Get a good pitch: A ball out of the strike zone cannot be hit hard. Tell your batter to always look for a good pitch. A ball out of the strike zone usually cannot be hit well.

Swing level: The bat is moving upward and has to meet the ball at a single spot. A level swing can meet the ball anywhere over the plate. To teach kids to swing level, tell them to straighten the left arm (right arm for lefties) and move the hands directly toward the ball.

Don't hitch: Another key to a level swing is to make sure that the player doesn't hitch. A hitch is a cocking motion that occurs when players move their hands down and up, instead of keeping them still and moving them straight out toward the ball. A hitch also takes time and causes a player to swing late at a fastball. Batters must keep their hands still and move them outward only with the swing, directly at the ball.

Open the hips: The batter should keep his or her weight back and hips steady as long as possible. Then, just at the end of the stride and beginning of the swing, the hips should turn or "open up", giving power, speed and torque to the swing. The hips ultimately open up completely, facing the pitcher.

Extend the arms: A tight, choppy swing is a defensive swing. Such a swing may suggest some self-doubt or concern about getting hit by the ball. One way to correct it is to have the player stand farther from the plate during practice. This will force him or her to bend forward, move the weight forward, and extend the arms fully at the point of contact