Common Mistakes in Young Hitters
If major league hitters are one thing, they are meticulous. Watch them get their stance in the box. This process can seem to take hours. They tighten their batting gloves, they dig their back foot in, step back out of the box, they put their hand up to the umpire for time, take their stance again, and then they tap the plate and check their alignment. Okay, I’m ready. This tells me one thing, your set up matters. A lot.
Take the time to get it right and put your body in a strong starting position. Many times I watch hitters jump in the box and go, often times starting in different positions. They may be slight, but different nonetheless. It’s the difference between hitting a line drive and fouling a ball off. If your body is in a different starting position every time, it stands to reason that you will not swing the bat the same way every time, producing inconsistency. Consistency is a hitter’s best friend.
The second major flaw with young hitters is dropping their hands during their stride/load phase of their swing. At a younger age, it’s not so important that they load their hands, but more importantly that they keep their hands up in a strong hitting position. One of THE most important hitting positions that is constant with nearly all major league hitters, is the position of their hands when their stride foot lands. Regardless of where their hands start, nearly all major league hitters will get their hands just off their back shoulder and at shoulder height when the stride foot lands. We commonly refer to that spot as the launching position or the spot where we start our swing with our hands. When teaching young hitters, ensure that they are finding this spot consistently.
The last common flaw I see among young hitters is their lack of follow through. Make sure that the back hip gets all the way through (back foot is in-line with the pitcher) and that their hands get the bat all the way to the front shoulder. This will ensure a proper hip turn and a proper upper body turn and consequently, a proper follow through.
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How to Choose a Baseball Glove
How to Break In a Baseball Glove
Playing Catch and Proper Throwing
Transitioning From Batting Cage to the Game
Here is a question I got recently from the parent of one of my students: How can I get my son to translate the success he has in the batting practice cage into the game?
To answer this question, I will make some assumptions. One, in batting practice, the coach is closer than normal. Two, he is not throwing as hard. Three, it's practice. No pressure. And four, the fear factor.
The Hitting Stance
It is always said that every hitter has their own different style. Another common phrase is it’s not where you start, but where you finish. Both of those statements are true. But there are some starting points that can’t be overcome and will inhibit the hitter’s swing before it even starts. If you look closely at major league hitters, the vast majority of them possess the same basic fundamentals at each and every key point in their swing. Their stance is no different.
Hitters Checklist
Hitting Skills Checklist
The All-Star Game
As we approach the mid-summer classic, a few words to the wise: watch and learn. The games best hitters will be taking center stage and the fundamentals that got them there will be on display for all to see, for free, especially the home run hitting contest. Their mechanics are impeccable. Don’t watch the pitch or how far the ball goes, watch what they do. How do they stride? What do their hands do? Watch their hip drive. Watch their follow through. How is their balance? The broadcasting network does a phenomenal job of showing some slow motion video that really allows you to see what makes them successful. Can or does your swing compare?
When I watch mlb games or highlights, I watch the hitters; I don’t focus on the hit itself. I want to see what they do that makes them great hitters. That is what makes a student of the game, someone who really wants to learn. If I’m not doing what they are doing, I need and want to learn how.
I was watching an old rerun of the 1976 All Star game today and saw something amazing. Al Oliver was up and hit a chopper to the first baseman. He busted down the line and almost beat it out. His helmet flew off he was running so hard. I had to rewind to make sure I saw it correctly. A player actually trying to beat out an infield chopper to the first baseman in an All Star game that back then meant nothing? That is something that does not show up in the box score. Effort.
Another example was Mickey Rivers sliding into second base with his cleats up high to try and break up a double play. Not the cleanest play in the world, but effort nonetheless. It almost worked.
Gives you an idea of what it takes to make it to the big leagues and to be successful. If you want to learn and emulate from the best, do not miss this opportunity. Watch. Learn.
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Mid-Season Blahs
Here we are in the middle of the travel season and now you feel like you are wearing down when you should just be hitting your stride. Tired, slow, dragging, no energy, no bat speed, no fastball? There may be some reasons why.
First, school just ended a week or so ago. You were used to getting up at a certain time, eating at a certain time and going to bed at a certain time. Now you are staying up later, sleeping longer and maybe not eating as exactly as you were before. Your internal clock is a little mixed up and your body is telling you so.
Switch Hitting
Great hitters possess a few characteristics that set them apart from the rest of the crowd. One, they have an uncanny knack for timing. They know exactly when to swing the bat. Two, they have great body control. They always put their body in a position to succeed. If they are fooled on a pitch, they are still able to get a piece of it and foul it off or get enough wood on it to get a base hit. Third, they have great eye-hand coordination. They know exactly where the bat head needs to be, when it needs to be there.
How to Coach a Hitter During the Game
There are very few hitting faults that can be corrected during the game. The job of a hitting coach isn’t necessarily to teach during the game, but to motivate and encourage his players. Practice is the time to teach. However, there are subtle points a coach can make that can help a struggling hitter.
Tee Work Fundamentals
The tee is absolutely one of the best hitting tools around. Inside every major league clubhouse you will see a tee. There may be different variations of it, but the concept remains the same. The better you can get at utilizing the tee, the better your hitters will become. The tee is an excellent tool for showing the hitter where in the hitting zone pitches need to be hit and an excellent tool for creating muscle memory. Here are few tips to ensure that you are using the tee properly.
Baserunning Skill Checklist
Becoming a Good Baserunner Checklist
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