Hitting instruction

Simple Batting Lesson

1) Take a comfortable stance. Just prior to the pitcher releasing, "trigger" the bat back (or rotate back) slightly, taking a small step w/front foot

2) Inititate the bat "out" from your shoulder (do not drop it as severely in picture #2 as you twist, then pull the bat towards the pitcher. Turn your knee in. 3) Extend your arms. The barrel of the bat will "lag" and then "snap" to catch up. The snap is the opportune time to strike the ball. 4) Don't stop your swing; swing "thru" the ball. 5) Don't forget to follow thru, high, above your shoulder, and not around your upper arm. Finish "across the letters" on your back.

The bottom hand "guides" the bat (handle) to the ball; the top hand "powers through" and provides punch!

The trigger is that brief moment that fires your muscles into action, and transitions between "relaxed" and "swinging". Major leaguers are taught to torque the bat ("waggle") by dipping it slightly towards their head, and then tip it back to begin moving the hands. The waggle is a learned move that can improve your bat speed.

A snapshot of the moment of contact should find you at full twist (hips are squared) towards the pitcher, arms at nearly full extension, having cleared the plate and are also pointed towards the pitcher, while the "lagging" bat forms an "L" with your arms. Your back heel should be up and facing backwards, with your toe having "squished the bug" as it pivoted.

Commonalities:

-- torso is squared to the pitcher at pont of contact

-- back knee is in and back heel is up

-- bottom hand (on the bat) is palm down, top

is palm up at contact

-- front arm "pulls"; back arm is classic "uppercut" and pushes

-- front leg acts as brake to transfer stability into the swing

-- note the point of contact is about "a plate and a

half" in front of the actual plate.

-- weight should be on back leg at least 60%

(Note that in many pictures the batter is tilted

"backwards".

-- "hammer-throw" the bat up and over your shoulder

on the follow thru

-- Body weight is momentarily "falling" into the

plate. Don't worry. The torque of the swing will re-right you.

-- top elbow is rotated up but should not "fly open"

-- hands stay inside the path of the pitch. Your body rotation creates a circular hand path that will "spiral out" the bat.

-- head is DOWN! and "silent"

-- don't "spray" the bat; that is, don't act as if your are watering the lawn from R to L with a hose. Rather, frisbee-throw or "helicopter" the bat handle (not the bat end) and the barrel will follow.

-- Torque is created by the push/pull dynamic of the hands at point of impact. Stop (or "pull") the bat knob with your lower hand while simultaneously pushing the bat barrel around with your top hand. One or the other is good, but the two forces acting in tandem will double your "snap" into the ball.

-- the bat should continue "through" the ball, in the same path as the now-flying ball, and should not "deflect" away or pull away

This specialized tee helps reinforce a high to low swing -- helps you to "crash down" on the ball and minimize upswing which leads to pop ups.

In many of the pictures above one might erroneously "see" a golf-type swing. What you are seeing is the end result of bringing the bat more "out from" the shoulder and less "around" it, driving down to the hitting zone, and then recovering up and over your shoulder with full follow thru.