This is a statement I hear all the time when it comes to youth baseball, and I must say I am very much indifferent when it comes to this topic.  My only problem with the statement is it usually comes from a parent or coach who thinks this is the remedy for the players swing issues.  The great back elbow debate goes on and on, and people say well Albert Pujols does it or Chipper Jones does it.  To that I say great, but that may not be the issue with your kids swing.  The back elbow is part of the stance pre-pitch and only becomes part of the swing when it drops down and in (this is called the slot).  So, if the elbow must go down and in to allow your front elbow to come up, which it should because remember the swing path is on the same plane as the ball, meaning the ball is coming on a slight downward angle so the swing must be on a slight upward angle to match the plane of the ball.  The elbow dropping into the slot also allows your hands to take a direct path to the ball.  So How does the back elbow being up solve anything, or how does it being up hurt anything? answer is up or down doesn’t matter, accept at certain ages and strength levels.

There are many sides to this argument and one I make with younger players is they are not strong enough to control the bat and there are other issues created when the back elbow is up and a player can’t control the bat such as a loop in the swing, which in turn makes your barrel drag, which means if you do hit the ball it will probably be a soft fly ball.  A college coach told me he thinks of the back elbow in comparison to revving your motor cycle engine.  His thoughts were it starts high and comes into the slot with more force creating more bat speed, but at the same time he acknowledged younger players may not be strong enough to pull this off without having a backside collapse.

For many young players I propose a neutral elbow, meaning the back elbow is at a 45 degree angle but it is pointing down and is closer to the slot allowing for less movement making the swing less complex.  When I work with older players who are stronger I don’t even mess with the back elbow, I know they can control the bat head and that is all that matters.

What I ask of you coaches out there is not to stop teaching elbow up or down, but know why you want it up.  I know for a fact that most people who yell back elbow up just say it because they saw it on T.V.  It will not fix a swing, and it won’t hurt either unless your kid isn’t strong enough to control the bat.  So the back elbow is simply a matter of style and feeling comfortable for most players, it will not make or break the swing.

I know this is a controversial topic so please send in your comments to

samflamont@tumblr.com