The Hitter-Fixer Upper

Here I’m holding a PVC tight to the back shoulder and the goal is to drive that back elbow into it as the turn starts. We’re working on sliding the elbow, keeping the hands high, and cleaning up that first move from launch.

This isn’t exactly what the swing should look like in the game. It’s a feel drill. It exaggerates the movement so players can understand what tight, connected turn actually feels like. Once they own the feel, we blend it back into real swings.

I love hands-on constraint work like this because it gives instant feedback and forces the right move instead of hoping they “feel it” on their own.

In this demo, we start with the heel slightly off the ground so he can feel the sequence. When the heel strikes, the hips begin to move first — that’s the small but important lag. From there, we slot the back elbow and start rotation while preventing the front arm and barrel from crashing forward. If the front side fires too early, you lose space and struggle to find plane. Clean sequence, clean turn.

In this demo, I’m swinging straight down with no tilt or barrel turn to show the feel vs real. Practicing this can be useful because the feeling of being short, direct, and quick to the ball matters. The key is blending that feel with proper barrel turn, tilt, and getting on plane. You still have to be short, quick, and direct—but with turn and plane layered in for real results.

In this clip, I explain how to feel real hip and upper body separation by letting the hips go first and allowing the upper body to lag just slightly. That separation creates tension through the core and sides, which is what ultimately produces swing power and torque when you go to release the barrel.

Barry Bonds used to say he tried to find plane as early as possible. That doesn’t mean dragging the bat or creating a long swing, but it also doesn’t mean being short and tight with no turn or plane early. The key is learning how to turn the barrel and create plane as the k**b works toward the ball so you can stay on plane longer and adjust to different pitches.

Live look into a lesson with two 13-year-olds where we’re working through direction and rotation. We focus on staying closed with the front side, learning how and when to break the front side, mixing in some open-angle work, and most importantly keeping direction and rotation in sync. Great example of teaching young hitters how to rotate efficiently without losing direction.

Playing high school, travel, showcase, or rec ball doesn’t automatically mean you’re exposed. Exposure is the first step, and it only matters if you’re playing in the right environments with a real plan. The organization you’re with, the events you attend, and how you present yourself all matter. Exposure comes before recruiting—and if it’s done wrong, it can actually hurt you.

Working with 2027 grad Addison Smith on building a more efficient, repeatable swing. We focused on creating clean barrel turn, engaging the back hip, letting the ball travel, and releasing the hands at the right time while staying on our line. When those pieces stay connected, timing improves and the swing plays consistently in game situations.

Live lesson with a 2028 grad focusing on the foundations that translate to real game swings. We worked on maintaining separation, turning tight and clean, staying inside the ball, and letting the barrel travel naturally to the opposite field. When the body stays in sync and connected, the swing becomes more efficient and repeatable.

Kids should study MLB swings, especially from launch to finish, and take notes to improve.

The focus of this drill is to make sure the turn is high and tight, barrel gets under the hands the right way, and the finish is through and high.