HITTING A BASEBALL - HOW TO

HITTING A BASEBALL THE STEPS • KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE SWING • BE ABLE TO REPRODUCE A MECHANICALLY SOUND SWING • KNOW THE MENTAL SIDE OF HITTING • HAVE A PLAN, WORK YOUR PLAN THE SWING MECHANICS STANCE •FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART •BACK FOOT SLIGHTLY PIGEON -TOED •KNEES FLEXED •KNEES PINCHED/INSIDE FEET •SLIGHT BEND AT WAIST •HANDS VISIBLE TO PITCHER •ELBOWS DOWN/FOREARMS 45 •HANDS AT TOP OF STRIKE ZONE •HEAD ON FRONT SHOULDER •EYES LEVEL R H Y T H Y M •LAW OF MOTION: A BODY AT REST, WILL STAY AT REST UNLESS ACTED UPON BY A GREATER FORCE • DIFFICULT TO HIT WITHOUT IT • AS A HITTER YOU ARE “DANCING” WITH THE PITCHER •HIPS •HANDS •FEET LOADING • WEIGHT SHIFTS TO 60/40 BALANCE ON REAR LEG • GOES UP AGAINST, NOT OVER BACK LEG • TYPES: • LEG LIFT • TOE TAP • TOE PUSH • KNEE TUCK • ETC. STRIDE/HAND SEPERATION •CONTROLED/COORDINATED ACTION • AN EXTENSION OF FRONT LOWER LEG, NOT A WEIGHT SHIFT • WEIGHT IS STILL 60/40, 55/45 • TIMED TO PITCHER’S VELOCITY ON FB OR YOUR PLAN FOR THAT AT BAT • SHOULD LAND ON BALL OF FRONT FOOT • FOOT & HIP SHOULD BE CLOSED(LESS THAN 45 DEGREES) • KNEES STILL INSIDE FEET • HANDS WALK TO BACK SHOULDER AREA(BAT @ BETWEEN 1 & 3 O’CLOCK) LOWER HALF ACTION • BACK KNEE & HIP LEAD INITIAL MOVE TO SWING AT THE BALL • USALLY TIMED TO FRONT HEEL GOING DOWN • BACK HEEL SHOULD COME UP • HANDS DO MOVE AT THE BEGINNING, THEY CONNECT TO HIPS AFTER INTIAL MOVE BY LOWER HALF • AMOUNT OF BACK HIP ROTATION DEPENDENT ON WHERE THE BALL IS: INSIDE/OUTSIDE BAT LAG •POINT AT WHICH KNOB OF THE BAT IS MOVING TOWARDS THE BASEBALL & BACKOF BARREL IS POINTING AT THE CATCHER • BAT IS LEVEL OR JUST ABOVE HANDS AT THIS POINT • BOTTOM HAND IS LEADING KNOB TO BALL • TOP HAND WORKS WHEN THE BOTTOM HAND REACHES THE MID-CHEST AREA CONTACT • POINT AT WHICH BAT MEETS BALL • BAT/BALL COLLISION USUALLY OCCURS EVEN OR AHEAD OF FRONT LEG •GOAL IS TO BE PALM UP/PALM DOWN • HANDS ABOVE BALL/ BAT BELOW HANDS • UPPER BODY IS STACKED, NOT FALLING BACK OR LEANING FORWARD • WEIGHT IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED 50/50 • FRONT LEG IS FIRMED UP / FOOT CLOSED • BACK HEEL POINTING UP EXTENSION •TAKES PLACE AFTER YOU HIT THE BALL • STILL PALM UP/PALM DOWN • DON’T HIT THE BALL, HIT THROUGH IT •CREATES A LONGER CONTACT AREA •TOP HAND DOES NOT ROLL OVER UNTIL END OF BAT HAS POINTED AT PITCHER •TOP HAND CAN STAY ON OR RELEASE FINISH • ALSO KNOWN AS THE FOLLOW THROUGH • SHOULD BE CONTROLLED & BALANCED • BAT BAREL FINISHES AROUND TOP OF SHOULDER • SLIGHT LEAN BACKWARD POSSIBLE • BACK HEEL UP