This should help you appreciate what we here had to go through that was different about this Hitting Challenge.

Even though we had low voting turn out - which might indicate a lack of controversy in the topic - we also received a higher than usual number of negative voter comments, which might just fuel a post survey controversy.

We start with a critical opinion from last year's winner...

I didn't enter this competition because what I'd say on this subject wouldn't get close to 1500 words. My whole view on correcting errors can be summed up in the phrase "when the perfect comes, the imperfect goes away". At the younger ages, I almost never "fix" a problem, I just redouble my efforts to get them to swing correctly and when they swing perfectly, their problem has magically disappeared as well (kind of like #4). I really liked a lot of #3 even though now they actually measure major leaguers hits by ground balls, fly balls, and line drives and in 2007 (or maybe it was 2008) the league leader for line drives was 11% of the time (that's from the best of the best in the world), so shooting for 80% is a wonderful thought but very unrealistic. What #1 taught bordered on possibly being wrong, so I'd need to hear more before I'd trust my kid to him and I liked going for hitting it as hard as you can as often, but the rest of #2 wasn't that memorable, and I only read it 5 minutes ago. - Andy Collins

We had more negativity as well...

None really stood out or had anything new or enlightening.

Essay #1 is the worst thing I've ever read on baseball and Essay #3 is a close second. Essay #4 was pretty good and Essay #2 was clearly superior to the others.

Here is an opposite opinion on #1...

Essay one is the best example of fixing swing problems. In my humble opinion, there are only two major swing faults and if you fix them, you can have a swing that is what we call on plane, on time. Granted many things cause these swing faults, but two simple rules can fix both. Use these thought processes and train the correct drills will put your bat head on plane on time through the hitting zone, therefor you can be early and make good contact or you can be late and make good contact. Essay #1 best describes this, I think.

Just from the above it became obvious that those who voted cared deeply. If only more people had taken the time. Here are some insightful - and mostly positive - comments...

I enjoyed all of the essays. To say "This one is absolutely right." or "That one is fundamentally wrong." is so short sighted. I will likely "steal" a little bit from each one, blend it with what I know to be absolute truth (to me), season it with my experience, and make it "mine". My mother didn't invent banana pudding. She just made the best one I ever tasted.

I felt that No.1 essay could have been more in depth about his theory on bat angle. I agree with No.2 in regards to who are we to determine what type of hitter some one should be. No.3's logic on the pitching coach was great insight and something that I have taken on board. No.4 hit the nail on the head in regards to fixing the the symptom instead of looking for the disease, something that a lot of coaches miss. In dealing with young players as I do I still believe you want to keep it simple and take it one step at a time.

This was excellent.You can take bits from each. I think that these statements should be applied to the levels of experience. For example an 11 or 12 year old player who clearly has potential should be allowed to experament with the different types of swings.At 13 when moved to the regulation field a little league home run hitter usually flys out simply because he trained himself to hit home runs.Now that 225 ft hit is now a shallow fly ball. I believe a player should practice hitting line drives and hard ground balls.If he is to be a power hitter it will come

My first thought was if Ted Williams, Don Mattingly and Wade Boggs couldnt agree on what causes a pop up - this is a doomed discussion. Nevertheless, my vote is with Williams. Most pop ups reflect a late swing. And this has to do with the plane of the bat relative to the plane of the ball, and where on the ball it is hit. With a fundamentally ok swing timing becomes the issue. Ball comes in at a downward angle - the bat has to be moving up to hit it properly. If late, the bat catches the ball on bottom half and there is the pop up. If early the obverse. (It is possible to be early and hit under the ball - but this would reflect a terrible swing. For a speedster at lower levels hitting down on the ball might be ok - but this is a special case). One cant hit down and cause a ball to go up. It is a vector issue. All the spin in the world doesn't change that. Beyond basic stroke fundamentals - good balance - weight distribution - hand, eyes and elbow positions - the next key is mental and the batter must anticipate a fast ball or not. Against a good pitcher if this first step is wrong - the timing is very tough. Finally - different approaches for different body types and mental types need to be incorporated. Slow motion analysis is now readily available and cheap. I've seen coaches - wedded to "their approach" - mess up a kid with hitting ability. Pitchers use different slots - leg action - finishing position, etc. and this is understood as normal. But slight differences in batting approach will get a kid sat.