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| Baseball hitting: |
Essential Technique
There are a million debates on the best way to hit a baseball. Yet, too often the dialogue is bogged down because 1) anecdotes are used which don’t incorporate all the factors involved, or 2), vague terms are used which either don’t really mean anything, or confusing for the hitter to understand.
In response to the conflicts in hitting theory, here is a short, but ultra-concise treatise on hitting correctly without the dogma which so often bogs down hitting philosophy. Although there are sometimes different ways of achieving the same thing, in some form or another, each of these elements is essential in the quest to hit to one’s potential.
In short, here are the general mechanics of the swing:
1) Stance (balanced)
2) Load (weight back)
3) Stretch (back to balance)
4) Approach (rotate)
5) Contact (rotate and weight even or back)
6) Follow-through (rotate and weight even or back)
The stance (1) should be relaxed, feet shoulder width apart, and back elbow at side. When the pitcher breaks his hands, transfer weight back onto the back foot (2). When the pitcher reaches his release point, take a short stride and come back to balance, while rotating the front shoulder back (3). Begin the swing forward by rotating the back foot and extending the front leg (4). Also, bring the hands in a straight line to the pitch by keeping the front elbow bent. Make contact (5) with unbroken wrists, and preferably before extension as opposed to after extension. Follow through (6) by rotating over on the front foot and making sure the hips rotate.
Here’s the breakdown:
1) Stance
The stance should simply enable the hitter to be balanced and ready to engage in the pre-swing and swing. Standing straight up with the knees slightly flexed in a good, balanced base tends to be easy and natural, as opposed to an uncomfortable crouch of some kind. In turn, the best, simplest stance is with the legs about shoulder width apart (Photo 26A). Any closer, it becomes harder to have a short stride while any further apart, the less hip movement you’ll be apt to get (depending on the flexibility of the individual).
The hands should grip the bat loosely in the fingers. A triangle should be formed with the second knuckle on the top hand, and second and third knuckles on the bottom hand. The hands should be about shoulder height and off the back shoulder towards the plate by only about six inches. Starting with the hands closer to the pitcher or further from the pitcher depends on the hitter’s flexibility, although in general, the further back, the more danger because it means the bat will wrap more during the pre-swing, and thus have a longer way to get back to contact.
The heels of the feet should be lined up with the pitcher, or slightly open. Again, determining factors are how flexible the hitter is and how far back he brings his hands. The more flexible, the more he should open, because when he brings his hands back in the pre-swing, the batter doesn’t want to wrap the bat too much. As for the back elbow, the simplest way is to hang it at the side pointing stride down in a relaxed fashion. Holding it slightly out, with the elbow pointed at the catcher is okay, as long as the shoulder, arm and elbow are relaxed. Finally, the bat should be held at a 45-degree angle from the ground.
OPPOSING THEORIES
In general, the wider the stance, the more danger of circumventing the hips from rotating properly. Joe Dimaggio had a wide stance, but he was an amazingly quick and flexible athlete, so it didn’t inhibit his hip rotation. Hitters like Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds have great utility in their stances, making the entire swing simple thanks to a balanced, relaxed base from which to start from.
Holding the elbow up high is a commonly-heard saying on the ball field, yet it is completely inaccurate. The back elbow should not be held up high above the shoulder (unless you’re a major league athlete and can get away with it) because the very first thing a hitter does in the swing is bring it down in by his side. It is much simpler and reduces many variables to simply start it at the side in a relaxed fashion.
A closed stance can be useful because the hitter has longer to wait on pitches, but it is the most difficult of the three stances. Because it is an inhibitor of optimal hip rotation, many hitters turn to the closed stance when they are younger and pull the ball foul too often. But in reality, that is a byproduct of poor arm action (of extending the arms too early), and poor stride timing, as opposed to it being a testament to the success of a closed stance.
Some hitters hold the bat vertical (pointing straight up), while others have it horizontal (flat), but somewhere in between, at 45-degrees, is probably the best. The one essential is that it is able to get to a good 45-degree angle after the pre-swing (when the stride foot lands) because it allows a hitter to hit pitches in most locations.
2. Pre-swing
The pre-swing consists of the mechanics which start with the initial moment of body movement, and ending with the stride foot landing. It is absolutely essential to have a compact, efficient pre-swing. That is, the hands and body must somehow rotate back before coming forward to swing, much like a boxer who brings his right hand back behind his ear before throwing a knockout punch. This movement is broken into two parts and is sometimes called “load-and-cock”, or “cock-and-stretch”, or “stride-hands back”. We will call it load-and-stretch, for reasons forthcoming.
The Load
The first part of the pre-swing, the load, is a simple displacement from the stance to about 75-percent of weight onto the back leg (Photo 26B). This can be done in a couple of ways: 1) By swaying from a balanced position to the back foot; 2) By starting with the weight slightly on the front foot and swaying back to the back foot; Or 3), by smoothly bringing the front knee in and back towards the catcher. At the same time, the front shoulder is beginning to slightly tuck inwards, yet note that the hands have not moved. In short, you are loading body weight up onto your back leg in a smooth and rhythmic fashion.
