This course will cover baseball hitting drills from our Super 8 Hitting System. We will cover the batting stance with baseball hitting tips and what position you need to be in when you first step in to the batters box. The front side is responsible to takes us to the ball in put us in a better position to hit the ball with power and accuracy. The back side is the power side… you want to be in an athletic position such as a football player in a defensive stance. Click on the video below to avoid making costly mistakes in your baseball hitting drills.

Baseball batting practices across the nation and around the globe are essentially the same:  players try to hit every ball as hard and deep as they can.  There’s nothing wrong with that approach to hitting, unless, of course, you want to achieve maximum hitting ability. 

I’ve studied hitters during practice practices (BP) for years and come to the same conclusion each time.  Hitters who take every pitch in this manner get pops, chops, and routine ground balls with every pitch.  In fact, the going rate of hard hits is three or four out of ten. 

Instead, try my proven Power-10 baseball hitting drills, which will help players hit the ball hard with super contact every time. Power-10 drills used in batting practices will train hitters to hit each ball well, making practices more meaningful.  Hitters will concentrate more on hitting the balls hard and sharply, rather than hitting everything deep.  As you see below, this method is proven by improved batting averages.

Efficiency at least 80%:        batting average over .400

Efficiency at least 70-80%:   mid .300 batting average

Efficiency less than 70%:     .280-.300 batting average

Here’s how the Power-10 baseball hitting tips work:

A hitter chooses which pitches to hit. But call a strike if he takes a good pitch.

Scoring:

Hard Hit = 1 point

Week hit = 0 points

Swing and miss/foul/strike = (-1)

A hitter strives for a minimum 7 out of 10 (70%). If a hitter is not at that level, he needs to work for that. If time permits, players can do more than one Power-10. With these batting drills, they look forward to the challenge of getting better each time.

Coach Joe Brockhoff Super 8 Hitting System

Coach Brock here with another question from a parent:

Q - How do I keep a hitter ( my son ) from throwing his shoulders to the ball. He is hitting ok but weak.                                                                                                                                    

Thanks Again

Bud

A - It is important that the front shoulder stay closed and does not open until after the stride is completed.  This usually is a result of high tension in the hitter or else he may be trying to muscle the ball.    

The first thing to consider is that the shoulders do not hit the ball.  They are not at all involved with the stride.  Teach him to soften the shoulders during his preliminary swings. 

After he gets into the batter’s box, before the ball is pitched, have him bring up his shoulders and then release them to release the tension.  Remember, no energy in the shoulders…just hips and hands.

This is included as part of our full baseball hitting tips, Video #5:

1.       Taking the pitch, first a full take, just looking at the ball all the way to the catcher; then stride and take, looking the ball all the way to the catcher.  This helps the hitter to relax and see the ball better.

2.       Next, stride, pivot, and take the pitch, practicing keeping the energy in the hips only, no shoulders.

Another good baseball hitting drill is the overcorrection drill that is demonstrated on the Combos Video #4 and on the back of the poster.  This drill forces the shoulders to stay in place.

Using the mat drills with the SpeedBat™ is always good for helping the keep the shoulders back and soft.

It is a must that he keeps his energy out of the shoulders in order for him to maximize his hitting ability.

We also have some baseball hitting videos that can help out too.

Hope this helps, Bud.

Best wishes and Good luck,

Coach Joe Brockhoff

Here’s another question from a coach that I received the other day:

Q -  I have a youngster on my team that we are having a hard time making him keep his head in the swing. When he finishes he is looking in the stands and nearly screws into the ground. He is a very good athlete and one of the best in the league but, he has developed these horrible habits. Do you have any specific drills to help break him. I have tried a ball on the ground in front of the plate to concentrate on to finish the swing. We have worked on the fence, on the tee and soft toss. He seems to improve then when he gets to the plate back to the same bad habits. Need your help?

Mike

A - Hi, Mike

We get the question all the time about what baseball hitting drills are included in the Super 8 Hitting System. Here is an overview on techniques used on hitting the baseball to help you overcome any challenges you may have. After you watch the video go to baseball hitting drills.

Enjoy!

Most of us have heard coaches talk about “rolling the wrist” in hitting.  Have you ever wondered what happens to the bat when the wrists roll?  The answer:  The bat head rolls.

Personally, I have seen this happen over and over again during analysis of players in their front view hitting videos.  They took beautiful contacts of the ball and turned them into ground balls because they rolled the bat head too early.

Does it seem logical to roll the wrists at the point of contact when we are trying to attack the ball? Answer:  Absolutely not.  The only time the wrists should roll is when the bat is brought back to the opposite shoulder following the forward extension of the bat after contact.

We must keep the bat head in line with the stroke and not allow it to roll.  When making contact, the barrel of the bat must be kept constant before, during, and after contact.  Otherwise,  the ball will escape.

So, to learn how to hit better in baseball, here is a great rule:  It’s called “UNDER – UNDER”.

Check out your baseball hitting drills.  The top hand on contact, should be UNDER the bat.  Open up the hand on the bat when it is at the point of contact.  It should be under the bat with palm up.

Following contact, the bat head should travel to its forward extension, and the top hand should still be UNDER the bat.  Check it out.  Open up the hand.  It should still be under the bat with palm up.

