Timing Archive
Question:	My two sons seem to have good mechanics when using the swing away ,however, when we go to the cage there is a breakdown. It seems to be timing related as they either overswing or rush to catch up to the pitch. We are hitting against a pitching machine with an arm. We suspected we were late getting to our position of power but its seems extremely difficult to get there at the right time; not too soon or too late. We seem to take muscled up swings trying to catch up to the pitch and we breakdown. While trying to catch up we fly open and our front side and head leaves the contact zone. We've tried 80% body/100% hands but we still seem to be overmatched. The kids are 16 and 18 years old. Strength is not a problem. We just can't seem to get a rhythm that gets a free and easy swing through the contact area at the right time. To learn timing, is there anything wrong with swinging to the position of contact agressively and stopping (no follow through) to "mark" ones memory of where contact takes place? Maybe the bat gets there before the ball at first,and then, after a few pitches, the ball arrives at the same time. Once this contact spot is "marked" then you can gradually increase the swing to include a full follow through?
Dave Hudgens:	Marking the contact point is a good idea. Many times I will put a ball on the ground representing the proper contact point. Be sure that your hitters front foot is down in time, it sounds like their stride foot may be getting down too late. If the stride foot is down late, many medicinal problems will arise. The stride foot should be down by the time the ball is about 1/2-3/4 of the way to home plate, this will enable them to slow everything down and track the ball better. Good luck.
Question:	We just completed a tournament and faced a pitcher that threw very hard - much harder than anyone we've seen this year. Do you have some tips I can pass on to my players for hitting heat? Thanks.
Dave Hudgens:	That's great that your kids got the oppertunity to face a pitcher with something on the ball, they can take many positives from it to improve their future performances. The first key to hitting heat is to start the stride early, in order to see the location of the ball you need to be in the position of power. The time when you are in position will vary with the velocity of the pitcher. The other key to hitting faster pitching is to stay short to the ball. You probably noticed that the kids who had the best success against the pitcher were the kids who had shorter swings. Do these two things and you will have success against fast throwers.
Question:	I worked with my son this weekend on getting his stride foot down sooner like you suggested. Results: 3-for-3, all frozen ropes to centerfield for 2 singles and 1 double. Best of all, he came up in the bottom of the 6th, 2 outs, bases loaded and his team down by a run. His last hit drove in the tying and winning run. I asked him after the game if he was nervous or afraid and he told me no because he had his at-the-plate routine down. Thanks for all of your help and this program. To see the smile on his face after the game makes all the investment and hard work worth it! I have always been positive with him even in the bad times and will continue to do so in the future. Thanks again.
Dave Hudgens:	That's great that your son has applied those hitting principles so quick! It's so good to hear that he is having fun, and that's the whole reason we play this game. Good luck with continued success.
Question:	By the way, thanks for always answering my questions. When I try to go opposite field on outside pitches, I've had a tendency to either pop up that way or hit a weak flare for a hit. I'd like to hit the ball with more authority the other way. Is there any thing I should work on to improve my opposite field hitting?
Dave Hudgens:	Hitting to the opposite field takes a lot of practice, this is an important step in becoming a complete hitter. This is best accomplished by the use of a tee. By using a tee the hitter can work on the correct contact points and hand path without worrying about a moving ball. From the tee, do some soft toss drills on the outside part of the plate, than go to live batting practice. Try to take the same feel into each segment of the drills. The key to driving the outside pitch, correct bat angle, letting the ball get deep-about even with the middle of the hitters' belly button, also keeping the hitters' head in the correct position, on the ball through contact. Good luck.
Question:	Is it possible that a young hitter has to sacrifice bat speed to develop timing? It seems if I swing full speed I continually pull off the ball. I can reduce the speed noticeably and make better contact but then I feel like I'm not giving it my all. I try to concentrate on staying inside the ball and hitting to the opposite field but I can only do that with greatly reduced bat speed
Dave Hudgens:	You have hit on one of the secrets of hitting. Because of a lack of strength, young hitter swing as hard as possible. Their effort level is too high, causing them to pull off of the ball, as well as other breakdowns. The hitter should allways feel like they have something left. What I mean by this is the hitter's effort level should be around 75-80% with their body, the hands should be explosive but the body should feel like there's something left. As the correct mechanics are developed, the bat speed will come with increased strength.
