QB.P. vs Games

I'm a 13 year old player with a lot of talent at the plate. In BP I use
perfect form and hit the ball hard. In games my form is off and I usually hit
dribblers. Is there any way I can fix this?

AAs you know, in BP you are likely facing more predictable pitches and perhaps
slower. Also there are none of the external pressures of the game - situation,
score, runners on, pitcher's intent, etc. After all, in BP the pitcher (or
machine) is trying to give you a ball to hit, not so in the game. Part of the
challenge is to block out the things you can't affect - the game stuff. You need
to do this to take your same full swing through the ball - because it sounds
like you might be hesitating, unwilling to really smack it hard. You also need
to shorten your reaction time to first read pitches that aren't always going
where you want - before attacking them. The best way to do this is to ask for
tougher stuff during BP. Also I would ask a coach or team mate to watch you in
BP from same angle they might see you in the game - ask them if there is
anything different in your stride or arm action from one to the other. This will
tell you if actually mechanical changes are happening - it actually is a common
problem because there is also a comfort level in BP - you might be more relaxed,
less tense with a smoother swing. Sometimes the only way to recapture that
feeling at the plate is to not care so much - just clear your brain and let the
body do its thing.

QBall Fear

What do you do for a kid that is afraid he'll get hit by the ball? When the ball is pitched his feet move. He also say's he's looking at the pitcher, not the ball coming out of his hand.

AWithout knowing more about him (age? number of years playing? has he been hit before?) it is hard to suggest specifics. Couple of general suggestions... - Have him focus on the pitcher's cap (not just the pitcher) then his concentration is on a smaller target and the eye shift over to where the ball is coming from will be easier. Added advantage of not worrying about the pitcher as a whole. - Teach him the proper duck and cover technique, so if he ever is hit it is off the back and safer. (It will still hurt - practice with tennis balls.) - Get him to start with a more open stance - front foot out and stepping into the pitch (which will get the bat in the zone better and will also be first stage of continuing in when necessary on the duck and cover, but could keep him from doing it on every pitch. - Power in the swing starts from driving the hips, not only around but down - so he needs to understand that the more he pushes down on his legs the more effective he will be.

QBatting Order

How should you arrange your line-up? (where do you put you best and worst hitters if you have 5 that can hit and 7 that can't no matter what you do to teach them.)

AFirst step, if you haven't already done so, is to check out the Batting Order pages on WebBall under Coaching > Game Prep.

Then the challenge is whether to scatter the others, or put them at the end, or whether to favour the same 5 players in all/most games and only rotate the others (which doesn't seem fair).

By putting your best 5 back to back you may have a chance at one productive inning in every 3 or 4. By giving others a chance in say the 2 slot or 5 slot, you may at least be able to move the better guys around, or else create some action in every inning.

I also know that ever good player has bad games and even the most average kid can be a pleasant surprise just when you need him most.

QBigger Fields

My son is moving up to Babe Ruth League this year. He was very successful hitting in Little League and was a member of our district champions. I would like to know any drills to get his hips out before his hands. I¹m worried that the larger field will rob him of hits and he is in need of turning on the ball better.

AFirst, I've never seen a batter put out by a field! To explain... One of the beautiful things about baseball is the balanced proportions of the game - it keeps everything close. The base-to-base distance is close to the throwing ability of the players. And the field size matches both the hitting distance of players and the fielders' ability to get to the ball. Point is, a bigger field means more ground to cover - hits will drop in!

Is there a new challenge? Yes, bigger, stronger pitchers - fortunately balanced by a greater mound-to-plate distance. I would not try changing all his mechanics (if they're good) until you see how he does. Realistically, his first year may see a drop in batting average - but why should he automatically be better than more 'seasoned' players in that age group. However, that said, if you do want to make sure his hips are working first - try dry swings with the bat behind his back held by his elbows. Or try without a bat, arms hanging loose in front like twin pendulums. Get him to relax the arms as he pivots the back foot and brings the back knee in - let the arms swing up naturally. (This also works for the next problem...)

QBiggest Slump

I'm in the biggest slump of my life! I've tried everything but it seems that my whole batting stance is wrong! Either it's my hips not following through, or my stride's too long, or I don't keep my head on the ball. All of these things are things that I do wrong. When I go up to bat I've got a million and a half things to worry about! Know any tricks that do more than one thing at a time?

AAnyone can have one bad at-bat, or two or three or more in a row - without it being a slump. What's makes it a slump, my friend, is attitude.

The real trick you're looking for is not physical - but mental. How do you believe you can hit when you walk up to the plate, especially when you're thinking about your last disasterous plate appearance and your coach is hollering at you to "hit the ball" and "whatever you do don't strike out". Meanwhile your mind is full of this negative check list - don't let my arms drop, don't turn away from the ball, don't step in the bucket, don't swing at bad pitches, don't forget to turn my hips, don't do anything embarrassing. Okay, so much for the bad news. What CAN you do?

1. Get in a batting cage (your team's or a commercial site) - as often as you can. But only for a half hour at a time. And always, always walk away after a good swing - even if you're entitled to more, even if there's money still in the machine. You want to remember your last experience with bat on ball as a good one.
2. The second thing you can do at practice is really work on your base-running. That's the reward for a good at bat - get that locked in your mind too!

Now in games...
3. Cheer like crazy for your teammates when they do well. Be positive about the whole baseball experience.
4. Try a different bat (maybe a lighter one) - not because you need to but so you can walk up to the plate just to do the experiment - just to see how well this bat lets the ball carry. (In other words put the pressure on the bat to perform not youself.)
5. Smile. I had one player who frequently got only one signal from me - fingers moving from center of mouth up to ears - a big smile - just have some fun up there, Besides nothing unglues an opposing pitcher more than a confident batter!

Do all this before you begin thinking about mechanics. (After all, if you're aware of problems in hip timing, etc., you do know the mechanics anyway, so why worry about it!) Have a good season.

QCurveball Anytime

What do I need to adjust for while I'm hitting in high school. On JV, do pitchers usually have enough confidence to throw their curve on a 2-2 or 3-2 count? I want to know this so that I can look as good as possible in tryout scrimmages because I would love to suit up for Varsity.

AAny pitcher with good curve command should be prepared to throw it on a 2-2. Those that throw it on 3-2, well, they were going to beat you anyway. So, yes, be prepared. Watch how they handle the batters ahead of you.

