Developing one swing

How many of you as a kid pretended you were your favorite major leaguer by copying his stance and signature swing?  All of

us have.  The reason we were able to copy their swing was because we saw the same swing every time they walked up to the plate.  The point is, they had one consistent swing.

One problem I frequently see young kids have is that they develop and practice multiple swings.  They have a swing for the pitch down the middle.  They have a slightly different swing on the low pitch.  They have one for high pitches, outside pitches, and inside ones as well.  Hitting the baseball is hard enough when you have one, mechanically sound type of swing.  It becomes impossible to be consistent when you are trying to master multiple types of swings.

All great hitters master the mechanics and timing of one swing.  The only adjustments they make is the height at which they make contact with the ball and how deep they allow the ball to get – contact is made more out front on an inside pitch and a little deeper on an outside pitch.  Multiple swings are just too difficult to master and on top of that, hitters just will not have time to recognize pitch and location and adjust to the proper swing needed.  They master one swing and use it every time.

To get a visual example of what I am talking about, click HERE to see multiple pictures of Albert Pujols’ swing.  They are all virtually identical except for height and depth of contact.