Not hitting the ball as far as previous years

My DD is getting very strange results this year. She seems to be hitting the ball hard on the ground and line drives (4 or 5 feet off the ground). However, everything in the air seems to have massive back spin on it and the ball just suspends in the air and does not go very far. I swear she is squaring some of these hits up, but the ball doesn't seem to gain any ground and the outfielders are just camping under it. I don't know, can't explain it. I will get a video, just wondering if any of you have initial thoughts.

Maybe she just seeing better OF play as she goes up in age?

Sweet Lou said:

Maybe she just seeing better OF play as she goes up in age?

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I should explain myself better, sorry. She is not hitting the ball as far in games or practice (front toss or live pitching). And a 200 ft fence is a 200 ft fence regardless of OF play.

Sounds like the barrel is traveling a downward path "down and to" the ball, instead of the "behind and through" path demonstrated by the Ted Williams picture that has been posted several times in other threads. I prefer a slightly upward barrel path into contact.

FP26 said:

Sounds like the barrel is traveling a downward path "down and to" the ball, instead of the "behind and through" path demonstrated by the Ted Williams picture that has been posted several times in other threads. I prefer a slightly upward barrel path into contact.

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That makes sense.. chopping down on the ball creating excessive backspin and glancing blows. I'm not seeing it, but that could be likely what's happening

DD was having a similar problem early in the HS season. All singles mostly hard hit ground balls. She had a mild high ankle sprain on her front foot from running into the outfield fence. Hitting instructor took one look at her swing and showed her she was keeping her front foot closed. DD worked to correct problem and her OPS since that hitting lesson is over 2.000. I had missed diagnosed the problem as pulling her front shoulder off too fast but he showed her how her foot issue was causing her upper body issues. All of her body issues were starting with lower body problems. More evidence that I am only qualified to work with 12u and under rec players. I am not sure if that could be going on with your DD but maybe it helps.

julray said:

That makes sense.. chopping down on the ball creating excessive backspin and glancing blows. I'm not seeing it, but that could be likely what's happening

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Hard to tell without video, but what you describe sounds like a problem my DD has once in a while. At least in her case, that is what the problem is. We have been through it a couple of times, so she has started to figure it out on her own.

Sounds like it's a swing issue as others have stated, but just another thought. Did she happen to switch bats, or is she using the same bat as last year but it has now been used for a few seasons? Not as likely, but you could be dealing with a dead bat. I have seen it happen with the composites. They can lose their pop after long heavy use.

FP26 said:

Sounds like the barrel is traveling a downward path "down and to" the ball, instead of the "behind and through" path demonstrated by the Ted Williams picture that has been posted several times in other threads. I prefer a slightly upward barrel path into contact.

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This is what I would think

julray said:

I should explain myself better, sorry. She is not hitting the ball as far in games or practice (front toss or live pitching). And a 200 ft fence is a 200 ft fence regardless of OF play.

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If it was only in games I would have said maybe the pitching is better. Without side by side videos (e.e. Ruthian swing vs Mendoza swing) of her swing against live pitching everybody (including you) is just guessing.