QCut From Team

I got cut from my H.S. team. I'm mad because I worked four weeks before the try-out. The coach said I need to work on my bat speed. Do you think if I work good enough in off-season, I'll make it next year? And the thing is that I have nobody to practice with.

AIt's tough to practice without a team. But a batting cage can help. And so can dry swing training. (There are some tips in the Hitting area.) But there are no guarantees.

The biggest question is - what do you think is causing your slow bat speed? Is it not reading the ball soon enough, is it not approaching each pitch ready to swing first and hold up later, is it poor lower body torque, is it bad bat position, or is it just slow muscle response?

As for what to do this year, is there a fun rec league you can get into near you - even that might help - not all the good coaches are at high schools you know. Or try another sport that will help build power, hand-eye coordination, fast-twitch muscles. Check the Off-Season Conditioning page for ideas.

QDancing in the Box

I have a player who has a beautiful swing in a batting cage, off a tee, doing soft toss but when he faces live pitching he starts dancing. His first impulse is to step back with his back foot. He is 11 years old and a great all round athlete. He knows how to tuck but still seems afraid of the ball. I know he can hit if he stays in his properly balanced swing. He also bunts extremely well.

AThe dancing is obviously a sign of nerves - meaning, as you recognize, this has nothing to do with mechanics and everything to do with pressure vs confidence. The only thing that will work is for him to face live pitching on the diamond in practice - in other words simulate game conditions while in practice. Other things you can do, even in batting cage is to simulate at bats - call the balls and strikes, make him think like a batter. Also talk to him about having a plan when he steps in the box - which pitch is he looking for and in which location. Get him to narrow his focus to what's important. Meantime, are you getting him to lay down bunts in the game as a confidence builder (contributing to team offense)? It may me an repositioning him in the line up after some good contact hitters so he is in a position to bunt with runners on base. Side note: we see far to many cage and field B.P. sessions in which each player gets way too many pitches. In a game you might get 3-5 per at bat. So players in practice should move through quickly - part of simulating game-like conditions.

QDesire without Skill

My son has been playing baseball since he was 6, starting with T-ball and going thru the boys & girls club programs until he got into Jr. High and now Hi school. He is 16 now and loves baseball but has always had a problem with hitting the ball, judging a pop fly to catch it, etc. His coach thought it was his eyes so I took him to an eye doctor. His vision is ok, so he does not need glasses. It's frustrating for him and also for me, especially since he is in the 11th grade and the coach might bump him down from varsity to jv because he can't hit. What do you think his problem might be and can you recommend something that we could do to help him. He says he can hit fairly well in the batting cage but it's another thing when he's in a game. He'll be a senior next year and I would hate to see him stay in jv. Lastly, is there such a thing as a person not being able to play a sport because they lack the skills no matter how much they practice or have a desire to succeed?

ATo answer your last point first, sadly yes. If we were all gifted athletes no one would be paid millions a year to perform in front of us - we could all do it so what's the big deal. But, getting an eye exam to see why he can't hit is like trying on different shoes because you can't run the 100 yard dash. The ability to read letters in focus is not the problem, and much more than shoe size determines sprinting ability. Have a look at the page on WebBall that talks about perception. You will realize that hitting is not just about stereoscopic vision (the ability to map objects in 3D) but about modeling, tracking, and how the brain processes what the eyes see. There are other things to deal with on hitting, but the fact that you also reference fly ball tracking suggests you still believe there is a vision issue. And perhaps there is. Later this year we will actually have some recommend eye training software and related products featured in the WebBall Product Guide. I can't say for sure if these will help your son. But the options are to try something, or accept the situation.

QDevelop Switch Hitting

I'm 6'0, 190 pound, 15 year-old. I consider myself a middle of the order, line-drive hitting (especially to the gaps) third baseman with below average speed. As I've nearly developed what I would like my right-handed swing to be at my age and maturity, I was wondering if it would be beneficial to learn how to switch hit in the off-season. I have taken a few buckets off the tee and have been dry-swinging quite a lot, and it seems fairly natural. But when I hit live, though I still feel fairly comfortable, it seems that my ability to read and react to the ball are much slower (expected). If it were beneficial to learn to switch hit, what are the negatives? When, also, would it be the best to learn - summer camps, fall, winter?

AYes develop the switch hitting. Normally natural lefties also learn to hit right, but a natural righty who can hit left is an asset - providing it doesn't mess up your good contact hitting from the right side.

You are right that 'reading the pitch' is the big adjustment - locating the opposite side pitcher's window without thinking and interpreting rotation and movement. The only way to learn that is to face live RH pitching from the left side as often as you can. You won't be helped in a cage against a machine. And that means you should look at spring training (but not tryouts) as an opportunity as well as summer camps. Tell the coaches this is what you want to accomplish and ask them for the opportunity.

QEven Pro Players Struggle

I'm a shortstop for the [team name] AAA of the [ MLB org]. I was up late last night trying to find the answer to my hitting problems. This game can really drive a man insane. Which I think I'm letting it do. I used to have a leg kick very similar to A-Rods. Since I made AAA this year the leg kick has been difficult because of the pitcher's ability to locate and change speeds. So when I stand taller, and take out the leg kick, I have much better command of the strike zone with a smoother less complicated swing. However, 3 problems. 1. Hitting too many balls to the shortstop, some are rollovers, but some are rockets (still outs). 2. Tougher to stay though the ball and hit with authority to right field gap (much less oppo' pop). 3. Worst of all, almost impossible to get my stride foot down and keep it there. When I stutter-step and drift to the ball, my head moves forward, my hands drag. Guess that's why they made the minor leagues. Any tips? Needing to get my season going.

AFirst, thanks for writing with such detail on your problems. Lots of people just ask "what's wrong with my hitting?" which of course does not give me enough to go on.

I can't be positive without seeing you, but from your detailed description it sounds mostly like a timing problem. By removing the leg kick you have shortened your reaction time which might help contact, but has slowed your batspeed or caused the hesitation (stutter step) as you wait for the pitch, plus explains the inability to stay back on the opposite field hits. Generally it sounds like you are out in front of everything. This is confirmed by the head-in-front-of-hands / drifting-forward which you describe.

In effect what you are doing has turned you into a more predictable contact hitter, but with a slowing of batspeed and therefore less power.

You might have started on the right path with your stance. But standing taller is only part of the process - not the whole process - in making your hitting more rotational, less linear. By that I mean, the ability to generate torque through the mid section, get the hands going but keep the barrel back and turn quickly into the pitch through your center of gravity (CoG). The result should be more batspeed = more power = better hits to all fields.