The Stretch Position
The stretch position is a good term because it implies what happens after the load. With the weight mostly on the back leg, the front foot is then lifted up before falling down again smoothly, landing on the inside ball of the foot. The foot should rotate so it is almost pointing at the pitcher, or with at least a 45-degree angle (towards right field for a right-hander, left field for a left-hander). The more the front foot is closed, the more it cuts off hip rotation.
At the same time, the hitter continues to tuck his front shoulder back towards the catcher. When the stride foot lands, the front shoulder should be back at it’s maximum position, which varies depending on flexibility, although a good test is if the bat is at a 45-degree angle, just off the back shoulder, and the head of the bat has gone no further than the back of the head. At this point, the hitter should actually feel a physical stretch just to the back of the armpit, as well in the lower front ribcage and lower back, thus the name of the position. Note that the hands are still not moving. In short, the stretch position means the lower body is rotated forward, while the upper body is rotated back (Photo 26-C).
Inherent in this stretch movement, the hitter is performing something called commitment. A good firm commitment into the pitch means the body smoothly sways from the back foot (the loading position), into a completely balanced position (the stretch position) with the head the point of a triangle between two feet. In fact, a good commitment feels like you are going forward too far towards the pitcher, although it is really just coming to a balanced point. This is difficult to do because of the inherent fear in hitting. A batter has a harder time getting out of the way of a pitch once his front foot has landed than if it is still in the air, yet it is essential to land the front foot before he knows where the pitch is going. So, to give a good commitment, to stride forward to balance and reach the point-of-no-return, the hitter must put away his fear and trust himself to turn out of the way if a pitch comes inside and take it on the shoulder if necessary.
Stride Timing
It is important to know when to perform these two actions, the load and the stretch. It’s actually pretty simple. The load should start just after the pitcher breaks his hands over his knee, and the stretch should start when the pitcher’s hand is at its release point. Note that the stretch movement will start at the release point, but the stride foot and ultimate stretch position will occur when the ball is actually in the first third of its flight home.
OPPOSING THEORIES
Everyone has their favorite way of breaking down the load-and-stretch, load-and-cock, or whatever you want to call it. Many people don’t emphasize it enough, while others think that as long as the hands go back the least bit, they are all set. In fact, the hands must move back at least six inches, and maybe one foot, to make it worthwhile. Otherwise, the batter’s shoulders and hips don’t garner enough momentum to swing at maximum speed.
Some people use the term “stay back” without really describing how to do it. In short, staying back means to make sure to load-and-stretch, but is also a timing term. Essentially, to stay back correctly, the hitter must know the speed of the pitch and stride a little later on slower pitches. The only way to do this properly is for a hitter to anticipate a slower pitch and in turn, bend his back knee slightly more in the loading phase. What the term “stay back” doesn’t mean is to swing slower or change your mechanics.
3. The Swing
The actual swing is the easy part. A hitter needs to judge his swing primarily on his perfect pitch, usually the pitch down the middle. Other pitch locations lead to subtle variances, but the key point here is that no one, and I mean no one, has a good swing on a bad pitch. And a bad pitch is defined as either a ball outside the zone or a pitch you have trouble hitting. For example, most all hitters struggle on low-and-away strikes (that’s why pitches try to throw them there!), and unless you are looking for it, don’t judge your swing negatively. Kick yourself for swinging at a bad pitch, but not for a bad swing.
So, now that you have loaded, taken a stride and rotated your shoulders back in a smooth commitment forward (the stretch position), you begin the swing. The first aspect is to rotate the back foot, allowing the back hip to catch up with the front hip (Photo 27). The common term, “squish the bug”, is a perfect phrase, although it requires additional body movements.
To be able to squish the bug effectively, both legs need to move correctly. The front leg must go from a bent position in the balanced stretch position (Photo 28A), to a straight extended position just before contact (Photo 28C). This stopping action is sometimes referred to as “bracing up” and this throws the left hip open and creates a stop whereby more force is generated. At the same time, when the back leg rotates, it must truly bend, and accept at least 75-percent of the body’s weight. This happens while you are squishing the bug. If the hitter does not put most of his body weight onto the back leg, he can’t squish the bug. This is a common fault of many hitters, causing a reduction in hip rotation, a slight lunge, and in turn, a slower swing.
A good way to judge if the hips have rotated correctly is if, from a side angle at contact, the hitter’s head is at the top of the triangle and not in front of his belly button, and the hitter’s upper body is either leaning slightly back (preferred), or straight up (Photos 29A-B).
