How to Know it is a Great Swing - 365 Days to Better Baseball

Tuesday Tips to tattoo the Ball - Lob ball batting practice

This may seem and odd way to find if a batter has a great swing but it often works for that purpose. I never recommend coaches lob balls to beginner baseball players because the arc on the ball promotes a long, upper cutting swing. However, I do recommend coaches use lobbed balls, batting practice for with older ballplayers.

I often hear this statement, "He/she has a great swing, but they just don't hit the ball in games." The first part of their statement may be true, but often their swing is not nearly as good as it may appear. It takes a trained baseball eye to notice little things that may be incorrect with the baseball swing. Parents of youth baseball players should not expect youth baseball coaches to be able to pick up little mechanical flaws in the swing.

However, there is a way baseball coaches can find out how good a baseball swing is lob the ball to them. With these lobbed balls, players are to hit the ball to the filed the ball is pitched. For example, outside pitches must be hit to the opposite field.

It may take a few pitches for players to wait long enough for the lobbed ball, but once they gain this timing, players with a great swing will be able to hit consistent line drives to the field the ball is located. Players with the incorrect swings will usually just be able to pull this pitch and rarely square the ball up to hit it solidly.

Of course, it often takes a trained hitting coach to give players the drills to solve the hitting problem, but use of this batting practice method is a good start to identifying incorrect swings, and for helping players learn to wait for balls and control the bat, which may eventually solve their bad contact problems.

Having hitters attempt to hit each lobbed ball right back through the middle works well for bat control and timing also.