Nice theory but how do we get there? There are two parts to this - 1) getting the basic swing mechanics tighter and quicker, so 2) you can bring back the leg kick that helps you hold back and get the timing down.

The key I believe is your back knee - you want to pinch that back knee in towards the front knee. Your CoG (and axis of rotation) should be from your head down through your right hip and that knee. Standing taller helps with this. Also by being quicker in the torquing (the hip turn), your hands will fling out first (in front of your head) - which in turn will flick the bat quicker.

Once you have that you can bring back an adjustable leg kick with the confidence that the adjustment on the stride to pitcher's timing is okay because you can whip everything around quicker when you need to. Or you could just learn to minimize the stride as you have done and just start the reaction to the pitch later - more time to read the spin/break before committing. What you don't want to do is start at the same time then force your bat to slow down - that's what's been happening.

However, all of the above could temporarily mess you up. So it's important to make only one adjustment at a time to start. Maintain your taller stance and command of the strike zone but try to get the knee turning in more (under your body (CoG). After you see the effect of that in B.P. you will realize you are starting to be quicker with the hands than the bat. And so, you can start the swing later. If you then seem to be swinging ahead of the pitches you will know that your batspeed has gone up.

Knowing that, you need to launch later. And if you can't do that and hold back the power on your own - then reintroduce a leg kick.

I hope this all makes sense and you have a chance to gradually adjust in time to make a difference this season.

QFear of Pitchers

I can hit the ball just fine in the batting cage, but at the plate I get nervous and scared and I swing at anything - even against my own pitchers in practice. I'M SCARED OF THE BALL! Help me.

ACouple of suggestions. First, have you ever been hit while in the batter's box? Maybe you need to be - with proper defense - to get past the experience. Check the Grass Roots [How to Hit] page for the best way to turn in and let the ball get your back - with your head ducked down below shoulders.
Another technique is to work a bit of catching in pads. Or just have a catcher's mask on and have a coach throw a few lightly at the mask from maybe 5 feet away - try to let the ball hitting without blinking your eyes.

The real problem, of course, is that you DON'T TRUST YOUR OWN PITCHERS! Have you seen them bean a lot of batters? Once in how many pitches? It really doesn't happen very often. By the way, I've noticed that many pitchers are worse throwing at their own team than they are at others - so even if you have a legit reason to be gun-shy of your teammates, you might not feel that way facing competitors.

QFree Swinging

Having worked with a local college player for 2 years on hitting skills, my 11 year old has a beautiful stride-load, hips-lead, knob-to-the-ball, level-through-the-zone swing. He regularly crushes line drive shots in every direction in BP. However, he is currently hitting .250 and is very upset about it. For years I have preached pitch selection - and he has gotten pretty good at it. However, he lays off a pitch [out of the zone] and goes down on a called strike three. It is all he can do to fight back tears out of frustration and anger. At the 0/9 point last year, I told him to forget form and pitch selection and just swing away if it's close. He ended up at .484 - bloops and hot grounders that later on will be likely be outs. Same thing this year. Am I doing the right thing by encouraging free swinging? Or, should I convince him to forget B/A and concentrate on proper swing mechanics and pitch selection that will be critical in high school (assuming he still wants to play then)?

AThere is an interesting article in an issue of Collegiate Baseball News. It talks about the other side of this dilemma - the problems that free-swinging players have because they have grown up on super-light bats (-8 to -11 drop) and can't find the mechanics they need when the bats get heavier (-3 drop limit). So, in theory, teaching a younger player good mechanics and a good read on the strike zone is a worthy ambition. The catch, of course, is that your 11 year old may not even want to play H.S. or college ball if he gets too discouraged at a younger age by poor pitching opponents, lax strike zone standards, etc. There is nothing wrong with good mechanics, and nothing wrong with good pitch selection - provided he is ready to swing on every pitch and holds up only after he sees it isn't where he wants it. That is up until he gets a two-strike count against him. At that point he has to take control - not leave it in the hands of the pitcher or umpire - and be prepared to react to a wider/deeper strike zone. This is where the current light bat should give him an advantage over the older player - he can adjustment easier and quicker to reach pitches out of the zone. In fact, I would suggest that he approach the two-strike count as his opportunity to see what pitches he can get to - now matter how far in or out or down. (I didn't mention up because it is the rare young batter who can do much with a shoulder high pitch except get under it and pop it up.) That said, I also think something needs to be done about the umpiring - not at a league level, but by the coaches in the game. A technique I have found useful is to call out the following (to the player) especially after a high called strike (a too high strike?)... "remember Joey go for the ones below the hands." It's also a not so subtle call-out to the ump that the strike zone does have a top at the letters. Likewise "remember Joey nothing in the dirt but get those ones on the knees". There is an old mantra that can help but you need to remind them all the time. "Hit-hit-hit-hold". By that I me an they need to go up there on the first and every pitch ready to hit... the stride and load, even getting the hip movement started... the pump is primed... and only hold up once they read the pitch's movement/location out of the zone. While on the topic of hitting...

QHappy Feet

What are some drills to correct a hitter moving his feet while at the plate?

AYou know, we get a lot of questions in which people ask for "drills" to correct problems. We do have a page on "swing repair" but it does not cover things I would class as the "wiggle" factor or the "Gary Sheffield" syndrome - a lot of excess movement. When that happens in arms/hands it can help a player stay loose - or it could be a sign of nervous energy waiting to release.

Feet, however, are another matter. And I don't think a "drill" is the answer. I suspect it is only as much a physical problem to correct as a mental problem to address. We had a player last season who was fine in practice, but in the game, on every pitch he would almost literally jump out of his cleats on the swing. He had no idea he was doing it. And even when told, he couldn't stop - until he started to change his thought process about why he was up to bat. It was the change in focus, purpose, and intent that helped him. So in this "happy feet" case, the first step is to try and find out why he does it - is it a nervous energy thing?... is he even aware of it?... how does he think it affects his contact with the ball?... does it take away plate coverage or power or both?

In other words you need to find out not only what he is doing - and why - but give him a chance to re-focus on what he wants to do at the plate. The second part is working on building his awareness of the athletic stance - on balls of feet, shoulder-width apart, knees slightly inward. Then work on his stride and torque. (Any longer an answer and I'd been infringing on the instructors in the hitting challenge.)