The Arms
Now you are ready to implement the arms into the swing. From the apex of the stretch position, your upper body should be wound tight, and reflexively come forward thanks to principles of torque, with some help from the legs already having rotated forward. The arms have a simple task: to help the hands and bat maintain the quickest path to the ball. This means the front arm (both arms actually) must remain bent the entire swing until contact. (Photo 30A-B) This is variously referred to in the negative, as in “Don’t brace your arm”, or “Don’t pre-extend”, but is also what is meant when people refer to a short swing (versus a long swing). By keeping the front arm bent, the hands stay to the left of the ball (for a right-hander) the entire swing plane, allowing the bat to get to the contact point in the quickest possible way, as mandated by geometry (Graph. 4). The quickest swing possible is important, because the longer you can wait before swinging at a pitch, the better pitch selection you will have.
By keeping the hands in and to the left of the ball, the hitter will have a short swing, but what about the swing plane? Lord knows everyone has heard people yell, “swing down,” although if you think about it, it is a foolish concept. First of all, a 6-foot pitcher stands on a mound, and releases the ball about head high. If it crosses the plate at the hitter’s belt, the ball is about three feet high. So the ball is coming slightly down anywhere from 5 degrees on a fastball to 10-15 degrees on a curveball. Now, to optimize hitting the ball squarely as often as possible, a hitter needs to swing slightly upward (a mere 5-10 degrees), in turn, matching the plane of the pitch. So, if the hitter is a little early, his bat will still make square contact with the pitch; If he hits it perfect he is fine; And if he’s a little late, he will still make square contact (Graph 5A).
Now, if he swings down or level to the ground and if his timing is perfect, he will hit it perfect. But if he is a little early, he will hit the bottom of the pitch, resulting in a fly ball. If he is a little late, he will hit the top of the ball and will hit ground balls (Graph 5B). Ironically, when coaches say a hitter is hitting too many fly balls and tells him to swing down, it will actually cause more fly balls (if his swing is even a tad bit early). Yet, lost in the quest is the desire to hit line drives. You always hear people say to hit ground balls not fly balls, but the only goal to aspire to is to hit more line drives. By matching the plane of the pitch, by swinging level to the pitch (not the ground), then you will optimize the chances of hitting line drives.
The back shoulder naturally drops in the swing, also clearing up a misconception. It has to drop a little bit, as the front arm pulls the bat through the zone above the back arm. At contact, the shoulders become almost level again, but it is actually near-impossible to swing with level shoulders. In order to match the plane, a good gauge is for the front arm to follow the plane of the pitch as it pulls from the stretch position towards contact.
At contact, the arms should be facing the pitcher and either still be bent or just at full extension (Photo 31). The millisecond a hitter goes past extension, he becomes early and loses all his strength, so it is far better to hit the ball with the front arm still slightly bent than to go past the point of no return. The hitter should hit the ball at the correct points according to the pitch location too. Inside pitches must be hit in front and pulled (Photo 32A), middle pitches hit up the middle (Photo 32B), and outside pitches must be waited on and hit the other way (Photo 32C), or else a ground ball to shortstop will result. Also, the hitter should have unbroken wrists - bottom hand facing down, top hand facing up - with a little flexion all right in order to propel the bat just a little. It’s a pull with the lower hand, and a push with the top hand.
In addition, the head should be as still as possible during the swing, with the eyes level.
OPPOSING THEORIES
Notice there was no mention of watching the ball at contact. Physicists Terry Bahill and Robert K. Adair both did studies on whether the ball can be seen at contact. The answer is no. In fact, hitters lose sight of the ball somewhere in the last 8-15 feet, depending on visual and tracking skills. So, keeping your head on the ball at contact is a waste of effort, which causes hitters to focus on a problem that is fictitious. Not that pulling your head off the ball is good. In fact, seeing the pitch and tracking is important in becoming a good hitter, and keeping the head still is essential. Yet, keeping your eyes on the ball with a still head is only of importance during the first 45-52 feet of the pitch. It is there when the hitter decides to swing or not. Even if a hitter could see the ball at contact, it will be too late to change the location of the swing anyway. What usually happens is a hitter swings far too early on a curveball in the dirt and because he’s so early, his head and body flies out so he blames his head for not staying in, when in fact, the problem is with poor tracking of the pitch and simply swinging at a bad pitch.
The idea of swinging down is refuted above, and it appears to be very obvious to swing level to the pitch. Yet, there is much confusion because often times players are told to swing level, and most people assume it means level to the ground. Also, the slight up-swing inspires fear that it will turn into an uppercut, when in fact, very few hitters over-do-it and swing up too much. In fact, an upswing is often confused with a long swing, where the hands don’t go to the left of the ball, and the bat head goes out and around and usually drops, creating an upswing. In this case, it’s not the fault of the swing plane, but a fault of incorrect use of the hands.
Some coaches don’t believe in rotating the back foot (Photo 33A), instead prescribing a fluid, golf-like swing (Photo 33B). The only problem is that squishing the bug is the key to rotating the back hip, so if you don’t squish the bug, then you are practically swinging with one hip (the lead one).
