Coaches Corner

Fundamental Fielding | Proper Pitching | Better Batting

Better Batting

Nothing stirs more debate among baseball enthusiasts than trying to determine the "greatest hitters" of all time. Closely related to this debate are the numerous hitting theories/styles/philosophies you can find. Luckily for us, we only have to worry about one technique.

A study of some of the greatest hitters in the game will show that everyone of them has similar technique - although they have different styles.

Style Vs Technique: Style refers to a batter's stance, foot position, stride, and bat position as he is waiting for the pitch.. Obviously, many successful hitter have very different stances from one another. Some take a big stride (Todd Helton, Alfonso Soriano)), some take no stride (Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols). Some hold their bat high, some low, some have an open stance, some have a closed stance. This is individual style. Technique is universal. Breaking down the swing of all these hitters shows that the instant before their bat starts coming forward they are all in a very similar position - regardless of what they looked like(style) before the pitch. This universal technique is what I will be coaching. So what is that universal technique?

Successful major league hitters use a technique based on rotational forces. Breaking down the below picture of Albert Pujols we can see this force at work.

1st Pic: Load Position - balanced, hands back, you can see his name on his jersey.

2nd Pic: Pivot - his front heel is dropping which initiates hip rotation, hands still back.

3rd Pic: Pivot - front heel dropped - hips engaged, lower body opening toward pitcher, hands still back. Balanced.

4th Pic: Swing - his bat has started to come forward, rear elbow tucked into side, lower body leades upper body - upper body lead hands. Hands are last part through hitting zone.

Pics - left to right - Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Manny Ramirez. Notice how their lower bodies lead the bat. Back elbows all tucked into side, weight staying balanced and/or over rear leg as they make contact. All look very similar - all use rotational technique.

This is a great picture of Derek Jeter. This should destroy some of those old myths and fallacies that most of us have grown up on like "Swing Level", and "Extend the arms". How can you swing level at a pitch coming in at your knees (which will be called a strike)? You can't. You have to swing level to the ball - not the ground. This means matching the plane of the ball with your bat which Jeter in the above picture is doing perfectly. His bat is not level, his shoulders are not level. He is matching the plane of the ball with the plane of the bat.

Only after contact do you extend your arms. The below pictures show the power "V" position you want after contact - both arms extended in a "V" shape. Also notice the weight after contact is balanced.

I can show you hundreds of pictures from Babe Ruth to Ted Williams to today's Albert Pujols. All of them will show the same thing. There is a universal technique used by succesful major league players. Make sure your son/daughter are being taught this technique.

Here are some pictures to show you that this technique can be taught any youth league player.

Here are 3 Pics - 1st Pic of a 10 year old, 2nd and 3rd pics of High School players. 4th pic of a 7 year old. You can see they are all similar to the pics of the major league players. Lower body leading hands, elbow tucked into side, power V coming after contact. Weight balanced and/or back after contact.

There are numerous drills I can use to teach them this technique. However, it takes dedication, perseverance and a positive attitude. Even the greatest hitters on the planet are only succesful 30% of the time.

Start balanced - stay balanced.

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