How to limit pop-ups & promote line-drives?

[FiveFrameSwing]

Coach keeps telling us to stop popping up the ball. I agree that we need to hit more line drives. The coach’s recommendation when he sees us pop-up is for us to squish-the-bug and keep the bat level to the ground. That advice doesn’t seem to be helping.

What types of things can go wrong during a swing that would promote pop-ups?

[hiddengem]

Coach keeps telling us to stop popping up the ball. I agree that we need to hit more line drives. The coach’s recommendation when he sees us pop-up is for us to squish-the-bug and keep the bat level to the ground. That advice doesn’t seem to be helping.

What types of things can go wrong during a swing that would promote pop-ups?

Swinging down to try and hit the ball in the ground. #1 reason for pop ups.

[paul5150]

make sure that your not collapsing your back leg.

[FiveFrameSwing]

How do I detect if my backleg is collasping? What should I be checking for?

[ssarge]

Swinging down to try and hit the ball in the ground. #1 reason for pop ups.

I believe David is ABSOLUTELY right about this. Kind or ironic, too, but absolutely correct.

Regards,

Scott

[Stealth]

I agree as well - but good luck trying to communicate this to your coach. There are so many of these coaches out there set in there way it's disturbing! Anyone want to explain this in detail to help the kid out..............maybe we can get his coach on here!

[chesspirate]

Stealth,

I was reading your post and shaking my head in agreement and pontificating on how stubborn people are and all that stuff... When it hit me...

In Highschool I let our baseball coach borrow a book on hitting I had (lets not worry about who's it was) but he went on to teach to the entire team almost verbatum what was taught in the book.

Terminology was the same, the visuals were the same, the drills were the same. I didn't push it on him or anything, i just handed him the material to look at.

Maybee if he bought Steve's DVDs for his coach????

[hiddengem]

I believe David is ABSOLUTELY right about this. Kind or ironic, too, but absolutely correct.

Regards,

Scott


Me, right about something? You don't say.:D

[paul5150]

Well ill try to explain your back collapsing.

This is when your back leg collapses (your knee goes more towards the ground), and all of you body weight goes back towards that leg and your not puting any forward umph into your swing, causing a huge loss in power and popups.

[FiveFrameSwing]

Well ill try to explain your back collapsing.

This is when your back leg collapses (your knee goes more towards the ground), and all of you body weight goes back towards that leg and your not puting any forward umph into your swing, causing a huge loss in power and popups.

Thank you.

That seems to be what happens when I follow the coach's recommendation to squish-the-bug. My pivot point for rotation seems to be isolated to my rear hip when I squish-the-bug and my weight remains back. On the other hand when I try to rotate such that my axis for rotation is my forward hip then I don't see my back leg collapsing.

I think you are right. But I have a dilemma.

My coach demands that I squish-the-bug. How do I do that and at the same time not collapse the back leg?

[DunninLA]

5-Frame...

Aside from getting a new coach or perhaps showing the coach clips of Roberto Clemente's no-back-foot swing,

with proper rotation the back foot is forced by the hips to rotate on the big toe... I think with effort you could work on keeping your back heel almost down so that it *looks* like you're squishing the bug, but you're really not, and you're preserving 90% of a corretly rotational swing.

[Chris O'Leary]

Coach keeps telling us to stop popping up the ball. I agree that we need to hit more line drives. The coach’s recommendation when he sees us pop-up is for us to squish-the-bug and keep the bat level to the ground. That advice doesn’t seem to be helping.

What types of things can go wrong during a swing that would promote pop-ups?

When my guys start popping up too much I look for three things...

1. Setting up too far forward (e.g. toward the pitcher) in the batter's box.

2. Taking too big of a stride (and sliding under the ball).

3. Stepping in the bucket.

[FiveFrameSwing]

First, what is meant by "stepping in the bucket" and how would this contribute to a ball being popped up?

Also, why would being up in the batter's box lead to a higher frequency of pop-ups?

[Chris O'Leary]

First, what is meant by "stepping in the bucket" and how would this contribute to a ball being popped up?

Also, why would being up in the batter's box lead to a higher frequency of pop-ups?

With respect to a RH batter, stepping in the bucket means striding toward 3B rather than directly toward the pitcher. Generally, this will cause weak pop flies to RF. However, in some cases it can lead to just plain pop-ups. This is because stepping in the bucket can lower the plane of the swing, which means you will tend to hit under the ball, which means you will tend to pop the ball up.

Imagine a guy who stands and the middle of the box and hits the ball square. Now scoot him up in the box, throw him the same pitch, and have him swing the same way. The result is that he will tend to hit more of the bottom of the ball (because the ball will be closer to the pitcher and relatively higher at the moment of contact). Conversely, move him back in the box and he will tend to hit more of the top of the ball (because the ball will be farther from the pitcher and relatively lower at the moment of contact). .

I apply this principle every time I coach a machine pitch game with my 6Us. Generally pitching machines are pretty consistent, and all I have to do is move a guy up or back in the box to get him to hit the ball square.

[lamsat]

If you have a good base swing down try to flick or roll your wrist.
I was amazed when I was told to do that after I could only hit blazing grounders and huge pop-ups. The ball almost never touched the ground till it cleared the outfielders head after I started to wrist roll/flick.
Or you could be pulling your shoulders out and not your head like they always try to keep everyone from doing, giving you a different perspective on the ball causing you to hit it in the air more often?

[Mark H]

Scary thread. Had to check and see if I was on eteamz.

[Chris O'Leary]

http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Simon052506.gif

I believe that this clip, which was originally posted on another thread, illustrates what I mean when I talk about overstriding sometimes leading to weak pop-ups.

Notice that this batter strides forward 12-16 inches. I believe that this will have the effect of lowering the plane of his swing and cause him to swing under the ball.

Watch how much his helmet drops to see how much his swing plane drops.

[FiveFrameSwing]

http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Simon052506.gif

I believe that this clip, which was originally posted on another thread, illustrates what I mean when I talk about overstriding sometimes leading to weak pop-ups.

Notice that this batter strides forward 12-16 inches. I believe that this will have the effect of lowering the plane of his swing and cause him to swing under the ball.

Watch how much his helmet drops to see how much his swing plane drops.


Thank you.

This is a good example of what can lead to a pop-up.