Many times the concept of extension is canonized, but in fact, it causes more problems that it solves. Actually extension is only good if it only comes at the very last moment before contact. If it comes early, it slows the swing down, and results in “bracing” or “pre-extension” or a long swing. Hitting the ball with arms still in a coiled bent position isn’t half bad either. Derek Jeter is a great model for keeping the hands in, to the left of the ball, and hitting the ball before extension.
It is a misconception that the shoulders should be level. Although it is a nice concept in order for hitters to make sure their hands go straight at the ball and don’t pre-extend, the back shoulder actually has to drop a little. Much like the myth of a too severe up-swing, a drastic dip of the back shoulder is more of a symptom of pre-extension and hands not going straight at the ball, as opposed to being a fault of the shoulders.
4. Follow-through
Just like the stance, the follow-through is easy to see, so an inordinate amount of teaching time is spent on it. In short, the front leg should be braced, while the upper body continues to unwind after contact (Photos 27F-G). To help this happen with full hip rotation, the front foot must roll over on to the outside of the shoe. Whether the bat is held onto with two hands or one hand after contact is completely irrelevant, although when a hitter has to let go with the top hand, it can sometimes be an indicator of a lack of good hip rotation. In addition, the body should be balanced like at the contact point described previously with the hitter’s upper body either leaning slightly back (preferred), or straight up. This demonstrates that the hitter has not reached for the ball, and has had good rotational forces during the swing.
OPPOSING THEORIES
It is preferable that the hitter hold on to the bat with two hands because it means he has a better chance of having good hip rotation. Other theories focus on the exact moment the wrists turn over after contact, and when to let go of the bat, but that is all pretty irrelevant, as long as the stance, pre-swing and swing are fine and you are balanced at the end of the swing.
Notes on each body part:
Feet
In the stance, the back foot should be perpendicular to the batters box, while the front foot should be slightly open to allow it a chance to rotate open at least 45-degrees in the stride (in the stretch position). During the swing, the back foot must rotate or you’ll lose hip rotation.
Legs
Start in a balanced position, sway back and put weight on the back foot (the load), lift up the foot and fall forward (stretch position), then at contact, straighten the front leg and bend the back leg (while rotating back foot).
Hips
The hips are rotated backward in the load, half open in the stretch, and then lead the way through in the swing, thanks to extending the front leg, and squishing the bug with the back leg.
Arms
In the load-and-stretch, the arms shouldn’t move on their own, only naturally with the body movements. Once the swing starts forward, the hands cannot pre-extend or brace. They must stay inside of the ball, in a direct path to the pitcher. This is done by keeping the front arm locked in and bent all the way up to contact, although it’s better to err on the side of having it still bent at contact, as opposed to extending before contact.
Shoulders
The back shoulder actually dips a little once the swing starts. This is necessary and has to happen, and can only ever be a problem if the batter pre-extends or doesn’t bring his hands to the left of the ball.
Head
The head should be still, although moving it down at contact is a myth because you can’t really see the ball at contact, and it just counteracts hip rotation. Instead simply keep it straight ahead in a still, balanced position while tracking the pitch.
Establish Rhythm
Rhythm is more about moving smooth but fast through the swing, as opposed to dancing around in the box which is pre-pitch rhythm. Pre-pitch rhythm is fine as long as it isn’t distracting, while rhythm is essential in coordinating the parts of the swing into a smooth cohesive whole which can be replicated and ingrained. Rhythm is best achieved through practice with the concept of being smooth in mind.
Establish a commitment
Technically, a commitment is the hitter coming back to a complete balance after the load-and-stretch. Philosophically, it is not having fear of the pitch by committing into the pitch with a good solid stride.
Mental Approach
The swing is only half the thing in hitting a baseball successfully. That’s because no matter how perfect your mechanics, if you swing at a bad pitch, you won’t hit it well. So the quest is to get good pitches to hit. This is common knowledge, yet, the true definition of a good pitch to hit is often not clear.
A good pitch to hit is a pitch that 1) you have timed up perfectly, and 2) is in your location, not merely in the strike zone.
Timing
Good timing is part stride, part homework. That is, it is absolutely essential, even mandatory, for the hitter to stride at the same time on every pitch. As discussed earlier, he should begin his pre-swing when the pitcher breaks his hands over his knee, and begin his stride when the pitcher gets to the release point. The hitter has to get a feel for the rhythm of the pitcher’s movements in conjunction with his own.
Next, the hitter has to get a feel for stride timing. That is, the hitter must learn what it feels like to stride at the perfect time in order for his bat to get around and make good contact. This is the ultimate goal. For example, if a pitcher is throwing very hard, and you feel like the pitch is on you before you’re ready, then you are striding late. Or, if you stride and you feel like you have to wait forever on the pitch, then you are striding too early. Now, don’t be confused by the terms striding early or striding late. In fact, you always stride at the same time, but you merely bend the back knee various amounts in the pre-swing in order to make it feel like you are striding a little later or earlier. Yet, this feeling of early, right on it, or late, is called stride timing. And correct stride timing is the way to have good timing. In fact, by using stride timing as a gauge, you’ll know before you make contact whether you will be right on the pitch or not.
