Swinging under the ball

Question
My 10 year old daughter has played for the last couple of years and is developing fine.  Right now her biggest problem is swinging under the ball.  We have purchased a pitching machine and when I pitch to her she swings under the ball almost every time.  What can she do to correct the problem?
Thanks for the advice!

Answer
Hello Tarry,

This is often attributed to a player striding too far.  If you will have her make her normal stride, without swinging watch to see if the hands are noticeably lower after completing her swing.  If so, then have her try and swing without striding, but simply raising the front foot and replanting in the same spot.  Another thing to watch is whether or not she is dropping her wrist before her swing or if she is taking the bat head directly to the ball.  If this is the case, you'll note an obvious upward motion on her swing.  If she is dropping her wrist, have put her back foot about 6 inches off a fence with the fence located where the catcher would be in relation to her stance.  Now have her swing the bat normally.  If the bat is hitting the fence on her initial swing, she is dropping her wrist.  Add this drill to her daily practice until she can take a full swing from this position without the fence coming into play.  

If both of these things look good, Tarry, you need to have her focus on the top of the ball when swinging.  I hope this helps.

Coach Mike