Hitting
There are many different
styles of hitting, but there
are a few consistencies
when it comes to point
of contact
Back
elbow
in
close
to the
body
30-35
degrees on
the shoulder
level
Hands in
front of the
bat
Heel
over
Toe
Firm Front side
Center
balanced,
head over
the back
leg
You will all be committed to these consistencies
Grip and Stance
Most great hitters do not line up their door knocker
knuckles. Rather, they use what is often referred to as
an axe grip.
Bottom hand should have a firm grip on the bat, and the top
hand should be more relaxed.
Not a cookie-cutter approach
Shoulders
level
Shoulders
level
Back toe
Elbows
similar height
Stride and Load
STRIDE: It doesn’t necessarily matter how you stride/load, as long as your
hands end up at the top of the zone, your head stays level, and your timing is
correct with that certain pitcher. There are typically 3 different types of
strides/loads – Kick, Tap, No Stride.
Kick
Tap
No
Stride
Very good load,
kept “L” with top hand/arm
Kept angles with front arm/bat
Bad load
Hands dropped
Lost his front
side “L” and
hands
are below his
shoulders
Guy from previous slide
(Hands dropped
Lost his front
side “L”)
Front foot roll-over =
over rotation by shoulders
Doesn’t get heel over
toe on backside
Collapsing front leg =
No power in hip rotation
Hooking!!!
Bad load
No pivot on backside, no lock-out of front side = over rotation with shoulders
Elbow in the Slot
“inside circle”
Back elbow close to
body,
just above your hip
= slot
Inside Circle is made by your hands
Outside Circle is made by your
bat head
The tighter the inside circle
= less distance on swing
= quicker
= less casting/hooking
= more time to watch pitch
= better pitch selection
= more production
Good pivot by the hips,
but bad “bar arm”
Hands casting away from
the body
(big inner circle)
Bad head flopping
(swinging around the ball)
Inside circle,
Elbow in slot
Point of contact
“Inside the ball”
“Firm front side”
“toe over heel”
“hands in front of barrel”
BALANCE: You must have balance in your body at the point of contact with a
strong and firm front leg. Watch players who seem to hit the ball out in front
– such as A-Rod – they are still at a balance point at impact
Point of contact
“Inside the ball”
Hit the ball at the 7
On a clock
11
12
1
10
2
9
3
8
4
7
Inside part of the ball
6
5
Inside or behind the ball
* hands have not activated,
which prevents rolling-over.
* allows for extension after
contact
If you hook the ball by hitting the outside part,
Your wrists have already activated, and you are
pulling the bat through the zone,
and there is no snap of the wrist
(bat head speed),
and no acceleration
through contact
Spin force
= hooked foul
Extension long through contact
Point
* keeps front side on ball
* prevents hitting
across ball
Swinging across the ball
No extension through contact
Bat being pulled
across the ball
Ball will roll-off the
end of the bat = spinning
toward right field line
Inside half of ball!
Prince Albert stays inside the ball better than anyone
Point of contact
“firm front side”
“heel over toe”
Backside “L” (knee below hip)
BALANCE: You must have balance in your body at the point of contact with a
strong and firm front leg. Watch players who seem to hit the ball out in front
– such as A-Rod – they are still at a balance point at impact
“firm front side”
“heel over toe”
Backside “L” (knee below hip)
Watch this video of Albert Pujols and his balance through the swing.
His head remains centered over his belt from stride to contact.
Look where the knee is located
Slot
Firm front leg
Heel/toe
Knee
Driving hands inside
It’s all there
Point of contact
“hands in front of barrel”
BARREL BEHIND THE HANDS…: Much like the throwing arm is the last thing
to explode through your throwing motion, the barrel should be the last thing
through your hitting motion. Hips-Hands-Barrel. Keeping it back then using
the torque you’ve created to whip it through gives life to your bat and power
with your hips.
If hands are in front of barrel,
wrists have not activated = no roll-over
Hands in front of barrel
Elbow in slot in front of barrel
Firm front side
Heel over toe
If hands are in front of barrel,
wrists have not activated = no roll-over
Hands in front of barrel
Elbow in slot
Firm front side
Heel over toe
Knee driven forward, not knee
driven back
Do not want to swing across the ball
*caused by no forward movement on stride.
Player goes up and down, pulls shoulders off ball,
and swings across the pitch
*Short to it, long through it”
Long extension through point of contact
*short to it = inside circle
* long through it = extension
through contact point
GET EXTENDED: Once your barrel is through the zone, get your
hands extended. You can’t hit with them in your chest – by
extending them, you keep your bat through the hitting zone longer
and use the entire length of torque you’ve generated.
Head down, full extension through point of contact
Hands still not rolled-over
Full extension
without
wrist roll-over
High finish
chest at pitcher