QHit & Run

When is the right situation to use a hit and run?

AYou need to get a runner to 2B (to create scoring opportunity) and straight steal % is not good (slow runner, strong catcher, etc.). Only thing that matters in the count is that pitcher is likely to throw a strike, because the batter must commit and make contact to protect the runner. So 0-2 for instance not good because a waste pitch might be coming.

From the batter perspective, it is absolutely critical that when called you are expected to protect the runner and make contact.

QHitting at the End of the Bat

My 9 year old son hits every thing off the end of the bat (inside or outside pitch). Apparently he rotates his hands too early. I can't seem to find a drill to keep him from breaking his wrist too early.

AHe shouldn't break or roll the wrist at all. By that I mean you don't want him to think that that's ever part of the swing - if it happens in follow-through fine. Here's a drill - use a Frisbee held upside down between the palms. Have him do his swing motion so that the Frisbee flies off like a line drive. This palm-up palm-down position is what he then needs to apply when swinging with a bat. Work with the Frisbee until he has full power swings that produce line drives.

QHitting Behind Runner

I played in two vintage base ball games and twice I had a situation where I tried to hit behind the runner. I successfully did this by delaying my swing and I hit a ground ball between first and second base. Both times I advanced the runner. One time I was out-at-first and the other time I was safe.

I did notice something: the ground balls I hit to the right side were rather weak. Afterward I thought this might be because I started my stride normally but delayed my swing. In other words, my lower body and upper body were a little out of sync which reduced my power.

One more question: When is the right time to hit behind the runner? Is it with runners on first and second or just second or just first base? And does the number of outs matter?

AYes it might not be as strong a hit - for precisely the reason you say, the delay in lower and upper body momentum transfer takes away some of the trunk power - but if it produces results...

As for the right time to hit behind - when you need to advance a runner who might not make it on his own. Best is with none or one out with the runner on first - the idea being to protect his jump so he might get all the way to third on a hit or at least to second safely (into scoring position) with no chance of a double play.

QHitting Coach

I am the hitting coach of our 12U little league baseball team. We have worked hard to teach fundamentals of hitting and during practice (15-20' coaches throwing pretty hard), full distance with pitching machines and coaches, warm-ups from 10 ft away with golf-ball wiffles ... very pretty swings and they crush the ball. [However] during the games, we are having a hard time hitting. A lot of strikeouts, some singles, no doubles and only a couple of triples. Many of the hits are driven into the ground and go to the middle-infielders. Not many are hit hard at all. I've tried getting them mad during games, cajoling them, coaching them, leaving them alone and encouraging them to have fun. I suspect the problem is a combination of "between the ears/confidence" and timing but don't know what to do to help. We've played 11 games so far with a team batting avg of about 250. Any suggestions or help?

AFirst, I would stop keeping or distributing stats when the team is down - it does not build confidence. And the comments above are mostly on results. The likeliest problem - if you have a team with no power hitters, then the first problem is bat speed - you aren't generating any - either by what you are teaching or what you aren't teaching.

Second problem may be in the area of what you teaching in tracking the ball and, yes, timing. There are lots of pages on WebBall that provide advice and nothing gained by giving you all that again because we don't yet know the cause, just some of the effects (i.e. strike-outs, weak grounders).

Rather than guess, it would be helpful to us to know what you are instructing now and what verbal cues you provide - to see what is missing. So please write back, not about your results, but about what you are seeing in mechanics. Fortunately, after this request, the questioner responded with some very detailed information. It not only explained what they were doing, but helped us realize where some techniques might have missed the mark

QHitting Home Runs

The first question... My son is 16 years old and a pretty good ball player, he is a contact hitter or control hitter. The problem is when he get an 0-0, 2-0 or 3-1 count up the middle he can't seem to get it past the outfielders. What can he be doing wrong?

AMy first ansewer... I don't know, maybe he isn't doing anything wrong. You haven't actually told me anything about the way he swings other than labelling him a contact hitter - which is often another way of saying he hits but it doesn't clear the fences or bounce into the wall every time. How much stride does he take? Do his hips clear early? Does his front shoulder stay in? Does he get good arm extension? Are his hand flat at contact? Is his follow through consistent? The more you can describe the actual swing, the more I may be able to help.

QHitting Home Runs? - follow up

My son seems to be doing everything right, but he is not clearing the wall. When he hits the ball it sounds as if it's going to clear the wall but always seems to fall short. The coach says that he hits long pop-ups short of line drives. He starts his movements as the pitcher starts his wind-up, his swing as the pitcher releases the ball he says his timing works better that way. I think that by the time he makes contact with the ball he's already fully extended with his arms. Maybe it's where he starts his swing that makes him come out short of an extra base hit. Where should he start his swing? Now it's hard to strike him out but when he hits it to the outfield, it gets caught 9 times out of ten. What do you recommend?

A(follow up to previous Home Run question.) Well, first of all, he may be starting early, but that could be because his hands are not quick so he gets the bathead going sooner. He needs to work on a quicker flick of the wrist perhaps. He should not commit to a swing until he sees what the pitch is - which means part way to the plate (but that's only possible with a compact, quick swing.) Mostly though he needs to stop trying to be a home run hitter - a home run is just a flyball out that went too far. He needs to get the arc of the hit ball down and work more on singles (one bounce to outfield) and doubles (first bounce beyond the infielders reach, into the gaps). While getting 1 home run in every 10 at bats is a good ratio, if some of those other 9 don't fall in, he is hurting his team by only trying for the long ball. This also hurts his scouting prospect - not being considered a 5-tool ball player.

QHitting in Games

Out of 10 kids we have 4 kids in the 300 average hitting range the rest are 200 and below. We do a ton of cage time and in the cage they do fairly well, but comes to a game and they just can't connect.

ASimulate game situations. Do everything in terms of at-bats - results oriented training. First round any hit that isn't fair ball is a strike, 3 and you're out. Or maybe only 2 and you're out. Or include some live BP not just machine in the cage. Or move the machine to the field so they are dealing with fielders in a BP situation - everybody watching

QHitting Where They Ain't

I'm 15, a sophmore in high school, and starting practicing my hitting. I do very well with contact: I struck out once last season in a JV league. Most of mine are medium speed ground balls that normally hit the shortstop in the chest. I'm looking to get more power from my swing so I can get the ball out of the infield.

