Hitting the curveball.

Hitting a baseball is not like golf. You don't get to set the ball where you would like to. You have to adjust to speed, location and movement of the pitch.

One pitch that many amateur players struggle with is the curveball. It literally re-defines the game of baseball for many hitters once it becomes a part of the pitcher's arsenal.

Here's my opinion.

The curveball is an adjustment. You shouldn't be looking for the curveball. If you are looking to hit the curveball that's different story all together. You should be looking fastball and trying to adjust to the curve. So, let's assume that the batter's approach is correct and move from there.

Many young hitters approach the ball from too steep of a position. They do this because they have been taught to swing down on the ball. By swinging down on the ball that presumes that you will be making contact out in front of the plate. I mean, you can't swing down on the ball and make contact deep on the plate. That would certainly be a "chopped" hit.

So, we have a batter approaching what he believes is a fastball from the top side. He is "staying above the ball" on his approach. Yet, now the ball moves down and away from him. The manner in which you would try to adjust to this pitch would almost look like lunging down at it to try and hit it. This is the majority of young hitters with respect to the breaking ball.

Yet, look at the manner in which professional or college players approach the curveball. Better hitters approach the ball from underneath. They have a slightly ascending bat path. They prepare to launch the bat to the ball by working slightly underneath the ball. They understand that by hitting a fastball on the bottom half of the ball you create backspin- not by swinging down on the ball.

So, as the better hitter prepares to hit that fastball he is then encountered with an adjustment. However, this adjustment is actually working down in his direction. Because better hitters understand posture and swing plane, the hitter will actually stay balanced as the topspin works down to the batter. It can still be difficult to hit but you won't see better hitters lunge down at the curveball.

I'll close by saying this. Hitters should be approaching balls with the back shoulder working under the lead shoulder. Yet, the "uppercut" is taboo in baseball's vernacular. What should be taboo is the back arm dominance that causes the "uppercut." But, make no mistake, players need to swing up at the ball at contact. Until they comprehend this idea they will always struggle with the curveball.