Basic Fundamentals of Hitting
This may sound funn=
y, but
the most important thing for a young player is the size of the bat he uses.=
I
can't tell you how many times I have had players show up with a bat that is=
way
to big for them. Mom and dad just went out and bought it because Johnny wan=
ted
a bat and now he wants to use his new toy. The rule is simple if the player
can't hold the bat at its base in their dominant hand and raise it to their
side so that it is completely straight out for 20 seconds, then the bat is =
to
big.
Once you have the p=
roper
bat selected, look at where your player stands in the batters box. Should t=
hey
stand close to the plate, far from it or somewhere in between? If they stan=
d to
close they may not be able to hit the inside pitch and may become afraid of=
the
ball, if they stand to far they may not be able to reach the outside pitch.=
The
player should be lined up to the plate based on their size and the length of
their arms. To help a player get used to where to stand have the player lay=
the
bat down with the end in the middle of the plate, parallel to the line runn=
ing
up the side to the top of the plate. Wherever the knob of the bat ends is w=
here
they should place their front toe. =
Next you need to lo=
ok at
the players stance. Players (especially young ones) should set up with their
feet turned in towards each other slightly, and spread shoulder feet apart.
Their weight should be on the balls of their feet. You can test balance by
giving a the player a slight shove in the chest. After you knock them off
balance they will usually get a better feel for where he should position the
balls of the feet so that he can't be pushed over. If the player leans to f=
ar
forward then push them from behind. Bending the knees slight will also help
with balance. A trick you can use to help a player find good balance is to
close their eyes.
Working on the grip=
of
the bat will help your players acheive as much quickness and speed as possi=
ble.
Think of quickness as how fast the bat starts and speed as how fast it moves
through the strike zone. Bat speed has more to do with how far the ball tra=
vels
than does bat weight. With the standard grip the player aligns the middle
knuckles on both hands. A simple way for your players to do this is to lay =
the
bat down in the fingers, not in the palms, across the calluses in the hands=
.
How your players ho=
ld the
bat in ready position with make a difference in how they hit the ball. Many
players hold the bat to high or to low which does not give the hitter an
effective level stoke. Players should form a box with their shoulders, hands
and arms. The bottom of the box runs along the bottom forearm. The front si=
de
of the box runs up the front arm. The top of the box runs in a line across =
the
shoulders. The back side of the box runs down the back arm. Elbows should be
even in a proper box. The bat should be held at a 45 degree angle.
Teach your players =
to
turn inward. That is to rock back slightly with their weight before going
forward. Tell your players that when they see the pitchers hip pocket, they
should do the same. The hitter should tuck their front knee, front hip and
front shoulder, effectively moving their weight back and the bat back about
three inches.
Once the hitter ach=
ieves
the inward turn they are ready to work on their stride. The stride should be
short and at a 45-degree angle towards home plate, landing on the big toe of
the front foot. The foot work shouldn't be fast but corret so that the hitt=
er
is ready to begin the swing.
When preparing to s=
wing
the hitter should be focused on the pitchers eyes and then move to the area=
of
the ball at the release point. The swing begins from the waist down. At the=
end
of the stride, the hitter has landed on the big toe of his front foot. Then=
the
heel of the front foot touches the ground. This is the official start of the
swing. The hips are release and the swing begins. The hitter then begins the
movement of the back foot by rolling up onto the ball of the foot and thrus=
ting
his hips. The back hip rotates towards the ball. Finishing with the back he=
el
in the air and the back knee turned towards the front leg.