Coach Brock here with another question from a parent:

Q - How do I keep a hitter ( my son ) from throwing his shoulders to the ball. He is hitting ok but weak.                                                                                                                                    

Thanks Again

Bud

A - It is important that the front shoulder stay closed and does not open until after the stride is completed.  This usually is a result of high tension in the hitter or else he may be trying to muscle the ball.    

The first thing to consider is that the shoulders do not hit the ball.  They are not at all involved with the stride.  Teach him to soften the shoulders during his preliminary swings. 

After he gets into the batter’s box, before the ball is pitched, have him bring up his shoulders and then release them to release the tension.  Remember, no energy in the shoulders…just hips and hands.

This is included as part of our full baseball hitting tips, Video #5:

1.       Taking the pitch, first a full take, just looking at the ball all the way to the catcher; then stride and take, looking the ball all the way to the catcher.  This helps the hitter to relax and see the ball better.

2.       Next, stride, pivot, and take the pitch, practicing keeping the energy in the hips only, no shoulders.

Another good baseball hitting drill is the overcorrection drill that is demonstrated on the Combos Video #4 and on the back of the poster.  This drill forces the shoulders to stay in place.

Using the mat drills with the SpeedBat™ is always good for helping the keep the shoulders back and soft.

It is a must that he keeps his energy out of the shoulders in order for him to maximize his hitting ability.

We also have some baseball hitting videos that can help out too.

Hope this helps, Bud.

Best wishes and Good luck,

Coach Joe Brockhoff