View Full Version : getting some loft on the ball
baseball2234
07-05-2007, 07:24 PM
hey, i have a pretty good amount of power, if i solidly connect with a ball im pretty sure i can whack it a good 350 ft. the fall of 2005 i was able to really get some nice long balls and consistent bombs. Hit one over a 290 foot fence. This was when im 13. I dont know whattttt happened but now im crushing hard liners and grounders and some of them end up being straight at guys. It was much nicer hitting those soaring shots in the gap. Anyone know how to help me loft the ball more. I was thinking it might be because i hold my bat at a fairly flat angle like carlos beltran. when i try to upper cut and lift the ball i pop it up so i need a little help.
SluggerCF91
07-05-2007, 09:33 PM
What I think you should do, is start off on a tee in an open field. Work on getting a good strong load, and try to power the ball off the tee as far as you can. After lots of repetitions of tee work, bring that "slight up-swing" bat plane into your batting cage/or BP work. In the cages or of an BP pitcher, work on hitting climbing line drives towards the top of the net, or if your in an open field, try to power climbing line drives as far as you can. Doing this will make you have a slight uppercut, which might increase your chances of popping up or flying out. I personally would prefer to it line drives, but if you want to put the ball in the air and hits those "bombs" you will put yourself in danger of flying out.
Williamsburg2599
07-05-2007, 10:02 PM
Aim for line drives always, and use a SLIGHT uppercut as SCF91 says. You hit HRs when a pitcher makes a mistake. If you post a clip of your swing, I'm sure the experts around here can help you out more than I can.
Encinitas
07-06-2007, 12:28 AM
Dmac used to have a standard post for this question that showed many of the great hitters down through history who all load the barrel high and get a running start into the swing. Tip and Rip as he called it.
Here was one common post that showed what he was talking about.
Babe Ruth (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/br8.mpg)
Jimmy Foxx (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Foxx.mov)
Ted Williams (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Ted.mpg)
Hank Aaron (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/aaroncf.mov)
Carl Yaz (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/cyaz.mpg)
Sadaharu Oh (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/OH.mov)
Richie Allen (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/DickAllen.mov)
Darryl Strawberry (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Strawberry.mpg)
Albert Pujols (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Pujols.mov)
Vlad Guerrero (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Vlad.mpg)
Barry Bonds (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Bonds01.mpeg)
baseball2234
07-06-2007, 12:11 PM
i know line drives are good but i have potential of really being a homerun guy but right now im just hitting rocket singles and some rocket gap doubles. If i can get that loft on the ball i think i can really hit it a good distance
SluggerCF91
07-06-2007, 12:17 PM
Have you tried what I said?
TG Coach
07-06-2007, 12:51 PM
hey, i have a pretty good amount of power, if i solidly connect with a ball im pretty sure i can whack it a good 350 ft. the fall of 2005 i was able to really get some nice long balls and consistent bombs. Hit one over a 290 foot fence. This was when im 13. I dont know whattttt happened but now im crushing hard liners and grounders and some of them end up being straight at guys. It was much nicer hitting those soaring shots in the gap. Anyone know how to help me loft the ball more. I was thinking it might be because i hold my bat at a fairly flat angle like carlos beltran. when i try to upper cut and lift the ball i pop it up so i need a little help.
You don't have control once you swing. You can't control hitting line drives right at fielders. The soaring shots up the gap were probably on pitcher's mistakes that haven't happened lately. If you change your swing because you're hitting the ball hard at fielders, you'll probably screw yourself up. Keep swinging and your luck will change.
TG Coach
07-06-2007, 12:53 PM
Aim for line drives always, and use a SLIGHT uppercut as SCF91 says. You hit HRs when a pitcher makes a mistake. If you post a clip of your swing, I'm sure the experts around here can help you out more than I can.
