Hitting

Question
My 13yr old daughter is a power hitter but is very inconsistent because she is dropping her backside when swinging. Can you help with any tips or drills.

Thank you,
Vicki

Answer
Vicki,

Without seeing any video it is extremely difficult to tell what the problem is.  Contrary to what many will say, dropping the back shoulder is a fundamental part of the swing, as the swing progresses from negative to positive movement.  You simply can not put the bat on plane with the ball and  not pivot your body in a manner that the back shoulder does not drop.

Power hitters that are inconsistent in contact or hit a bunch of pop-ups often do not work their lead elbow correctly.  They keep the lead elbow/forearm too low.  Check out this youtube link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1127Qg2Bb0

After watching this video, check out some of the other stuff. How does your daughters swing look compared to what you see here?

Tom Mielke