AObviously you are forgetting the old rule - "hit 'em where they ain't". Seriously, your best quality is also your biggest problem. By not striking out much, it tells me you are a cautious contact hitter - and cautious contact hitters tend to make contact but that's it - no batspeed, no power, no distance. You need to be braver. You need to be willing to swing more aggressively - to risk striking out for the sake of more batspeed. Less accuracy but more power. I don't mean on every swing - but certainly on the first swing against a pitcher who is known to throw strikes. With two strikes against you, maybe it's time to be more contact oriented, but it still means getting your hands forward first, holding back the barrel, then snapping it around with more batspeed. Some refer to this as throwing the bat at the ball. Also, if all your hits are going to the shortstop then you are swinging the same at inside and outside pitches. You need to be willing to hit outside pitches the opposite away - again with more batspeed.

QIn The Zone

I am 14 years old and playing on the freshman baseball team at my high school. My problem is seeing the rotation of the ball. I have contact lenses but, still I just can't see the ball. Do you have any tips on how to improve my eye muscles so I can recognize pitches better?

AYou may be asking the impossible. When it comes right down to it there are differences between legends like Ted Williams and mere mortals like almost all the rest of us.

There are vision training tools that can be used in an effort to improve eye tracking. But there may be things you can do with objects on hand. Start by doing drills like the 2-ball soft toss - 2 balls tossed at the same time - one white, one yellow, or one yellow, one orange, or green (you can do this with tennis balls for instance) and the tosser calls out the color of the ball you are to hit. You can also work with golf-ball size wiffles to improve your general hand-eye coordination and tracking. There are also balls available with different color panels to help you track and tell which color you hit.

Then there is understanding that all you may see on a regular baseball in game conditions is a red blur - rather than clear stitching. Part of that may be your vision - does a slider look like a sharply focus dime or quarter in the center of the ball as it comes at you, or as a general red blur. However, the most important part of this may be "getting in the zone". This is the heightened degree of mental focus an athlete experiences when everything seems to slow down - when the ball takes forever to get to you, when you can almost count the rotations, when you will it to meet your bat. If you ever see the Kevin Kostner movie "For the Love of the Game" (great film, btw), it is what he refers to as "clearing the mechanism" - all distractions disappear.

There is no sure-fire way for teaching someone to be in the zone. It starts with stepping into the box with all the thinking over with. It is concentrating on one of the colors of the logo on the pitcher's ball cap then shifting vision to the "window" the ball comes out of at the right instant.

QInstructor vs Coach

We have in town several varsity & JV players and freshman doing off-season training with a pitching coach or hitting coach (not from the area). This has been going on now for several years and probably involves about a dozen players (all of who made their respective teams in middle & H.S). This year, when they got to the start of the season, the H.S. coaches asked the players to change their "style" from off-season training or face sitting on the bench! Many parents spent hundreds of dollars and the players hours of training. How fair is it for the coach to ask these players to change their style given the time put in. The coach knew all along that outside instruction was happening and never mentioned anything to players or parents! I believe the coach should have warned players & parents ahead of time this may happen and adjust accordingly. But to bench the players when they don't change (or have difficulty changing) is grossly unfair to the players.

AWell, I'm not yet sure what others might think - it sounds like a possible topic for a future Nose 2 Nose debate. But I can tell you what I think right now.

I have been on both sides of this.

First I believe that some, but not all, private instructors may be worth the money you pay. Repeat: some, not all. So paying money does not guarantee that you are getting good instruction - there is no accreditation system, after all, anyone who wants to can open up shop as an instructor and take your money. Whatever you get as training is based on what that instructor believes, knows, or understands. Maybe you get good advice, maybe not. Buyer beware. So maybe that's why the team coach sees the need to re-educate.

I have also, as part of a volunteer coaching staff, been told that my opinion or approach (on pitching in the most recent case) was not valid because they had gotten professional instruction, and I was just a volunteer coach. (At the time they were not aware of WebBall or our level of experience.) Their judgement was not based on who could help their son the most, but on who they had paid the most to. But I had seen a flaw in his mechanics that I felt was limiting his ability to maximize command and velocity and I felt it would be beneficial to him to work on that. Note: this was after observation and was an individual correction (see below).

On the other hand, there are many team coaches - including those paid by high schools - who also have little or no top-level training but just "know what they know". I suspect that may be the case here because "style" is not substance.

What do I mean? Even a short time watching pro, college, high school or youth games will show you that there is not just one right way to pitch or hit a baseball consistently or effectively. So anyone - instructor or coach - who presumes to tell you or your son otherwise is, at the least, misguided.

We have gone on at length about our opposition to the cookie-cutter approach to teaching. The clue that cookie-cutter thinking is at work in this case is the comment about "the start of the season". We are well into our own season with a team, and we have yet to address every player's individual hitting or pitching challenges.

Why not? Because first you have to see what they can do on their own. You have to study the individual mechanics to look for what works and what could create problems. Maybe a hitter is good at everything but low inside pitches so you work to correct that without taking away his other skills. Or maybe a hitter is only good on one pitch in one location, so your challenge is different. I guarantee you that what you cannot do is tell everybody to swing the same way or else sit on the bench. No private instructor would work that way. No coach should do that either.

In one WebBall Pitching Challenge the debate was on some training specifics, but most of the authors would also tell you that the reason for their opinion is based on substantive results, not on molding everyone to a style of delivery. In fact at least one author, in other articles, has gone out of his way to explain why they don't mess with style. Ditto for the best hitting instructors.

So, bottom line, I think your H.S. coach is wrong to insist, pre-season, that everyone do it his way. On the other hand, please don't assume that because you have paid one resource and not the other that what you paid for is always the right way. the coach may be quick to judge; don't you be.

So, encourage the coach to let the kids first show what they can do. Ask him to wait, observe, see what works, then help them get better. Remember: His approach to problem solving is wrong but that doesn't mean he doesn't have good ideas.

QKnots & Nerves

I have recently had knots in my stomach when hitting and doing worse than when relaxed. How do you get rid of nerves?

AWhat this really means is that you care and what good results. Here are a few suggestions...

1. Smile. Step into the batter's box happy to be there, looking forward to the opportunity to hit.
2. Have a plan. Step in knowing which pitch you plan to look for and jump all over IT. Never mind any of the distractions, just focus on where you want to see that baseball. Until they get some strikes on you - keep looking for your pitch to jump on.
3. Take lots of warm-up swings on deck and between pitches - keep every part of you loose and flexible and ready.
4. Clear your head. Once the pitcher is in wind-up there is no thinking, let your instincts take over - see the ball, hit the ball is true.

