEFT HANDED, HE HOLDS HIS HANDS BETWEEN THE WAIST AND THE SHOULDER, SIMILIAR TO TED WILLIAMS', HE WAS USING A KNEE COCK FOR HIS TRIGGER BUT HE WAS HITTING EVERYTHING TO THE OPPOSITE FIELD SO HE SWITCHED TO SHIFTING HIS WEIGHT FROM 50-50 TO 60-40 AS HIS TRIGGER, THIS HAS ENABLED HIM TO START PULLING THE BALL MUCH MORE,ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS AS HE IS SHIFTING HIS WEIGHT TO HIS BACK LEG SHOULD HE ALSO BE BRINGING HIS HANDS BACK ,MY NEXT QUESTION IS AFTER HE IS IN THE LAUNCH POSITION WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO START THE SWING, KNOB TO BALL, THROW HANDS TO BALL, THROW BARRELL TO THE BALL OR JUST SWING HARD, AT PRESENT MY SON IS THROWING HIS HANDS TO THE BALL AND HE IS MAKING GREAT CONTACT BUT WITH NOT MUCH POWER,I WAS WONDERING IF THIS MIGHT BE BECAUSE HE IS USING TO MUCH ARMS AND NOT ENOUGH HIPS AND OR SHOULDERS, ALSO HE IS SWINGING DOWNWARD , IS THIS RIGHT OR WRONG, CAN ANYONE HELP US, THANKS <<<

Hi Bob

It is far better to think of throwing the bat-head than throwing the hands. That should help him to get more body rotation and less arms in his swing. It might even help him to stop swinging down at the ball. --- Have him think about "swinging" the bat instead of shoving it.

Jack Mankin