Good stride timing is the basis of a hitter’s at-bat, a mandatory minimum in hitting the ball hard. Most people do it naturally without even knowing it, especially against slow pitching, but by understanding the relationship between the stride foot landing and the pitch, you can have a way to quantitatively analyze what’s wrong (or right) with your at-bat.
Note that there is no mention of the common mistake of different speed swings. Swinging at 100 percent with a rhythmic, mechanically correct swing, and striding at the correct time should be constants. The only remaining variable is the varying amount of weight shifted on to the back leg in the pre-swing which causes the stride to land at subtle, slightly different times.
Location
Timing is everything, but location is a close second. It’s simple: Hitters can only handle a certain area of the strike zone at one time. So, according to the count, hitters need to look for a certain speed of pitch in a certain area, for example, a fastball belt high down the middle; or a curveball which starts at your shoulder but ends up over the middle (Graph. 6).
Hitters need to know their favorite location, but don’t trust the hitter’s word on that. Chart batting practice or games to see where they hit pitches the best. For most people, it’s the fastball down the middle. Most people don’t hit outside strikes well, that’s why pitchers throw them there, so, with less than two strikes, a hitter must only swing at pitches in a location he is looking for (Photo 34).
Actually, hitters can usually cover two out of the three locations. For example, on belt-high fastballs, a hitter can usually be successful on pitches over the middle or inside. Or, on pitches middle and outside. But a hitter cannot cover inside and outside at the same time, which is why hitting with two strikes is so difficult. For example, if a pitcher is looking for a fastball down the middle or inside, if the pitch is outside on the knees, he will probably be early and ground out. Or if a hitter is looking middle/out, and the pitcher throws inside, he will jam him. So, with less than two strikes, it is essential to only swing at the location you are looking for. With anything different, you won’t be nearly as successful as you can possibly be.
Two Strikes
Of course, a hitter can only afford to be patient with less than two strikes if he is comfortable with two strike hitting. In short, the key to two-strike hitting is to hit it where it’s pitched – outside pitches to the opposite field, middle pitches up the middle, and inside pitches to the pull side. While that takes care of location, there is the problem of different speeds of pitches. If a hitter’s body is prepared for a 90 MPH fastball, but he gets a 75 MPH curve, he’ll be dead early, and vice versa. So, the trick to being a successful two-strike hitter is to anticipate a pitch in between, in this case, an 82 MPH pitch. So, if you get a 90 MPH fastball, you’ll only be a little late, and if you get a 75 MPH curve or change, you’ll only be a little early. Therefore, you’ll still be able to hit the ball into play. The only real problem is the hard inside fastball which tests the hitter’s ability to open up his hips, keep the hands in, and pull it.
In two strike-hitting, it is essential for the hitter to have as short of a swing as possible. Choking up is fine, but making sure you don’t pre-extend is even better. In addition, you must swing at anything close, and swing good and hard. I’ve found that those who swing hard but have a short swing, are successful at fouling off balls with two strikes, an elusive skill which can’t really be practiced.
Pitch Selection
A quick additional note on pitch selection involves using the count to help you. In the first at-bat of the day, you don’t quite know the timing of the pitcher, nor your own rhythm for that day. His warm-up pitches are usually not game speed, and batting practice is too slow. So it’s a good idea to take that first pitch no matter what. It can’t hurt. After all, it gives you information you can use all day long to have good at-bats. After that, you should be ready to hit, even on first pitches in ensuing at-bats.
You should also play the count. You shouldn’t be looking for anything but your favorite pitch on 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, and 3-1. At 0-1, 1-1 and 2-1, things get a little trickier, and that’s where you have to know a pitcher’s patterns. Study the pitcher, know if he follows a fastball strike with a curveball, know if you can hit his curveball. If you can’t hit the curveball well, and you are comfortable hitting with two strikes, don’t swing when it comes. If you hit curveballs well, it might behoove you to look for them with less than two strikes. Also, remember that the “hardest pitches to throw are the hardest pitches to hit,” meaning a pitcher will be less inclined to throw a curveball or changeup when behind in the count, or a curveball if his curve isn’t curving or getting over. This is all information you can learn from watching or from teammates before you get up there, so you have a game plan of when to attack.
I believe that a hitter almost always gets his pitch once each at-bat. You never know when it’ll come – maybe the first pitch, maybe after fouling a couple 3-2 pitches off – but the key is being ready for it and taking advantage of it.
What to Look at
One last note on what to look at. A human can’t stare too long at any one thing without having trouble focusing, so a good technique is to stare at the pitchers face, or his hat, or look at his eyes, and then shift your focus to where he releases the ball. A plan similar to this can be a consistent way to focus both with the eyes and the brain.
OPPOSING THEORIES
Often times, hitters don’t discriminate between strikes. If it was called a strike, they think they should have swung, regardless of the speed of the pitch and the location. That merely leads to outs. The strike zone is big and can’t entirely be covered. That’s a separate argument than hitters taking good pitches, which equally leads to outs. Remember that the batter almost always gets one good pitch each at-bat.
