By Andy Pohl
Hitting is a chain reaction of body movements. As with any chain reaction, the end cannot be met without a proper beginning. The purpose of the stance is to get the hitter in a body position that will facilitate a quick and powerful movement towards the baseball.
First of all, hitters need to find a stance that is comfortable and balanced. Their eyes must be focused on the pitcher. Many hitters have their heads tucked under their shoulder or tilted to the side. This consequently impedes their ability to see the ball clearly from the best angle. Make sure the head is upright with the eyes focused directly at the pitcher.
All good hitters get themselves in a good athletic position to start. A good athletic position consists of flex in the knees with the hip sockets back. If a hitter is having a difficult time getting into an athletic position or confused about what this position feels like, have them pretend they are defending someone on the basketball court. They will quickly notice that their knees are flexed, their butt is out, and they are slightly bent over on the balls of their feet. Have them hold that position and put a bat in their hands. This is the proper stance.
The stance is should be relaxing enough to have a calming effect over the body. The bat should be held loosely in the fingers or across the callous line of the hand. Never hold the bat in the palm. The hands and forearms should be relaxed as much as possible. Seeing the veins pop out of a player's arms is a good indication that they are holding gripping the bat too tight. Any tension in the hands and arms slows down the swing, which subsequently reduces power.
In order to relax, hitters should breathing slowly, in with the nose and out with the mouth between pitches. Taking practice check swings while in the box waiting for the pitcher to get set also relaxes the body and gives the hitter a sense of flow. Athletes cannot be successful hitter if their mind and body are not in a relaxed state.
Andy Pohl - Co-Founder, DNA Sports
DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Pohl
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Showing posts with label batting stance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label batting stance. Show all posts
Friday, January 1, 2010
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
From the Baseball Coaching Digest: Hitting Did You Knows
www.HandsBackHitter.com
By Todd Thomas
Did you know...
...a baseball and/or softball bat is one of the few retail products of significant value that comes with no directions on how to use it?
...hitting is at the very least 50% from the neck up and very few hitters are taught the mental side of the hitting equation?
...most hitters and coaches will say on average that a player's mental game of confidence, focus, and composure make up 80% of how they perform in game situations over and above their mechanics. Yet, those same people will readily admit that they spend 2% or less of their time practicing their mental game while practicing 98% on the other 20% of the game. Hmmm???
...there are only TWO hitting techniques? A hitter either comes forward or stays back. If he weight-shifts forward (continuously moves his vertical plane forward out over the top of the front foot)as he swings, the hitter is linear. Rotational hitters also weight-shift, but once they reach the balance point in their stride, they rotate around a stationary axis as they swing. Simply put, hitters that "stay back" are rotational. A hitter CANNOT stay back and be considered linear.
...good hitting mechanics incorporate BOTH linear and rotational movements? A "hybrid" swing is nothing new. Good swings have always been "hybrid".
...that despite all the talk of what "linear" hitting is and what linear hitting isn't, it barely resembles what it was 25 years ago?
...there is no such thing as the one "perfect swing?" The perfect swing is the adjustments a hitter makes to the pitch each different pitch they see. As a result, the "perfect swing" constantly changes!
...that parents and too often even coaches are confusing young hitters by telling them when they are in the batter's box to get their elbow up or down? Having the elbow "up" or "down" is a "style" issue—NOT a mechanics issue?
...the major league average bat speed is 78 mph?
...that bat "speed" and bat "quickness are two distinctly different things?" Bat speed measures bat velocity or the actual speed of the bat; bat quickness measures the time lapse from launch-to-contact. If a hitter has good bat quickness (major league average is .16 seconds), they will have high bat velocity. However, a hitter can have high bat velocity and NOT have good bat quickness. Good bat quickness is a product of good torque in the swing.
...to get the "same" performance/production from a wood bat that hitters get from aluminum, the wood bat should be two inches longer and two ounces heavier?
...there is no "proper" batting stance? It's different for each hitter and is a product of the hitter's "style"—not his technique.
..."no stride" hitting can make it easier for a hitter to focus on the pitch better because of less body/head movement?
...that Rogers Hornsby when asked what he did during the winter when there wasn't baseball said..."I stare out the window and wait for spring." Don't we all!
Now you know...if you didn't already.
Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net . Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Thomas
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Monday, September 21, 2009
Baseball Hitting Mechanics - Don't Settle For Sloppy
By KC Andrus
I Hit The Ball Pretty Well, Why Worry About Mechanics?
Everyone who has ever played baseball, knows that it is a game of failure. They have heard how it is a GOOD sign if you fail 70% of the time. These are just the cold, hard facts, the nature of the game that is our nation's greatest pastime. With so much of the game built on personal defeat, it is easy to get down in the dumps fast. One of the game's most famous quotes, and possibly one of sport's most famous quotes came from Yogi Berra, who said, "Baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical."