QLearning to Switch

Thanks for the advice last time I asked you. The next game I played I went 3 for 5 with a two run homer to left center and a pair of doubles. Now I see that there is a better chance to make it to the higher levels if a batter was a switch hitter so if you could help me in anyway to develop a comfortable smooth hard swing from the other side of the plate. Thanks

AAre you sure you want to mess with a good thing? You keep hitting like that and you don't need to switch.
Unfortunately there is no magic formula. If you are a natural lefty, you might find it easier (but less valuable, as lefties are in greater demand.) If you are a rightie, you may find the biggest challenge to be reading the pitch (that's once you get anything going with the swing mechanics.) But you'll never be as good as a natural lefty. You will also find coaching reisistance at some levels with some coaches, particularly during the learning phase. Don't make this a mid-season idea - you need to train through the off-season - either at an instructional place or at home with the right training aids.

QMental Focus

Two questions. I am hitting good but pitching horrible on game-day (I was pitching good but hitting horrible last year)... and... My team is pretty good in the players but we are 2-7. We normally jump to a lead by at least 3 runs every game but we seem to lose it a lot. How do we seem to always lose the ones that we get ahead in early?

AMental focus is part of the challenge of baseball - both for yourself and your team. Everything happens in a split second, with many seconds of waiting time between - whether pitching, hitting or fielding. But, the worse thing to do is think too much during all that waiting time. Pitchers outthink their own pitching mechanics, hitters try to outguess pitchers, fielders spend too much of their thinking time on non-baseball topics so that every ball hit to them is a surprise.The phrase to remember is see - read - react. As a pitcher, yes, it's different - you start the play. But you need to see what they are hitting and not hitting. Read the other team. And know what you are throwing best. But then when it comes time to get into the wind-up, forget the thoughts - let your body just naturally and easily throw the pitch you want.As a batter you can guess what pitch you really want to hit, but you must be prepared to hit anything - once your're ready to hit, if it isn't what you want (depending on the count) then you can let it go. But be ready first.As a fielder same thing. You can position yourself where you think it might come. And even guessing wrong is better than not thinking at all. But once the pitch is on its way, take those quick two steps in, see the ball, then read the contact and react - thinking time is over.

QMissing the Ball

My son catches in the Major A's. He has a great arm, soft hands, but his hitting stinks. He has a textbook swing, well timed, and can hit the ball to the fence when he makes good contact, but making good contact comes rarely. Mostly he swings under the ball, missing it completely.

If you have any tips, or drills that would improve his bat-on-the-ball ability, I'll save you a seat in the sky box when he makes the Atlanta Braves. I've pitched wiffle golf balls to him, hard from about 15 feet away and he crushes them, usually back into me, but put him in the batter's box during practice, or a game and you'd think he's gone blind. The all-star manager has resorted to having him bunt alot, which he does well and can usually beat out the bunt, but I'd like to see him hit the ball.

ASometimes the clues are in the question - 'seeing' and 'blind'.
The short answer: Check the WebBall page on Visual Perception. What may be happening is that he can track the whiffle from 15 feet away to the plate - within his line of sight - but the ball coming from 55 feet away requires too much head turn - and the head turn does in fact cause a temporary "blind spot". Fact is, no batter actually tracks the ball all the way to the bat - he picks it up early and makes an educated guess.
Ironically, the more he bunts, the more he's focused on the final 15 feet of flight - so the worse he may get at picking up the pitch at release for a well-timed, well positioned swing. Switch your practice to a batting cage (or live B.P.) and watch his head angle and his front shoulder position - you want two eyes on the pitcher and his first look at the ball in the top of his field of vision.

(By the way, bribing me with SkyBox seats is not necessary - unless you can arrange for the SkyBox to be in Vancouver when Canada gets its third MLB franchise.)

And here's another good answer, from a WebBall contributor in Sugar Land, Texas...
My son had the same problem. Took him to a sports eye doctor to have his contacts rechecked. Found out his contact where not fitted correctly. He was correct for 20-20 in both eyes but was not able to focus correctly for about 60 feet to 35 feet. The doctor redid his prescription and he is doing find now.

QON HITTING…

I question a practice drill that my 15 yr. old son's team had. The coach told them they needed to learn to take a hit from the ball. He had the kids stand there and the coach threw t-balls at the kids. My son came home with baseball sized red marks on his back on on the back of his leg. One spot was actually a raised welt! I know this isn't right, however I heard they have been doing this drill for 17 yrs. and I'm the first one to raise concern.

AI question it too. Yes, it's important that kids know how to protect themselves so as not to take the hit on the chest or arms or face. But surely they can teach kids to turn and duck with the pitch without having to make contact. (We include this now in In-Motion.) Throwing inside and having them time the turn in should be enough. Just because something has been done for 17 years doesn't make it right.

QOne-Hand Finish

Not sure what category this fits in but my son is just got drafted to the majors (little league). When he bats he finishes his swing with one hand and now the coach he is with wants him to finish his swing with both hands. He hits the ball well with power to all fields but I noticed that all the kids he has on his team in BP swing almost the same way. How do you go about talking to a coach to just allow him to swing his way. My thought is if it's not broke don't fix it. By the way you have a great site here.

A(As an aside it's not necessary to butter us up to get an answer, but we like a compliment as much as the next guy. Coaches: remember that when working with your players - loudly compliment the good plays, quietly correct the errors.) Now to the answer... First, we do agree in principal with the concept of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". And we also fight long and hard against what we call "cookie cutter" mechanics - trying to make everyone do it exactly the same way. The cookie cutter approach doesn't work because bodies are built differently and brains are wired differently. Some batters need a longer stride to offset a greater load back, others have natural long strokes or short strokes. However, the "ain't broke" argument assumes that something might not be made any better. In this specific case, we have no problem with one hand release - provided that the front shoulder stays in, the hands are flat through the zone, and the release happens after contact as an aid to keeping the barrel on the ball longer and for greater extension during follow through. There is also a difference if the one-hand release is done out of necessity because the hips don't come around fully (belt buckle to pitcher) and so without the one hand release the follow through would be truncated. If that is the reason, then working on two-hand follow through might encourage better trunk rotation. So there are merits to both. What we would suggest is that you ask the coach why he is teaching only two-hand release. If his answer is specific to your son then there may be a valid reason. However if the coach's answer is that it's always better that way (or similar) then an appropriate response might be your observation that your son is still getting his hips around fully, that he seems to be keeping his hand flat better through extension, and that he does an effective job of spraying hits to all fields. (Assuming of course that he does.)