Looking in, Adjusting in
Some hitters are told to look for outside pitches, and adjust for inside pitches by firing the hands. This is too difficult to do, and creates a lot of slap hitters who get jammed on pitches over the middle or inside.
Hitting Curveballs the Other Way
There’s a general precept that curveballs are supposed to be hit the other way. This is way off on a fundamental level, because curveballs are slower, causing the hitter to actually pull them even more than fastballs. But beyond that fact, curveballs should actually be hit in the exact same spots as fastballs, which is, “where it’s pitched”.
Swinging at the First Pitch
Hitters are so afraid of getting behind in the count, or being yelled at for not swinging at strikes, that there is an uproar about first-pitch swinging. First off, the issue is often confused by rhetoric, because it is not about not swinging at the first pitch of each at-bat, but it is about not swinging only on the first pitch of the game. Certainly, there’s a time and a place, but in general, it is simply too hard for your body to be timed up correctly on the first pitch you see in a game to hit it well. It is doubly-so considering college and other amateur teams only play on three or four days a week, unlike every day like professional baseball players.
Offensive Skills
Hit and Run
In the hit-and run, the hitter must hit the ball on the ground, yet keep it out of the dead middle of the field. The hitter must aim for the top of the ball, and although it is preferred that he hit it the opposite way, it’s impossible to do with an inside pitch. So on pitches down the middle and outside, the hitter hits the opposite way, but on pitches inside, he must pull the ball. This is partly why hit and runs are difficult to execute perfectly, because the hitter is at the mercy of the pitch location.
Move the Runner
For right-handers, this means hitting the ball the opposite way, for left-handers, it means pulling the ball. The basic premise to follow is hit the ball where it’s pitched. This means, for a right-hander to hit the ball to right, he must look for pitches on the middle of the plate to the outside part of the plate. (Photo 35A). Too many hitters change their swing, or try to hit inside pitches the opposite way (resulting in a pop-up). Also, too many right-handed hitters don’t “stay on top”, meaning, they don’t get the barrel of the bat above the hands and hit the ball on the ground or on a line. Left-handers must look for pitches over the middle, or inside. It helps to make sure you stride on time, erring on the side of early, in order to pull the ball.
Runner on Third with Less than Two Outs
In order to score the runner (even while making an out), hitters cannot strikeout nor pop up with runners on third and less than two outs. It is essential that they make good outs. They should still aspire for a line drive hit, but make sure they err on the side of a ground ball or a deep fly ball. This should be a point of emphasis for all hitters who want to help their team succeed.
Bunting
Sacrifice Technique
The first key to being a good sacrifice bunter is wanting to. Enough said. Next is correctly presenting the bat at a correct angle. To do this, the batter must bring the bat forward somehow. From the stance, the hitter should smoothly bring the top hand straight towards the pitcher, in the fashion of casting a fishing rod. At the same time, the top hand slides down the bat about halfway up the barrel, where it’s held between the thumb and forefinger in the form of a thumbs-up sign. At this point, the back arm should be completely extended out towards the pitcher, with the front arm slightly bent. The bottom hand should only be a couple of inches from the bottom, resulting in a good balanced bat. The barrel of the bat must be higher than the handle, and the barrel should be just about eye level with the knees bent.
Now, when the ball is bunted, it requires a deadening of the ball, which is merely a slight pull-back of the bat, like you’re “catching” the ball. This needs to be factored into the presentation of the correct angle. That is, the batter should over-exaggerate the angle because he will eventually have to pull back to deaden the ball. So, if a right-hander is bunting the ball down the third base line, he should point the barrel of the bat towards the pitcher, and when he pulls slightly back, the bat will be at the correct angle for the ball to go to third (Photo 36A). If the ball is being bunted to first base, the batter should point the end of the bat towards the first-base coach, then when he pulls back, he will have a perfect angle (Photo 36B).
There are two ways to sacrifice bunt:
Square Around
In the square around, the batter brings his back foot forward and takes a short drop step with his front foot, although the front foot is still ahead of the back. The knees must be bent and the bat eye-level. To bunt the pitch, the batter must start with the bat at the top of the strike zone, and if the pitch is a strike, then he must bend his knees and keep the bat at eye-level as much as possible. Besides pulling back, the batter must aim for and bunt the top of the ball, assuring a ball on the ground. The square around technique is the simplest way to bunt, although is sometimes dangerous because it can be hard to get out of the way of an inside pitch. Also, the hitter must make sure not to step on the plate.
Spin Technique
The spin technique enables the batter to square around a little later, but is harder to balance. The key is to rotate the front foot towards the pitcher, and take a short jab step towards the plate with the back foot to create a more balanced base. The same technique is followed.
