Baseball is deceiving. Watch enough Sports Center highlights or spend too much time playing MLB: The Show, and it seems like all a hitter needs to do is swagger up to the plate, adjust his cup, and whack the crap out of the baseball. Of course, the baseball swing is a complex, complicated movement, one that requires players to consider a hundred little tweaks that need to happen once they’re in the batter’s box — not to mention all the other cues going on around them.

Good swing mechanics start at a young age. And there are some common errors that make it nearly impossible for young hitters to make contact with the ball, let alone knock it past the pitcher. Luckily, they can be easily corrected. Today, we are going to talk about how to teach your kid to swing a bat, even if you suck at sports.

First, have your kid hold the bat near the base with their dominant hand on top and the front of their fists aligned in a row. They should be standing facing the plate with their dominant foot behind them and their feet shoulder-width apart. Make sure their body is square and their knees are slightly bent.

Have your kid hold the bat over their back shoulder. Not touching it. They should hold it up at a 45-degree angle from the ground with their elbows out. The swing starts by taking a small step with the front foot. It’s only a few inches, but it helps to build power. This is followed by a quick pivot of the hips and then the shoulders, meaning the swing starts from the ground up.