QPost-Injury Fears

I have an eleven year old who was hit in the face with a pitched ball in his very first at bat. He now wears a face guard and is afraid of batting in live games. He does well in practice but almost comes to tears when he bats in a game. He bails out of the batter box everytime up. Any suggestions on how to help him over come this fear?

AHis fear, obviously, is not of the ball but of the opposing pitchers. Frankly, some kids never recover from an early sports injury, other bounce back fine. Ultimately the only thing that will overcome his problem is some success at the plate - a catch 22.

Two directions to focus - first would be on the mechanics (to keep him from stepping in the bucket - see other ask the coach responses on that topic.)

Second, and the more critical focus, is on the mental issue. Perhaps you should start by working him into the game more in other rolls. Ask him to pinch run. Or put him in mid-game as a defensive replacement for a batter who's just had an at bat. The purpose is to restore his love of baseball so much that he wants to get in there.

Another suggestion: have him chart the opposing pitcher - teaching him how to do it, why it's done - this is a way of combatting the fear by making it manageable, making the other team seem ordinary, less of a threat.

QReady to Hit

I am a junior in the high school, and I've been having problems hitting the ball. Yesterday I stuck out with bases loaded and full count in a very important game. Can you help me stay cool, and not do anything negative at the plate?

And another on this line...

Recently i haven't been able to swing at strikes, I'll go up there telling my self swing at the 1st strike, relax, all the usual stuff, but then i always get rung up i cant help it. I have no clue why i cant swing at the good pitches

AFirst, you need to focus on being ready to hit. There is a mention of hit-hit-hit-don't-hit in the OnDeck area - which is shorthand for that thinking - to always be ready to jump on a pitch and only stop yourself if necessary at the last split-second. That's a far better approach than waiting for your pitch and by the time you decide to swing it's too late.

From a mechanical point, the key is to give a mximum amount of 'exposure' to the bathead in the plane of the pitch coming in - and there are some techniques that cover that as well ( eyes level, top hand back, adjusting bat angle to bring it down more.) Just read the stuff on-line more closely - or look at our animations that SHOW some of the techniques not just talk about them.

QRH Only Against Lefties

Should I have a RH hitting lineup more or less against a LHP?

AYes. Lefty hitters have the most trouble against lefty pitchers (more so than righty hitters against RHP - mostly, we think, because of the lack or prior exposure... there are fewer LHPs in youth baseball as a percentage). But if your team is young, mix it up. Your lefty hitters deserve a chance to test themselves against LH Pitching.

QRighty vs Righty

Why do right-handed pitchers have advantages over right-handed batters and left-handed pitchers over left-handed batters?

The pitch is coming from off the batter's shoulder more - harder for him to pick up with stereoscopic vision (two eyes). When an LHP vs a RHB for instance, it is much easier to see where the pitch is coming from. Not so for LHP versus LHB. Also the break is harder to read. The worst match-up is Left-Left because kids growing up - whether they bat left or right - are more likely to face righties.

QSlump Guessing

At the end of last season, I seemed to develop a hitting slump. I had a hard time making contact, but when I did, it was always a hard shot. So, in the offseason before winter started, I did a lot of soft toss and tee drills, hoping that I'd work out whatever was wrong before my winter camp started in mid-January. I have been going to his camp for 7 weeks, and nothing has changed. My mechanics are pretty good, except for a little bit of a wrapping problem that I'm trying to get rid of. When I hit, it's always a hard hit, but I still have a low average for contact. What can I do to fix this?

AYou don't say if the problem is on breaking pitches or fastballs or change-ups. Because that would be my first guess. It's not the swing - which is good when it connects - but the ability to read and react, perhaps. If there was anything mechanical that might contribute, my guess would be you are taking a wide swing rather than a short compact stroke into the plane of the pitch. The wrapping is a possible indication of over-extension early in the swing. I do always recommend soft toss and tee work but in this case it may be that you are locking in what may be a good tee swing which doesn't help against live pitching.

QStruggling in the 9th spot

I have a struggling 11 year old who is last in the batting order due to a variety of reasons. I'm hopeful that he improves, but realistic in that he will probably not be able to compete in a year or two, due to the increased level of competition. I just want to make sure that I do everything I can to foster improving his game should he decide he wants to continue playing.

ADon't write him off just yet! I've seen 12 year old stars who were caught up to and surpassed by everyone else on their teams by age 15. And I've seen some late bloomers really come into their own as the baseball gets more competitive. I even had a 16 year old with CP one year - who had very poor legs but incredible upper body strength - he had to hit a double just to get to first base so that's what he did! The point is, eleven is far too young to determine his ability or potential - how good were you at anything at age 11? Proper training, good mechanics, and even more than anything 'desire' can go a long way. Besides if he ever gets to the point he can't play, he might still love the game enough to want to umpire. Or even coach!

QSwitch Hit Program

I would like to teach my sons how to switch hit. Do you have a workout
program that they can follow? Something a little more detailed than
taking 100 swings a day (swinging into the air) from the left side. PS: I received the Swing Speed Radar and already have begun using it. It seems
great so far.

ANo specific program. But swinging in the air will absolutely not do it. He needs a target. Whether this is a pitch, or a soft toss ball, or a machine or device like a hitting stick or Bat Action, or an inexpensive Hit-Away, he needs a target. More than that I would suggest something like the Muhl or Rocket Rod or a broomstick for that matter to train his hand eye coordination from the opposite side.

Kind of sounds like I'm just pushing products. Not meaning to, but the target acquisition and contact is what's important - however you do that.

Might be good to video tape him also and single frame it from both sides to compare the differences and make adjustments, though in my experience with switch hitters, there are always mechanical differences. It's the vision differences that are more important (which gets us back to targets).

QSwitch Hitter Scouted?

My son just finished his 8th grade year. My question is about his hitting. He has always wanted to bat right handed and he is a left handed pitcher. As a 9 year old in Dixie Ball, I made him bat left handed all year which he actually has a better eye on pitches. Because of his hitting home runs Right handed, he thinks he is better from that side. I must admit with a .348 average as an 8th grader playing High School ball and batting from the right, it is hard to convince him that he needs to turn around more often to sharpen his skills from the left side. He does take BP from both sides but feels more comfortable from the right. How important is it for him to focus more on his left-handed hitting from the eyes of scouts to be seen?

