Lots of coaches routinely tell their hitters to "stay on top of the baseball". Lots of hitters think this means keeping the barrel of the bat on top of the ball. This isn't correct. In hitting, staying on top of the baseball means to keep the hands higher than the level of the ball. If the hands drop lower than the ball, hitters will routinely hit pop-ups or miss the ball completely by swinging underneath it. 

Lots of youth coaches make players take a strike before letting them swing the bat and/or always make players take a pitch on 1–0 (1 ball , 0 strikes), 2-0, 3-0 and 3–1 counts. Coaches do this for a few reasons: (1) keep players from swinging at bad pitches early in the count or when they are a head in the count; (2) get poor hitters on base via walks; and (3) reduce strikeouts. Taking pitches has its strategic value. But before giving the take sign consider these things:

*0–0, 1-0, 2-0, 3–0 and 3-1 are great hitting counts. Batters can expect pitchers to throw fastballs for strikes. This gives them best opportunity see it and hit it! Also, hitters are more relaxed when they are ahead in the count which also gives them a better chance to get hits.

*Making players take pitches, teaches players not to swing the bat. Walks are great, but baseball is a hitting game.

*Making players take pitches can get them into bad hitting counts. A 3-0 count becomes, 3-1 and then 3-2. Now the hitter is stressed and is forced to swing at anything close.

*Remember the Yogi Berra quote, “Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.” A coach can build confidence in his hitters by letting them swing away.