Developing Good Hitting Mechanics

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Developing Good Hitting Mechanics
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The Athletic Stance In Hitting

• The old saying that you cant shoot a cannon out
  of a canoe best sums up the importance of a
  having a balanced stance in hitting. A balanced
  stance in hitting is nothing more than a
  modification of the athletic stance which is
  important in all sports. Be it basketball,
  wrestling, football, or baseball, the position
  referred to as the athletic stance is used by
  athletes to execute defensive and offensive
  maneuvers or actions that demand body control and
  balance.
• A Good Hitting Stance Should Exhibit
• Weight on the balls of feet
• Knees flexed and inside the feet
• Head up, eyes, knees, and shoulders are on a
  level plain

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Balance The 7 Body Eyes

• Good hitters have stances that provide them
• balance and plate coverage. It is important
  that
• coaches talk about the athletic stance and how
• it relates to good hitting mechanics.
• Another method that can be used to reinforce the
  
• concept of balance in ones hitters is to speak
  in
• terms of body eyes
• There are seven body eyes on a hitter. To have
  
• balance as the picture demonstrates, a hitter
  must
• have his seven body eyes on one plane.

7 Body Eyes Eyes (2) Shoulders (2) Belly Button
(1) Knees (2)

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Maximizing Your Vision

• A good stance allows the hitter to see the
• oncoming pitch with both eyes. Notice
• that the hitter above has both eyes looking at
• the pitcher. His head is level with
• his chin in alignment with his front shoulder.
• Front hip and front knee are also
• squared off to the pitcher.

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Head Position
Incorrect Vision Problems!
Correct See The Pitch With
Both Eyes!

• Always have both eyes on the incoming
• pitch!
• Have your nose pointing at the hitter.
• If you take the pitch, track it all the way
• to the catchers glove! This is called
  
• REVERSE TRACKING
• REMEMBER!!!
• YOU CANNOT HIT WHAT YOU CANNOT
• SEE.

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Get Your Front Foot Down

• The correct action for a hitter is to step to
  hit. Notice the hitter above. Starting from
• his pre-pitch position (pic. 1), he gets his
  front foot down in sync with the front foot of
• the pitcher (pic. 2) . As he initiates this
  action, his weight will go back and his front
  foot
• goes forward (Stretch the rubber band).
• Approximately 60 of his weight will be on his
  back foot. Notice also how he has
• has cocked his bat. Picture 2 is a classic
  load position. From this position, the hitter
• is ready to swing if the pitch is a strike.

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Keep Your Hands Inside The Ball!

• 1

2

• Pictures of Casting The Hands
• (Incorrect Technique)

Picture 1 (Hands begin to cast out) Picture
2 (Knob of bat begin to circle around
incoming pitch) Picture 3 (Backside
shot of how the hands have
casted around the pitch.) The hitter
has begun executing an outside in
swing)
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The Inside-Out Swing
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Inside vs. Outside Swing

• Advantages of the Inside-Out Swing
• increase in bat and hand speed
• reduces early commitment of barrel until
  hands are extended
• allows sweet part of the bat to stay in
  the contact zone longer
• increases back spin on baseball can
  produce 25 30 more power
• maximizes the ability of the hitter to hit
  a breaking ball
• increases contact ability/reduces
  strikeouts
• increases to drive balls to the opposite
  field.

• The
  disadvantages of an outside in swing are as
  follows
• bat does not stay in the contact zone very long
• hitter will often get jammed on pitches on the
  inner ½ of the plate
• hitter becomes strictly a pull hitter
• swing speed will be slower
• minimizes the chance of making consistent
  contact.

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Rotate Your Back Foot

• Good hitting mechanics call for a hitter to take
  a linear path to the baseball. However there are
  rotational components that
• must be present in a fundamentally correct swing.
  The most important rotational component in the
  swing is the pivot action
• of the back foot. The back foot must pivot so
  that the hitter can efficiently utilize the
  strength of his legs to assist in the
• swing process.
• Many young hitters do not allow their lower body
  to assist them during the swing. By not
  pivoting, they exhibit a swing that
• will be slower and too dependent upon the upper
  body for power generation. During the swing,
  coaches should pay
• attention and stress the action of the back foot.
  The lower half of the body must be in
  coordination with the upper body
• during the swing process in order for the hitter
  to maximize his ability to hit the baseball with
  good balance, rhythm, and
• power.

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Keep Your Head On The Ball

• Track the ball from the pitchers hand
• to the point of contact with your bat.
• Pulling you head during the swing
• minimizes your chance of making
• contact.

Correct

• Incorrect

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Premature Release Of Top Hand

• Always keep your top hand on the bat until
  contact has been
• made.
• Young players are recommended to roll their
  wrists after contact
• in order have a fluid follow-through.
• Older and more experienced often release their
  top hand over
• their shoulders for more extension through the
  pitch as well as
• for greater ability to keep their head on the
  pitch.

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The Value Of The Tee

• Developing good hitting mechanics take patience
  and dedication
• in order to perfect fundamentally sound
  mechanics.
• The hitting tee is an excellent training device
  to perfect the
• mechanics of hitting.