The 'Swing Down on the Ball' Myth — And Why It Keeps Hurting Young Hitters
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The 'Swing Down on the Ball' Myth — And Why It Keeps Hurting Young Hitters

Coach Steve Goldstein
Jan 25, 2026
7 min read

If you have been around baseball long enough, you have heard it: Swing down on the ball. It sounds simple and old-school. It is also wrong—or at least so oversimplified that it causes more harm than help. Good hitters do not swing down or up. They swing through the ball, matching the pitch plane.