Bunt for Hit Technique
The biggest mistake in bunting for a hit is not getting the bat presented out in front on time. It is essential to err on the side of early, because the batter should only be bunting because the third baseman is playing back. The key is to make sure the bunt is perfect or foul, because a bunt to the pitcher is a wasted at-bat.
When to Bunt for a Hit
Batters should primarily bunt when the third baseman is playing back, and it is surprisingly effective with runners on, especially when it can double as a sacrifice bunt. It is important to bunt early in the count in case the ball is fouled off so you still have a decent count. It also helps not to tip your hand too early in the game, avoiding the third baseman from playing in all the time, allowing you to save it for a time when it can really help.
Practice Drills
Dry Swings
The dry swing is the cornerstone of the development of a baseball player, especially considering there is so little opportunity to get good live hitting. Dry swings need to be performed correctly, even in ultra-slow motion, but at the same time, the hitter must also incorporate rhythm at full speed.
Controlled vs. 100% Swings
This drill is also used for fielding. In hitting, the hitter takes five dry swings in a controlled fashion, making sure to swing with the correct mechanics. After a quick break, the hitter then swings five times at 100 percent speed, trying to incorporate the same correct swing mechanics.
Backside Toss
For a right-hander, hold the ball with the right hand, flip it up in the air, and hit the ball into a net. When the ball is thrown with the back hand, the hitter must bring his hands back, i.e., get in the stretch position, to successfully hit the ball.
Fence Drill
The fight against pre-extension is so essential in the quest to be a good hitter, that this drill should be done every day. The hitter must stand next to a fence close enough so his extended arm can touch. Next, the hitter does his entire pre-swing and swing, keeping his hands to the left of the fictitious ball, and in turn, to the left of the fence (Photo 37).
Hat Drill
Another essential drill to combat pre-extension is the hat drill. Simply take your baseball cap and place it in the armpit of the front arm. Then take dry swings, swing off a tee, or swing off live hitting, and the front arm will have to stay in and close to the body, or else the hat will fly out (Photo 37). This is an excellent drill that should be used every single day.
Double Tee
A regular single tee is all right as a warm-up, but often times it becomes a crutch as it is little different than taking dry swings, and can be used too much at the expense of working on real hitting skills. Instead, the double tee can be used to work on hitting pitches in different locations. Set up one ball on the inside corner, a little lower than waist high, just off the front foot. The other ball is set up on the outside corner off the back foot, at waist high (a little higher than the inside pitch). If you have a partner, perform your pre-swing, and when the stride foot lands, the partner calls “inside” or “outside.” This is really practice for two-strike hitting, although it forces the hitter to be aware of the different amount of hip rotation on inside and outside pitches. Also, it serves to give focus to a simple drill which is usually performed sloppily (Photo 38).
Step-in Swing
For a right-hander, hold the bat in front of the body while facing an imaginary pitcher, then take a step with the right foot, then with the left, bringing the upper body back into the stretch position, then hit a ball on a tee. This is a great and enjoyable drill to help a hitter become smooth and rhythmic.
Direct Feed
Direct feed, from a distance of only about 20-25 feet should be used to focus on hitting pitches in different locations. For example, the feeder can work on all inside pitches, or all outside pitches, or two-strike hitting. It is important to throw the ball hard, forcing the hitter to react quickly. If there aren’t enough cages, whiffle balls, whiffle golf balls, or tennis balls can also be used, particularly indoors. The drill’s success rests in the feeder throwing to the correct location, and a hitter who follows the parameters of the drill.
Batting Practice
Too often, hitters take ten swings in batting practice and lose focus, whether they are hitting the ball well or not. Less reps with greater focus is better, so it should be emphasized that hitters break up the routine by stepping out and taking a deep breath every three pitches. In addition, hitters should have to work on two-strike hitting at some point during the round, with the batter hitting the ball “where it’s pitched” with the pitcher mixing in curveballs or changeups. Other variations include hitting three balls to the opposite field, three balls up the middle, then three balls to the pull side.
Tracking Pitches
Tracking the pitch is an incredibly underrated and under-practiced aspect of hitting. One excellent way to practice it is to have hitters stand in with a pitcher throwing in the bullpen, working on the correct pre-swing. This is essential for every starter on game day, as well as any pinch hitter during the game. This can also be performed simply by position players throwing to each other.
Bunting
Bunting can be practiced off a machine, or with fellow teammates throwing to each other. In my experience, there have to be rewards and penalties built into bunting practice, or the hitters don’t focus that well, nor get any better. One simply way is to set up a cone (or a glove) on the first and third base sides, and demand five pushups for every ball not close to the cone, and five less pushups for every time the cone is hit.
Hitting Stations
Here is a typical set of hitting stations with a rotation every 5 minutes. Note that the hat drill isn’t mentioned, but it should be incorporated in stations 1, 2, or 3.
