hitting
Common Mistakes in Young Hitters
If major league hitters are one thing, they are meticulous. Watch them get their stance in the box. This process can seem to take hours. They tighten their batting gloves, they dig their back foot in, step back out of the box, they put their hand up to the umpire for time, take their stance again, and then they tap the plate and check their alignment. Okay, I’m ready. This tells me one thing, your set up matters. A lot. Take the time to get it right and put your body in a strong starting position.
Transitioning From Batting Cage to the Game
Here is a question I got recently from the parent of one of my students: How can I get my son to translate the success he has in the batting practice cage into the game?
To answer this question, I will make some assumptions. One, in batting practice, the coach is closer than normal. Two, he is not throwing as hard. Three, it's practice. No pressure. And four, the fear factor.
Teaching points: Hitting
While not all swings are exactly alike, the most successful hitters all exhibit relatively the same traits at each point in their swing. As a hitting instructor or just a dad teaching his son or daughter to hit, here are a few key points to look for when instructing.
Staying Within Yourself
As the baseball playoffs begin, it is a great time to watch and see what the best hitters in the game do. You will not be able to see the preparation they do before the game and in the clubhouse, but you will see each at-bat. The best hitters know the type of hitters they are. They know which pitches they handle best, study pitcher’s tendencies, and wait for their pitch. They go up to the plate with a plan and execute it.
The Hitting Stance
It is always said that every hitter has their own different style. Another common phrase is it’s not where you start, but where you finish. Both of those statements are true. But there are some starting points that can’t be overcome and will inhibit the hitter’s swing before it even starts. If you look closely at major league hitters, the vast majority of them possess the same basic fundamentals at each and every key point in their swing. Their stance is no different.
Hitters Checklist
Hitting Skills Checklist
Switch Hitting
Great hitters possess a few characteristics that set them apart from the rest of the crowd. One, they have an uncanny knack for timing. They know exactly when to swing the bat. Two, they have great body control. They always put their body in a position to succeed. If they are fooled on a pitch, they are still able to get a piece of it and foul it off or get enough wood on it to get a base hit. Third, they have great eye-hand coordination. They know exactly where the bat head needs to be, when it needs to be there.
How to Coach a Hitter During the Game
There are very few hitting faults that can be corrected during the game. The job of a hitting coach isn’t necessarily to teach during the game, but to motivate and encourage his players. Practice is the time to teach. However, there are subtle points a coach can make that can help a struggling hitter.
Hitting Videos
The Hitting Stance