Question:	I sent you a message earlier but i just realized that I need to use the coaches corner, so if you recived my message please forgive me for repeating myself. Thanks for the exellent matirail on hitting. It is very sold and easy to understand. We've had course now for two weeks and I can already see an improvement In my two sons swing. The one handed drills and the against the fence drill really help alot especelly my older son he needs to stay short to the ball. Once again thanks. and may God continue to grant you the grace to help others.
Dave Hudgens:	Keeping the head still enables the hitter to get his best look at the ball. The opposite of keeping the head still is rushing forward. If the hitter rushes forward and his head moves, the ball will speed up. Rushing forward is usually caused by getting the front foot down late. When the front foot is down late, the body naturally has to do something to catch up - this is when most hitters usually rush forward. An 85 MPH fastball turns into a 95 MPH fastball. The key is getting the front foot down by the time the ball is about half way to homeplate. Therefore, you slow the ball down by keeping the head still.
Question:	Today I had a game and was batting in the last inning with 2 outs and the score (15-14). Runner on second. I happen to bat up. I strike out. My real problem is that i dont know how to time a ball even though a pitcher might be throwing 70 or even 30 mph. I know that i could have great succes if i have good timing. As a result i come out in front and hit ground balls. Dave how can you help me solve this problem?
Dave Hudgens:	That is a problem that my son has faced and recently resolved. The way he corrected it was by getting his timing on deck. Know when you will need to start your swing, and speeds of his various pitches. When you are up at the plate, make sure you focus on seeing the ball. If you do this you will be able to hit any speed of pitching. Good luck.
Question:	As you know, hitting isn't easy. I have worked at many different aspects of the swing with my 16 year old, using your HFE system, including Vision Training. He's been hitting cleanup at JV, platooning with the other catcher, consequently not getting enough at-bats to be productive, in that hole or any other. We're doing plenty of live pitching/hitting on the side. His mechanics are solid and stays inside the ball well, looking to stay short and have quick hands but I think he's waiting a bit too long to trigger, he's fighting off everything instead of being aggressive and attacking out in front of the plate, not letting it get too deep. Of course, as Harvey Dorfman asks, which comes first, success or confidence ? He's struggling mentally because he's pressing to produce. The second half of the season starts next week and I want him to be positive in his approach toward it. How can I best help him to be be aggressive yet not lunge, slam his hands through yet stay back ? Right now he's jumping a bit, topping the ball or geting jammed. Timing is off. And which are the best drills to quicken his hands.
Dave Hudgens:	Platooning is always tough, that being said he has to stay ready. It sounds like a timing problem. If he is not getting started soon enough his stride foot is going to get down late. If this is what is happening the ball will get on him. Get him started early and easy. Stride foot should be down by the time the ball is 1/2 way to 3/4 of the way to home, any later and he won't be able to catch up. Good luck.
Question:	Ted Williams was known for asking modern day ball players if they knew what was wrong with their timing if they hit a ball on the ground versus popping it up. As I recall, and I'm not sure about this, he would tell them that if they hit the ball on the ground, they were "early"; if they popped it up, they "late". Does anyone know under what set of assumptions Ted Williams was working? Doesn't the determination that a batter is "early" or "late" depend on the type of bat swing a hitter has and whether or not the batter is a "lunger" or maybe a "linear" hitter versus a rotational hitter like Ted Williams. I've seen kids pop up the ball well in front of the plate and it looked to me as if they were just too early. On the other hand, if I was able to review a tape, it might be that they were lunging too much and that may be the reason why they looked to be "too far in front" of the plate. So I'm not sure what is meant by being "early" vs. "late". Curious to read your responses.
Dave Hudgens:	Ted Williams is correct, but you can be out front and still pop the ball up if the bottom half of the ball is hit, or the hitters bat angle is poor, so there can be other reasons. The reason Williams comes to this conclusion is because when a hitter is out front the top hand will begin to roll, which will cause weak ground balls. When a hitter is late, the top hand has not driven through the ball and the contact point is deep, so the result is usually a fly ball to the opposite field. Also when a hitter is out front, the upper body will have a tendency to float forward, causing the hitter to beat the ball into the ground.
