Teaching Coaches : Teaching Coaches Hitting
Hitting Stance Grip of the Bat : Hitting Stance Grip of the Bat Alignment of “knocking” knuckles is important because it allows a hitter to relax forearms and create movement in their stance
With the proper grip it also allows a hitter to create a proper arm angle in their stance
Hitting: Athletic Position : Hitting: Athletic Position Hitters like all athletes need to be in an athletic stance:
Head in an upright position
Slightly bent at the waist
Knees slightly bent
Toes pointed straight forward
Feet shoulder width
Weight on the balls of their feet
How to Achieve Balance : How to Achieve Balance A tip for getting into an athletic stance is simple for any hitter. A hitter should use this order of operation to achieve proper weight distribution
Plant back foot in the batter’s box
Set stride foot in box
Stand tall keeping knees locked
Bend over at the waist and touch the plate with the bat keeping your knees straight
5. Soften you knees and move to create rhythm Bend over and touch plate Then soften knees
Depth in the Batters Box : Depth in the Batters Box A hitter can’t be too far back and too close
A good rule for a hitter is to align their front foot with the back corner of the plate
Note: Feet should be pointed straight forward in order to avoid hips from locking up on rotation Aligned with back corner of plate Feet pointed straight forward
Distance Away from the Plate : Distance Away from the Plate When judging distance away from the plate a hitter should be able to bend over and touch the middle of the plate
A coach or teammate can have the hitter, as shown in the picture, hold the bat out and make sure the bat can cover the outside corner or if you are too close to the plate
Stance: Parallel : Stance: Parallel Advantages to a Parallel Stance:
Proper site lines
Proper alignment of the hip and shoulder in set up
Stance: Closed Stance : Stance: Closed Stance Closed Stance Closed Stance Disadvantages to closed stance
When striding straight towards the ball a hitter often reduces their ability to rotate hips
Have to commit earlier to pitch because the barrel of the bat extends too far over the edge of the plate
Cut off site line when diving into the ball
Stance: Open Stance : Stance: Open Stance Disadvantages of an open stance:
Hip is not aligned properly causing the bat to drag if a hitter does not stride towards the pitcher
A lot of movement of body on the stride
Could be susceptible to breaking balls away
Hitting: Arm Position : Hitting: Arm Position Arms should be in a “V” position in order to create a relaxed position
The lead arm elbow should be close to a hitter’s center of gravity
Front arm should be able to hold a towel underneath it
Back elbow should be in a relax position – 45 degrees in to avoid sweeping or dipping Elbow position V Position Back elbow relaxed
Hitting: Weight Shift : Hitting: Weight Shift In order to achieve proper balance , at point of contact, a hitter must take their weight with their lower half “back” towards the catcher before they stride forward
Terms that are often used are going back, load, rotate, shift, lift, and cock back
The key is to not take your weight too far back so that it causes you to rush forward
When going back, a hitter should be able to see their back foot’s big toe Take your weight back Then stride forward
Hitting: Stride : Hitting: Stride When striding a hitter must stride straight forward on the ball of their foot
If a hitter steps out “in the bucket” causes a hitter to come off the ball and have their hips fly open too fast causing the bat to drag
If a hitter dives toward the plate then they can not rotate their hips properly and causes them to jump at the ball because of their proximity to the plate Good Bad Bad
Hitting: Launch Position : Hitting: Launch Position When striding forward, a hitter’s hands will move backwards into a launch position which is about 2-4 inches off the back shoulder and the bat gets into a 45 degree angle while the front elbow moves past the center of gravity Elbow past center point Back of shoulder Bat at 45 degrees
Stride: Alignment of Front Side : Stride: Alignment of Front Side On a stride it is important that a hitter stays aligned with the pitch with their shoulder and their hip
This can be achieved by striding on the ball of their foot straight towards the pitcher with front foot closed The shoulder and hip stay aligned when you stride properly (straight towards pitcher) Toes point towards plate on a stride
Hitting: 45 Degrees : Hitting: 45 Degrees When hitting a hitter must take their hands downward so that they can get the their hands into the hitting zone.
As a hitter’s hands go downward into the strike zone, their front shoulder shall dip slightly downward to help direct the movement of their hands
The bat gets into a 45 degree angle into as the hands go back and get into launch position Note angle of shoulder Launch
Position
Hitting: Downward Angle : Hitting: Downward Angle As the pitch approaches the hitter attempts to get the barrel of the bat on the same plane of the ball
Key is to have the front arm lead, pulling the bat quickly through the contact zone
The hitter’s back foot rotates forward as their hands travel forward Contact point Back foot rotates forward with hands
Hitting: Contact : Hitting: Contact Hitter barrel is traveling along the hitting zone
Top hand – Palm is up!
Bottom Hand – Palm is down!
Front foot is in closed position in order to provide good rotation around front side and proper balance at the point of contact
Head is down at the point o f contact and will be all the way through the swing Note: Hand Position and front foot
Contact Position: Front of Body : Contact Position: Front of Body At contact, a hitter does not roll hands over
Head should be down and focus should be in the contact area
Back foot rotates forward
Front foot stays closed in order to rotate and balance properly Note: Hands do not roll over before contact
Head DOWN! Back foot rotates forward Front foot closed
Hitting: Follow Through : Hitting: Follow Through Follow through should takes its natural path:
Belly button should face the pitcher
Hands shall travel as high as the shoulder, taking its natural path of deceleration
Head shall stay down until hitter ‘s hands finish the swing Hands finish above shoulder Belly button faces pitcher
Hit and Run Position : Hit and Run Position Pulling the Ball Hitting the Ball to Opposite Field