Correcting an Upper-Cut Swing

[Schopp9]

I've been reading through these forums, and there is some info on what I'm looking for, but I wanted a fresh post, that might have direct answers to what I'm looking for.

Anyway, here's the deal. I'm 24 years old, managing and playing on for the first time an adult slowpitch softball team. I played baseball all my life, and have followed it closely, so I know the game. But I have this 21 year old kid who has a terrible upper-cut swing. He swings so hard and actually has a very fluid swing, that if he ever starts making consistant contact, he's gonna kill the ball. But he's just popping everything up right now, or just fouling it straight back.

We've only had a couple of practices so far (we're joining a fall league), so all of my instruction to him has been verbal. I haven't tried any real drills yet or anything, just suggestions on what I can tell he's doing wrong and what I want him to correct. This hasn't seemed to help much though. He is an adult, is probably pretty set in his ways, and the swing he has in one that he must have used his whole life. So I feel like getting him to change it will be quite the chore at this point.

Anyway though, does anyone have any suggestions as to what would be the best drills to (hopefully) quickly correct this swing - or at least attempt to? I know of the soft-toss and hitting off the tee, but I don't know if that's gonna get me the quickest results. Or if that's even something to use on adults. lol So if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Thanks.

 

[cshilt]

I had some instant success this past weekend by getting a couple of hitters to lower their back elbow. This may help, but hard to say without seeing the swing.

 

[FJRGerry]

Does he know he's swinging with an upper cut? Maybe he does and is thinking that's the way to hit the ball far? I don't know much about slow pitch, but was watching a men's tournament this past weekend (ASA USA vs. Canada) and the guys were just sending the ball "to the moon" with more of an uppercut swing than I teach for fastpitch.

 

[Schopp9]

Yeah he knows. I brought it up to him last practice. And I gave him the general advice about keeping your back elbow up, keeping your weight balanced, swinging through the ball with your front arm, etc. Just wasn't really taking. So i didn't know if maybe anyone knew any really good drills or techniques that can get him off of this.

 

[absdad]

My daughter and I just attended a hitting clinic put on my the MU head coach. His suggestion for correcting the upper cut, and the chop swing, was to use two tee's. One in front of the other. Put them at the same height and to put the ball on the front tee (towards the pitcher) to correct the upper cut, and the ball on the rear tee to correct the chop swing. It's evident really quick if you don't have a good flat swing through the zone.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Schopp, I recently started SP and am on a very active softball board that proclaims that they are all seeking a linear swing.

I tell them that I am seeking a rotational swing and w/o exception they say that I am wrong as far as SP goes.

 

[ifubuildit]

Walking a fine line.

Amy,

I teach my students to hit a rising line drive when they make contact with the ball. Much like you see with numerous MLB players and high level professional softbal and college players. There are a few factors that will cause the pop up.

Not keeping the hands on the right hand path to the ball. In other words dropping the hands.

Taking the back arm in towards the body and into the middle of the core causing bat drag and dropping the barrel of the bat.

When I refer to walking a fine line the slowpitch softball swing is a different animal than a fastpitch swing for softball or baseball. The object there is to hold the hinge angle in the wrist for as long as possible then whip the bat with the wrist to generate max bat speed.

This is much easier to accomplish with a slow ball coming at you at 30 MPH vs one that is in the 60's or 90's. That can be accomplished better by taking your hands to the ball then "Snapping" the bat with the wrist. A swing with a linear hand path. Something I would not recommend or endorse for a fastpitch softball or baseball swing.

Dana.

Schopp, I recently started SP and am on a very active softball board that proclaims that they are all seeking a linear swing.

I tell them that I am seeking a rotational swing and w/o exception they say that I am wrong as far as SP goes.

 

[go4fpsb]

"Taking the back arm in towards the body and into the middle of the core causing bat drag and dropping the barrel of the bat. "

Not disagreeing but explain. I assume you want to leave some space between the elbow and the torso but would jamming the elbow into the torso cause the above or would releasing the barrel of the bat too early cause it?

"When I refer to walking a fine line the slowpitch softball swing is a different animal than a fastpitch swing for softball or baseball. The object there is to hold the hinge angle in the wrist for as long as possible then whip the bat with the wrist to generate max bat speed."

Again not disagreeing but isn't bat lag the phase of the swing that the "hinge" angle of the bat is being held for as long as possible?

"This is much easier to accomplish with a slow ball coming at you at 30 MPH vs one that is in the 60's or 90's. That can be accomplished better by taking your hands to the ball then "Snapping" the bat with the wrist. A swing with a linear hand path. Something I would not recommend or endorse for a fastpitch softball or baseball swing."

Again just getting your thoughts, how would you describe the release of the bat head to the ball following bat lag. In other words is it not a sort of "snapping" the wrist?

 

[kls_hittingacademy]

any chance you could put up a video, it would be a lot easier to tell what is going on.

 

[ifubuildit]

Go4

Bringing the elbow into the side or jamming as you would state or allowing the elbow to slide too close to the body instead of bringing it around the body and away from the core of the body would be what I am trying to describe. Some call this movement dropping the elbow into the "Slot". The slot being about 3 to 4 inches away from the body. If the elbow is too close then bat drag will be created.

You other question becomes much more complex but I will do my best to define and clarify. I view the rotational swing vs the linear swing as being based on hand path. My definition of this is the same as Jack Mankins. A linear hand path (Taking the hands to the ball) is not the same as a rotating the hands to the ball. Or as he likes to state a Circular hand path.

Having stated that, both require that you hold your hinge angle to longest possible instant before release if possible. With the fast pitch swing that release is not a timed release. Because of speed, quickness, and cintripical force applied during the swing the release isnt forced by the hands IMO. It happens based on force of the barrel coming at a high speed. In other words I consider it a no teach as long as there is not premature release prior to the bat LAG position. I would call it a natural release but nothing is natural when teaching a young player how to swing a bat.

With the softball swing the hitter has time to and often does torque the hands at the end of the linear swing to snap the bat. This is the one point where I think Mankin made a mistake in his teachings. He talks about top hand torque to drive the bat to the ball. I promise you that if you take that approach you will break your swing plane long before you make contact with the ball and you will not make solid contact on a consistent basis if playing baseball or Fast pitch softball.

Dana