Don't swing with a slight uppercut for the sake of having an uppercut. Your swing should be parallel to your shoulders. This means you have to adapt to the pitch. If I'm pitching and I see an uppercut, you're getting all letter high strikes. You'll pop everything up.
baseball2234
07-06-2007, 01:37 PM
yeah i tried the drill with the tee and ill try that swing in my next game, and i guess your right that its just luck and sooner or later all those will be hits rather than being caught
Stealth
07-06-2007, 01:50 PM
Dmac used to have a standard post for this question that showed many of the great hitters down through history who all load the barrel high and get a running start into the swing. Tip and Rip as he called it.
Here was one common post that showed what he was talking about.
Babe Ruth (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/br8.mpg)
Jimmy Foxx (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Foxx.mov)
Ted Williams (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Ted.mpg)
Hank Aaron (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/aaroncf.mov)
Carl Yaz (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/cyaz.mpg)
Sadaharu Oh (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/OH.mov)
Richie Allen (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/DickAllen.mov)
Darryl Strawberry (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Strawberry.mpg)
Albert Pujols (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Pujols.mov)
Vlad Guerrero (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Vlad.mpg)
Barry Bonds (http://dmcmillan.topcities.com/Bonds01.mpeg)
Also note that Dmac would say start with a vertical bat if you want the ball to go in the air and a flat bat if you want to hit ground balls.
baseball2234
07-06-2007, 03:44 PM
heres a clip of my swing http://youtube.com/watch?v=sW9LA1_0yBQ...swinging my dads really heavy bat so yeah swings may seem a little bit slow specially the first one
SluggerCF91
07-06-2007, 04:20 PM
then I know why you aren't hitting the ball in the air more. You are swinging down. Hitters that swing down usually hit line drives. Power hitters, or guys that hit "bombs", usually have a slight uppercut to their swing path.
kylebee
07-06-2007, 04:55 PM
then I know why you aren't hitting the ball in the air more. You are swinging down. Hitters that swing down usually hit line drives. Power hitters, or guys that hit "bombs", usually have a slight uppercut to their swing path.
Yeah, agreed.
Baseball gLove
07-06-2007, 04:55 PM
heres a clip of my swing http://youtube.com/watch?v=sW9LA1_0yBQ...swinging my dads really heavy bat so yeah swings may seem a little bit slow specially the first one
You are swinging down on the ball. You effectively reduce your chances of connecting with the ball.
Definately work on a tee at a field. This way you can see how your balls fly off with different types of swings. Also you might be hitting more on the middle or top 1/3 of the ball. To get that back spin for distance you want to hit the bottom 1/3.
wrstdude
07-08-2007, 11:22 AM
Don't swing with a slight uppercut for the sake of having an uppercut. Your swing should be parallel to your shoulders. This means you have to adapt to the pitch. If I'm pitching and I see an uppercut, you're getting all letter high strikes. You'll pop everything up.
Try that on this 14 year old that "uppercuts"....they weren't pop-ups :D
http://www.wrstdude.hittingillustrated.com/MOV04081.MPG
http://www.wrstdude.hittingillustrated.com/MOV04274.MPG
Haha I like the second one with the guy saying "Get outta here boy" lol.
TG Coach
07-08-2007, 01:10 PM
Try that on this 14 year old that "uppercuts"....they weren't pop-ups :D
http://www.wrstdude.hittingillustrated.com/MOV04081.MPG
http://www.wrstdude.hittingillustrated.com/MOV04274.MPG
This hitter's swing is parallel to his shoulders, which is what I stated as proper swing mechanics.
Improper swing mechanics would be to swing underneath/uppercut the ball just for the sake of elevating the ball. This is the method I was responding to. All it would take is a high fastball against incorrect mechanics to get a popup.
wrstdude
07-08-2007, 01:16 PM
This hitter's swing is parallel to his shoulders, which is what I stated as proper swing mechanics.
Improper swing mechanics would be to swing underneath/uppercut the ball just for the sake of elevating the ball. This is the method I was responding to. All it would take is a high fastball against incorrect mechanics to get a popup.
I knew what you meant. ;)