AThe whole issue of switch hitting seems to be top of mind these days. Here's how Kurt Kemp answered a very similar question the other day...
- - - - - -
I can't say for a fact that switch hitters are more or less likely to be drafted. Being a switch hitter is looked at as a plus for the player since he will never have to hit a breaking ball which is breaking away from him. In theory, that should help the hitter be better or more productive. Scouts are looking for hitters who display skills which they can project to be successful at the Major League level regardless of whether the player hits from one side of the plate or from both sides of the plate. Bat speed, power, and swing path are just a few of the things a scout will look for when evaluating a hitter. Best of luck.
- - - - - -

Now, to that reply, we would add the following to consider...
1) Which eye is his dominant eye because that ultimately will determine which side he hits better from, regardless of which hand he throws with.
2) In Kurt's answer consider what he is really saying about what matters... while no H.S. batting average really means anything in the long run (if he was batting over 500 might be different), it is the skill set that will be measured - and right now his skill set favors batting right.
3) The risk in working more on left side is that he spends less time improving the right side. It's important to be realistic about future chances and just focus on current performance for its own sake. After all the 30 MLB teams only draft through 40 rounds so maybe 1200 players a year. We say, therefore, that the ultimate answer is to just let him do what he likes to do best in grade 9 and not worry so much about the scouts.

QTaking Pitches

I am in my first year as an assistant coach for 8-10 year olds. I am not very experienced in coaching. This is as much of a learning trip for me as for the kids.

One coach is teaching these kids to take pitches. Is this something young kids at this age should learn. My opinion is that so many have confidence trouble, wouldn't teaching them to watch the ball go by do more damage than if the child swings and misses or hits and is put out? I think kids this age could very easily driven away from the game if they think they just are not good enough to play.

AAs you would expect from WebBall, our focus is on teaching as a way to winning - in life skills not just baseball. Which goes to your point - if kids are being taught why to take pitches in certain situations, that's good. If they're just being told to take them or else, that's bad - a form of over-coaching, over-control that will damage a kid's self-reliance. (We take the same view of coaches who call all the pitches.)

QThinking or Hitting

I can hit very well in the cages, but when i get on the field I either swing at stupid pitches later in the count, or don't hit the ball as hard. I think it's because when I'm in the cages I lock onto the ball and just try to hit it. But when I'm on the field I try to place it or hit it over the fence. Any ideas?

AObviously you've discovered that a batting cage and pitching machine are no substitute for game situations - or even live B.P. Some suggestions:

1. In the cage against the machine, you mostly see fastballs. Set the machine to throw more breaking pitches.

2. Because real pitchers are unpredictable and often inconsistent, use the cage for live B.P. - against a coach or teammate (if a pitcher's screen is available).

3. Focus totally on your body during swings. Feel muscles stretching, torso rotating, eyes tracking. The more body-focused you are, the less room you have for mental distractions. Or...

4. When facing live B.P. on the diamond, first visualize a late-count game situation - how many outs? where are the runners? what's the score? Once you've locked it in, step into the box. Because it's B.P. it still won't seem real. That's the point. Hold onto that sense of unreality, and take it into the game with you. (Hey, it's all just a game? Right?)

5. In the batter's box during a game, let each practice swing knock away a concern: "Who cares about runners? Who cares about the score? Who cares about the last pitch?" Now, you're ready to swing relaxed. Your mind shuts down, your body kicks into gear, the mechanics take over.

QTrouble Against Speed

I have a good mix of pitchers on my team some of which have overpowering speed, the rest have good speed. My problem is with our hitting - most of the lineup has trouble with the speed of the faster pitchers. I believe some of the problem is fear but the other is they just cannot seem to pull the trigger fast enough.

AThe good news is your batters don't have to face your pitchers. The bad news is the other teams pitchers can be just as fast. One of the keys to aggressive hitting is to assume every pitch is going to be a pitch to hit - in other words a batter can not wait until he sees a pitch to decide to swing. He has to step in assuming it will be a hit, get into load and launch, even start his lower body knee-in and hip turn, and only hold up at that point. This is partly a psychological approach, but also has to do with how the body is put together, it is usually easier to stop a muscle action than start it.

QUncomfortable at the Plate

Over the past month or so, I find myself uncomfortable at the plate. I check my swing, the mechanics are fine, everything physically seems to be fine, if it is a mental thing, what exactly can I do? I focus and visualize what goes on during a typical at bat for me, but that doesn't help either? Can you give me some pointers or any kind of help?

ADon't try to analyze or visualize what you're doing now - that will only reinforce it. Instead visualize the kind of batter you think you are - that you know you can be - that you intend to be during the next prtactice and next game.

Visualize the power you can deliver, the lift on the ball, the distance it will go.
Visualize the tough out that you are - the threat to any pitcher - your contact ability against any pitch he can throw.

You've been a good batter before - be that person and better the next time up. As 3rd base coach, I always gave my players who needed it an unorthodox sign from the box - a finger at each corner of the mouth pushing the face up into a smile - have fun up there, know what you can do to the pitcher's confidence, how your bat will carry through the plane of the pitch and make good firm contact.

QWhen Hit and Run

I am coaching 13-15 yr olds and I want to use the hit and run. My question is what situations call for a hit and run and what situations would you never do it ? Such as the number of outs, etc…

AYou might cruise through the 3rd Base Box (in the INTERactive Clinics section of WebBall) to discover some of the situations. Don't start by looking for ways to use the hit and run, start by looking at a situation you're facing and think - what would work here?

I don't think it's an 'outs' situation, it's more of a runs behind issue measured against who's at bat and who's on first. You need to get that runner to second to put him in scoring position.

Is a straight steal not possible? Can the batter put the ball in play behind the middle infielder who has the coverage assignment at 2? Is the pitcher throwing close enough to or in the strike zone to make contact?

The alternative strategy - calling a bunt, is of course an 'outs' issue.

QWhy Fungos

What is the purpose of a Fungo bat and what can you do with a Fungo that you cannot do with a regular bat.

AThe typical outfield Fungo (the most common) is long, thin, light weight, and it allows the coach to get more batspeed (hence distance) during toss up and hit drills. The infield Fungo is shorter and allows for more control on grounder practice.