Baseball Hitting Presentation

Hitting Presentation : Hitting Presentation A 360 approach

A 360 Approach : A 360 Approach Here at Michigan Coaches Academy, we have implemented core teaching principles that enable a coach to come full circle in their ability to compete and develop their athletes

360 Approach : 360 Approach Objective of a Skill Why Breakdown Teaching Tips 360

Hitting : Hitting Athletic Stance One of hardest things to do in sports is hitting a baseball, therefore, a hitter needs all things to be in correct position in order to hit a ball successfully. When hitting a ball, You must have good sight lines, good balance, and good positioning in order to do that a Athletic stance Feet and legs underneath body; shoulder width apart Knees flexed Slight lean forward in of the shoulders Examples linebacker, free throw

Work from Ground Up : Work from Ground Up Basics of an Athletic Stance Toes pointed forward and even, why, how, tips, breakdown duck feet, staggering problems, Tip: athletic tape Legs and Feet are shoulder width apart, good foundation, tape can be handy Shoulders slightly forward, weight on balls of a players feet, good for quick balanced rhythmic movement, Tip; bend at waist first then your knees, touch plate

Athletic Stance : Athletic Stance Rhythmic movement- release nervous tension and can accelerate movement more quickly, want to move! Can be any small movement that is rhythmic and fluid i.e... Sight lines are not distorted Tip: Time their movement with a grandfather clock, back and forth

Bat Selection : Bat Selection Objective: Select on that you can swing fluidly Why: Heavy bat can cause tension therefore resulting in a stiff rigid swing How: Select a bat that is light in weight Bat should come approximately just around the belt Tip: hold the bat out straight with front arm If players bat tips or they are leaning too far back the bat is too heavy

Grip of the Bat : Grip of the Bat A poor grip can cause some tension problems in a players swing by tightening of the muscles Obj: relaxed, but firm grip Why: Good hand and wrist action, as well as, less tension How: Grab bat and align a hitters knuckles, Note: aligning improperly can cause “D” position Tip: Align knocking knuckles, pads of hands

Position of Bat – 45 Degrees : Position of Bat – 45 Degrees Objective: Most hitters always start at 45 degrees before they start their swing Why: Less room for error, more time to react How: Put bat on their shoulder Tip: Place piece of tape on bat for distance have them raise their hands as high as their ear

Stances : Stances Three types of stances Open Parallel Closed

Open Stance : Open Stance Front foot in aligned with instep of back foot Why Not: When a player strides forward poor alignment and bat drag, causes severe head and shoulder lean in, furthermore, have to start stride early to over compensate weak areas, lastly poor coverage of outside corner

Parallel Stance : Parallel Stance Obj: Stance has less room for error How: Feet are shoulder width apart and even with each other, good alignment, Why: Good for any athletic movement, good plate coverage on a swing Tip: Tape, check toes pointed forward and weight is on the balls of your feet

Closed Stance : Closed Stance Front is foot is forward position the back foot toes are aligned with the instep of the front foot Why Not: Causes poor sight lines, pulling head, hard to hit inside pitch there have to start swing early to compensate poor position

Position in the Batter’s Box : Position in the Batter’s Box Objective: Proper distance for plate coverage and reaction time How: Player reach out, to check distance from plate Place front toe between corner and back tip Bend at waist, lock knees and touch middle of the plate after every pitch Why? Guaranteed good plate coverage and reaction time, fastball time and curveball break Tip: Have player hold out back to check coverage

Weight Shift : Weight Shift Balance 50/50 at contact 60/40 before stride Three primary ways to do weight shift Knee past the toes

Stride : Stride Player shall stride with their foot closed or pointed perpendicular to the ball This aligns a player’s hip, and shoulder Should land on ball of foot Tip: Stride shall not be open or extremely closed

When Striding : When Striding Upper body – Hands go back as the front foot goes forward Allows player to keep their weight back Tip Hitter should take their hands back slightly past their shoulder. (Even with their back knee)

Swing : Swing Swing should start downward into the contact zone Try hit the top/middle of the ball to create backspin on baseball Swing starts with lead hand

Swing Angle : Swing Angle Helpful hint: Angle of front shoulder

Details About Swing : Details About Swing Top hand- Palm up Bottom hand- Palm down

Head Down : Head Down The most important part of a hitting. You can’t hit what you don’t see Human Nature Have to train yourself to keep head down Head should be focused down on contact area until hands finish

Follow Through : Follow Through Two handed follow through- Hands turn over around front hip One-handed follow through- Front hip Tip: Top hand finish above shoulder

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