One good way to tell if a hitter is creating the correct energy at bat is to observe where most of the balls are traveling while hitting a baseball.  There are obviously more technical ways to make sure a hitter is on track with his baseball swing, but if a hitter is directing balls into the gaps with some pop off the bat, he's doing a lot of things right.  Also, if a good number of hits are being sliced down the opposite field line away from the field or hooked to the pull side, some mechanical adjustments are necessary.  Two common causes of consistent slicing and hooking of the baseball off of the bat are:

1.      Improper control and usage of the front side of the body. A fundamental baseball swing originates with the movement of the back part of the body (specifically the back knee and hip).  During this brief instance of movement the front side of the body (mainly the front hip) will open slightly.  The purpose of this limited movement initially is so that the back side of the body can move forward towards the play.  If the front hip opens too much as the back side rotates, momentum is taken away from the pitch.  This error will cause an athlete to have trouble keeping his bat moving through the strike zone.  Instead, with a poor weight distribution and balance comes a baseball swing that cuts across the hitting area and therefore creates side spin on the baseball.  All good hitters are looking for backspin on the baseball to added carry into the gaps.

2.      Hooked or sliced balls can also be caused from hands that enter and pass through the strike zone improperly.  Hitters work incessantly on a direct and straight path into the hitting zone.  Unfortunately, the problem of a weak front side (described in point #1) tends to aid in the problem of hands that distance themselves from the body.  Hands that drift away from the body and fail to stay close tend to produce a sweeping slow swing that cuts across the hitting zone rather than staying through it.  This type of problem only increases the likelihood that side spin will occur while hitting a baseball.