Question:	My 17 year old son does extemely well in all aspects of swing mechanics but he simply can't seem to wait till thge ball gets in the right postison to hit. How can he learn to let the ball come into the right zone to hit?
Dave Hudgens:	This is a common problem among hitters with good bat speed. There are a few things you can do to curb this problem. One way is to focus totally on the ball. Dont merely try to see the ball, but look at in the highest possible deatail. This will help your timing. Another way to remedy the situation is to focus on hitting the ball to the opposite field. This will allow the ball to travel deep into your contact zone, and you won't be ahead of the ball. Good luck with the training.
Question:	My son is almost 11. He has a nice, short swing with good bat speed. He uses a high knee cock and has had good results. I noticed that when he lifts his knee it comes straight up or is pointed slightly towards the pitcher. His hands still come back behind his back foot and he is in a good hitting position when he lands. Should I correct this and have him bring his knee towards his back leg, or let it go? I tried to correct it once and it seemed to throw the rest of his swing off. : He made the Majors in Little League at age 9, and hit leadoff for the 9-10 All-Star team both years. He led the team last year with a .500 batting average. So, I don't want to mess with whats working- but I also don't want to create a long-term mechanical problem in his swing. What do you recommend?
Dave Hudgens:	It's great that he is having good success right now. The knee cock should come towards his back leg, the reason that it should come back is to keep his weight back. He can have success right now because the pitchers don't have a good breaking ball, but when he gets to higher levels he will need to be able to stay back and see the pitch. That can be something that you can work slowly in changing because he is having success right now. However, you will need to change that in a few years.
Question:	My 10 year old son followed the program religiously over the winter. Since the season began he has had about 20+ at bats and has been getting jammed alot. He has tremendous bat speed and normally drives the ball very well. He uses a light enough bat and has proper plate coverage. Any suggestions, drills or things I should be looking for?
Dave Hudgens:	Check to see if your son is getting his front foot down soon enough. His stride foot should be down by the time the ball is about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to home, this will help slow everything down and allow him to execute his swing. Also, check to see if his hands are casting away from his body. In his drills, have him attack the inside part of the ball, this will keep his hands inside the ball. If you can, do front short toss with your son. Keep an eye on his front foot, it should get down early and easy. Also, from this front angle you will be able to see how far his hands are away from his body. Good luck
Question:	My 12 and 9 yo sons have been working hard on your program over last few months. We have been most exclusively using the tee with your drills for the short stroke and the importance of the power position. They both have been making significant strides on improving. The other night we went to the batting cage for first time in few months. I was somewhat disappointed in the fact that the timing for turning back leg and hips, followed by the hands, which on the tee was working well, but once in the cage all was forgotten about. I am wondering if I should use a sequenced approach to the introduction of new mechanics - tee to soft toss to slow pitching to age appropriate speed pitching?
Dave Hudgens:	At the age that your sons are at right now, I would personally like to see some type of transition to regular speed pitching. When working exclusively with a tee, the mechanics can be worked on, however timing gets neglected. To get their timing back the best drills to introduce to them is: the rhythm drill, side soft toss, and then front toss. As long as their mechanics are good in these, they won't have a problem adjusting to regular pitching. Good luck.
Question:	My 15 yr old son is going to play his first season of varsity baseball this year. When should he start to load up when facing pitching that's faster than he's used to seeing? His bat is quick but when I throw him tennis balls from about 25 feet fast, he's late getting his hands back and started.
Dave Hudgens:	I could not have said it better myself, When the hitter gets his weight started back will also depend on HOW he gets his weight back. If the hitter has a high knee cock such as an Eric Chavez, then he will have to start his stride earlier than someone like a John Olerud. As you stated, the stride foot should be down by the time the ball is about 1/2 way to home.
Question:	When should the hitter get into the loading position relative to the pitcher's motion? How should the feet be involved with the loading position?
Dave Hudgens:	The hitter should start getting back before the release of the ball. When the hitter gets back depends on how long it take for the hitter to get his front foot down. For example, a hitter with a high knee cock is going to take longer to get his foot down, than the hitter with a small stride. What you should be looking for is when the stride foot gets down. The stride foot should be down about the time the ball is half way to home. Any later and the hitter will rush, and his swing will break down.

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