While I see a host of flaws in the swings of younger ballplayers, I tend to see one (or more) of five flaws in the swings of the college, MiLB, and MLB hitters who contact me because they have stopped hitting...

  • Leaky Hands are a very common problem that results from the -- too often problematic -- ways higher-level hitters are taught to shorten their swings.
  • Problems with the Top Hand are the next most common problems in higher-level hitters. They tend to occur for two reasons. First, most hitters' top hands are connected to their dominant arm, which is used to doing most of the work. Second, a number of widely-used cues will tend to create problems with the top hand.
    • Push Disconnection is the problem that was limiting the career of Andres Torres, my first hitting client and first client to make it to the major leagues.
    • Pull Disconnection is a grown-up version of Bat Drag that in my experience, and because of muscle memory, is nearly 100% fatal. Want a reason to understand why Bat Drag happens, how to prevent it, or how to fix your hitter's problem with it? Pull Disconnection is it.
  • Swing Plane Problems usually result from ill-informed efforts to shorten the swing.
    • A True Loop can result from an attempt to eliminate a phony loop or a misunderstanding of how good hitters approach the ball and a misunderstanding of the swings of Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Barry Bonds.
    • Swinging Down on the Ball usually results from a misunderstanding of why home runs happen.
  • Limited Hip Rotation is one of the leading causes of Warning Track Power and is the product of a number of misconceptions.