Why you stand up during your swing, and how to stop
The barrel rides with your body, so when you stand up through the turn, the barrel lifts away from the ball’s height. The cue is to stay in your posture as you turn. The drill is PVC Posture & Turn.
How to tell if you’re doing it
Film three swings from the side. Compare your head height when your hands start forward with your head height at contact. If you clearly rise on most swings, that’s the pattern.
How much movement is normal?
Your head doesn’t have to be perfectly still. In Samuel Haag’s 2017 study in SABR’s Baseball Research Journal, 18 college hitters’ heads dropped about 4.4 cm on average from swing start to contact, with a lot of variation between players (SD 6.2 cm). Two of them moved upward. The author suggests head movement may be fine if it’s purposeful and consistent. So look for an obvious change, not a small one.
The drill: PVC Posture & Turn
Equipment: PVC pipe or a light stick, tee, ball. Dose: 6 to 8 slow reps, then 4 normal swings.
- Lock a pipe across your elbows so your arms stay with your torso.
- Load with your hips.
- Turn your hips and torso so the pipe meets the ball.
- Keep your head and chest at a steady height as you turn.
Don’t cast the pipe with your hands, or freeze into a stiff pose. Feel it, then go back to normal swings.
What if you go the other way?
Some hitters drop instead of rise. Your head and chest come down between your stride and contact, so your eyes change height while the ball is on its way. The same drill helps, because it gives you a height reference both ways. If you sink into your legs, let your front leg firm up after you land. If you bend at the waist, keep your chest up and turn instead of bending toward the ball.