cutting the ball?

[slowstepper]

Ok so I see a bunch of these hitting videos on Utube where guys talk about "cutting the ball". so
what is it?
why do it?
does it require fundamental changes in swing/ approach.

So I'm left handed - mostly hit to RC - because in old man leagues - the weakest throwers and fielders are out there. When I get it good - hard line drive - the ball will actually curve left - toward center - and its moving 30-40 feet left. so it that a Cut"? I thought balls were supposed to curve toward the foul lines if you hit em hard - so I'm thinking somethings wonkey in my swing?

 

[blakcherry329]

Cutting the ball allows the ball to travel further because the backspin on the ball, created by cutting it, lowers the friction of the air against the surface of the ball. The opposite effect of what happens to a knuckleball.
If the ball is curving one way or the other it just means you hit one side of the ball or the other, causing the ball to curve one way or the other. When you hit it perfectly, it will go straight.

You're probably not parallel at contact, imo.

 

[TWmccoy]

Cutting the ball is when you hit very slightly below the center of the ball with a flat or slightly downward swing. This produces a low, penetrating backspin liner that looks like a golf drive.

Slicing the ball is not the same as cutting it. If you're getting a bunch of slice on the ball it means you're not hitting it square, and probably getting inside it too much. What you see there is side spin.

Cutting the ball has its advantages and disadvantages. It allows you to keep the ball low while still hitting it very hard. Many outfielders don't react well to cut balls, and get burned. Cutting is also essential at times for powering balls through headwinds or finding gaps in non-HR situations. However, cutting the ball takes a long time to master. Do it wrong and you'll either pop up or hit 4 hoppers to SS and 3B all day long.

Search for videos about cutting the ball on Youtube. Plenty of content out there, and it'll show you in a hurry everything you need to know.

 

[slowstepper]

Thanks for the responses guys - I have a good understanding of cutting the ball now. and I do hit that hard low liner that travels and then skips off the grass fairly often, so I assume i probably have it built into my swing.

 

[swingnmiss]

When dudes are talking about cutting the ball, they're talking about giving it backspin. Your ball is more of a result of an inside out swing, putting side spin on it, but backspin makes it travel further. I don't really try to "cut" the ball so much. My focus is on hitting hard line drives with backspin. So, I don't really chop to get backspin as hard as some do, because if you're not cutting right, you hit a lot of weak pops or topping balls to the infield. So, I just think to myself, "backspin liner" at the plate and not think about "cutting".

 

[slowstepper]

thanks S&w - sounds like your swing is about like mine. when I'm on I hit hard flat liners with backspin that skip when the hit the ground.

 

[softballin101]

This is a good thread! New to me, I always assumed that cutting it was like if your bat was a sword and you were to “cut” it, you’d be hitting it right down the center of it. I was on top of it grounding out then popping it up when I tried to adjust but then in the championship, I hit one out that got out in a hurry, never saw the ball drop it was an IEO though. Very next hit, bases loaded, I hit a 3 run shot off the fence