This is such a true statement that come from one of sport's most unique personalities. Baseball is such a mental game, there is so much thought process that goes into all facets of the game that it makes the game seem almost impossible at times, and the most mental part of the game is most certainly hitting. This is why it is so important to focus on proper hitting mechanics, because then you can focus on the mental aspect of the game and not have to worry about what you're doing with you're swing when you're actually in the batter's box. You can focus on what's really important when the pitcher is staring down at you, HITTING THE BALL!! Okay, so now that we have discovered why baseball mechanics are important, we can get to the good stuff, what the heck are the proper mechanics for hitting a baseball. It all starts with the basics, you have to get the basics down in order for your swing to evolve and become more complex.
What are the Mechanics?
- The Stance - There are many so-called hitting "buffs" that will stress the importance of a normal, balanced stance. There is some truth in this but it is more important to just find a comfort zone, this will allow you to relax in the box.
-The Load - The load is very important, and it is absolutely crucial to the timing of your swing. It is extremely important to get some slight backward movement with your swing before whipping the bat through the zone. Make sure you take a small step, this can be as simple as picking up your foot and putting it down or taking a full stride. When in doubt, my golden rule is to simplify, simplify, simplify. Also get some movement with your hands.
-The Swing - The best advice I can give about the actual swing is to "train your hips." Your hips are VERY important to your swing and are responsible for a lot of power withing your swing. Getting stronger in your "core" helps this tremendously.
- The Finish - I don't like to worry about the finish as much as most. Most people will tell you that you have to finish balanced and "squish the bug" with your back foot. Finishing balanced is a very good sign that your swing is smooth, but it is not essential to success within your swing, and that is what we are all looking for. Did you find these tips useful? Find out much more about these Baseball Hitting Mechanics and learn a lot of secrets that you need to know and I'm betting no one has told you yet: Baseball Hitting Mechanics
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KC_Andrus
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I Hit The Ball Pretty Well, Why Worry About Mechanics?
Everyone who has ever played baseball, knows that it is a game of failure. They have heard how it is a GOOD sign if you fail 70% of the time. These are just the cold, hard facts, the nature of the game that is our nation's greatest pastime. With so much of the game built on personal defeat, it is easy to get down in the dumps fast. One of the game's most famous quotes, and possibly one of sport's most famous quotes came from Yogi Berra, who said, "Baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical."
This is such a true statement that come from one of sport's most unique personalities. Baseball is such a mental game, there is so much thought process that goes into all facets of the game that it makes the game seem almost impossible at times, and the most mental part of the game is most certainly hitting. This is why it is so important to focus on proper hitting mechanics, because then you can focus on the mental aspect of the game and not have to worry about what you're doing with you're swing when you're actually in the batter's box. You can focus on what's really important when the pitcher is staring down at you, HITTING THE BALL!! Okay, so now that we have discovered why baseball mechanics are important, we can get to the good stuff, what the heck are the proper mechanics for hitting a baseball. It all starts with the basics, you have to get the basics down in order for your swing to evolve and become more complex.
What are the Mechanics?
- The Stance - There are many so-called hitting "buffs" that will stress the importance of a normal, balanced stance. There is some truth in this but it is more important to just find a comfort zone, this will allow you to relax in the box.
-The Load - The load is very important, and it is absolutely crucial to the timing of your swing. It is extremely important to get some slight backward movement with your swing before whipping the bat through the zone. Make sure you take a small step, this can be as simple as picking up your foot and putting it down or taking a full stride. When in doubt, my golden rule is to simplify, simplify, simplify. Also get some movement with your hands.
-The Swing - The best advice I can give about the actual swing is to "train your hips." Your hips are VERY important to your swing and are responsible for a lot of power withing your swing. Getting stronger in your "core" helps this tremendously.
- The Finish - I don't like to worry about the finish as much as most. Most people will tell you that you have to finish balanced and "squish the bug" with your back foot. Finishing balanced is a very good sign that your swing is smooth, but it is not essential to success within your swing, and that is what we are all looking for. Did you find these tips useful? Find out much more about these Baseball Hitting Mechanics and learn a lot of secrets that you need to know and I'm betting no one has told you yet: Baseball Hitting Mechanics
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KC_Andrus
Check out our network of baseball blogs:
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballcoachesdigest
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballparentguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballhomeworkhelp
Blogger (Blogspot) - batactionbaseballtraining
Blogger (Blogspot) - battingcagebuyingguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - coachesbest
Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballcoachingclinic
Blogger (Blogspot) - hurricanebaseballtrainingmachine
Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballparentsguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - youthbaseballcoachingclinic
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