1) Dry swings/Controlled vs. 100%/Fence Drill
2) Double Tee
3) Direct Feed
4) Bunting
5) Live Hit
1. Problem: Poor two-strike hitting
Result:
Have to swing at poor pitches earlier in the count
Striking out
Remedy:
Hit it where it’s pitched
Short, hard swing
Look for a pitch speed halfway between the fastest and slowest pitch
Drills:
Direct feed
Two-strike swings in batting practice
Tracking pitches in bullpen
2. Problem: Too wide of a stance
Result:
Poor hip rotation
Slow swing
Late or jammed on pitches
Remedy:
Shorten stance
Drills:
Direct feed - inside pitches
3. Problem: Poor Stride Timing
Result:
Making contact but not hitting the ball hard
No feedback on what you did wrong
Remedy:
Practice getting the feel for when the stride foot must land in relation to the pitch
Know how much to bend the back knee in the load
Drills:
Tracking pitches in the bullpen
Direct feed/Batting practice
4. Problem: Poor hip rotation
Result:
Late or jammed on inside pitches
Always hitting the ball up the middle or opposite way
Remedy:
Rotate back foot (Squish the bug)
Load and reach the stretch position
Drills:
Fence Drill
Direct feed – inside pitches
Step-in drill
5. Problem: Pre-extension
Result:
Late on pitches
Can’t hit inside pitches
Pull outside pitches
Remedy:
Keep front arm bent up to, and even past, contact
Think “Hands to the left” (for right-handers)
Drills:
Hat Drill
Fence Drill
Direct feed – inside pitches
6. Problem: Not rotating back foot (squishing the bug)
Result:
Diving in to pitch
Poor hip rotation
Late or extremely early on pitches
Can’t hit off-speed pitches
Remedy:
Start with a shorter stance
Take a shorter stride
Bend back leg during swing (Place 75-percent of weight on back leg)
Brace/Extend front leg at contact
Make sure lower body rotates forward and upper body goes back in stretch position
Follow-through with two hands
Drills:
Direct feed – inside pitches, then outside
Double Tee
Dry swings, upper body behind belly button in follow-through
7. Problem: Swinging at poor pitches early in the count
Result:
Not hitting ball hard
Not walking often
Remedy:
Have good stride timing
Make sure you are anticipating both the speed and the location of the pitch
Give a good commitment
Make sure swing is short
Practice and become a confident two-strike hitter
Drills:
Tracking pitches in the bullpen
Direct feed/Batting practice while conscious of location of pitches
8. Problem: Pushing the bat when bunting
Result:
Popping bunts up
Bunting balls too hard
Remedy:
Pull back slightly
“Catch” the ball
Drills:
High speed bunts off a machine
Pushup penalty for not doing it correctly
9. Problem: Not getting arms extended in bunts
Result:
Late on bunts
Getting jammed on pitches
Popping bunts up
Remedy:
Get the bat out early
Throw the bat forward, like casting a fishing rod
Drills:
High speed bunts off a machine
Pushup penalty for not doing it correctly
10. Problem: Not getting the good angle on bunts
Result:
Ball not going where you want
Bunting ball back to pitcher
Remedy:
Over-exaggerate the angle
Make sure it’s “perfect-or-foul”
Drills:
Cone Drills
11. Problem: How do I get a rhythm for being a good hitter?
Result:
Feeling comfortable at the plate
Hitting the ball consistently hard
Fouling tough pitches off, especially with two strikes
Remedy:
Give a good commitment forward during the stretch phase
Eliminate fear of the pitcher
Learn to take a pitch in the shoulder
Swing hard and fast, but smooth and rhythmic
Drills:
Step-in swing drill
Controlled vs. 100% swings
Double tee
Live batting practice
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|
|
| Club | G | V | D | Pnct. |
| 1 Kvint |
12 |
12 |
0 |
36 |
| 2 Abator |
13 |
8 |
5 |
29 |
| 3 SDISOR |
13 |
7 |
6 |
27 |
| 4 Scorpion |
12 |
6 |
6 |
23 |
| 5 Hawks |
12 |
5 |
7 |
22 |
| 6 Cojusna |
12 |
3 |
9 |
18 |
| 7 Corsairs |
12 |
2 |
10 |
16 |
|
| |
|
| Name | AVR | SLG | team |
| 1 Burmei |
521 |
667 |
CRS |
| 2 Covalenco |
476 |
738 |
KVT |
| 3 Vloscinschii |
459 |
486 |
ABT |
| 4 Butnari |
432 |
705 |
CRS |
| 5 Belous |
423 |
462 |
KVT |
| 6 Postolachi |
407 |
519 |
CRS |
| 7 Novac |
400 |
543 |
ABT |
| 8 Fleostor |
385 |
500 |
ABT |
| 9 Soltan |
382 |
529 |
HWK |
| 10 Cuceric |
357 |
357 |
HWK |
| |
|
| Title | Name |
| MOST VALUED PLAYER |
Fleostor |
| BEST HITTER |
Burmei |
| BEST PITCHER |
Novac |
| BEST RBI runs batted in |
Butnari |
| MOST STOLEN BASE |
Fleostor |
| MOST RUNS SCORED |
Burmei |
|
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