So again, here is one of our best baseball hitting tips: Use this:  The UNDER – UNDER rule.

One final note:  Here is another way to keep the hands in check.  The knocking knuckles of the top hand always face the pitch on contact and never face down as the bat goes into extension.

These techniques are fully explained in our baseball hitting tips web site for the “Super 8 Hitting System”, completely demonstrated in a series of baseball hitting drills, which includes many techniques for learning how to hit better in baseball.

Hitting for power in baseball has always been associated with the big strong player.  But in our research, we have discovered it is not so much the size of the player, but rather the strength of his hands.

If strength needs to be improved, it is in the hands and wrists.  The ability to use the body is also imperative.  Big guys and little guys can hit for distance if they incorporate body action in their strokes.  This  means they have learned to use their hips first, and hands last, with a powerful snapping action. 

It is imperative that the batter develops a quick pivot and quick hands.

Many young players never develop power because they are taught to just “meet the ball.”  It’s a common phrase in baseball.  As a result, many hitters stop their hands on contact and they never hit through the ball.

A hitter must be aggressive.  Hitting is controlled aggression, while maintaining balance and control

Another problem young hitters have comes from watching baseball on TV.  They let the top hand go too soon.  My suggestion—finish with both hands.  This will further incorporate hitting through the ball.

Add to this the problem that many players are taught how to hit a baseball by getting their hands out over the plate on contact.  Some times this is as a result of being taught incorrectly to get extension over the plate.  Extension does not occur on contact, but rather after contact.  When hitters try to extend on contact, it is like sawing wood, using too much arms and shoulders.  This method will not power the ball.

In order to learn how to hit for power in baseball the hitter has to get his hands out in front of the body to contact the ball, with the top hand over the bat, and the bottom hand under the bat.  The top hand is then like a hammer on contact.

Using the hands like this will increase bat speed at least 30-40% more than the arm swing. 

How to hit for power in baseball comes down to :

1. A strong body
2. Quick hips
3. Especially quick hands, out front on contact
4. Hitting through the ball
5. Being aggressive

We have all experienced watching teams taking batting practice.  Most of the time hitters try to hit every ball as hard and deep as they can.

We have recorded BP efficiency and found the following results:  Pops, chops, routine ground balls, and with every pitch, they try to slam it.  The going rate of hard hits is 3 or 4 out of 10.  

It is important that hitters take BP at a comfort level.  However, it is good to finish with what we call a “Power-10” focusing on hitting the ball hard with super contact every time.  Here are the guide lines:

A hitter may choose  which pitches to hit.  But call a strike if he takes a good pitch.

Scoring:

Hard Hit = 1 point

Week hit = 0 points

Swing and miss/foul/strike = -1

A hitter strives for at least 7 out of 10   (70%)  That is the minimum that we strive for.  If a hitter is not at that level, he needs to work for that.

In our general research, we have found that by making hitters do a Power-10 in their batting practice baseball hitting drills, hitters will strive to hit each ball well, and batting practice will be more meaningful.  Players who do their Power-10 at the completion of BP have these results in their regular batting:

                Efficienty at least            80%:                      Batting average over .400

                                                                70-80%                 Mid .300 batting average

                Less than                             70%                        .280-.300 batting average

Do this with correct fundamentals against good pitching.  Hitters should concentrate more on hitting the balls hard and sharply rather than hitting everything deep.  Benefits will show up in their batting averages.

If time permits, players can do more than one Power-10.  With these baseball hitting drills, they look forward to the challenge of getting better each time.

Power-10 …. A Simple way to increase hitting performance.  It will improve concentration and accuracy to the ball. 

Pulling off the ball is a common mistake by many hitters.  In order to get consistent contact, the hitter must be sure his head stays closed, in other words, looking down into the contact area.

It is very easy to get into the habit of pulling off the ball.  This is especially true for power hitters.

Have you ever seen a power hitter hit a home run and thereafter, he can’t couch the ball?   What happened?

The home run took him out of himself.  So as he pivots, he is also pivoting his head. 

First of all, hitters should never take a 100% stroke.  Doing this invites pulling off the ball.        

For efficiency, the stroke should be no more than 95%, saving 5% for command.

As coaches, we sometimes go too far in the other direction by telling them to “just meet the ball.”  And now  they start to aim the bat, which is not good either.

Hitting is a controlled explosion.   Continue to be aggressive, with a 95% stroke.

So what do we advise?  The hitter is pulling off because he’s rotating his complete body when he hits.

He must focus on his head rotating in the opposite direction to the hips.  As the hips rotate to the pitcher, the head should rotate to the ball. 

Here are three baseball hitting drills for this:

DRILL #1

Place a pile-on or glove across from the hitter just outside the batter’s box in front of home plate (45% angle).  After the hitter makes contact, he looks into the pile-on area. This keeps the head inside.

DRILL #2 (with pitching machine or live pitcher)

Hitter assumes his stance, with no bat.  To simulate holding a bat, his top hand grabs the thumb of his bottom hand.  Coach stands in back of the hitter and holds his head on both sides .  The hitter takes batless strokes at the pitched ball, while coach restricts the head to keep it on the ball as it enters  the hit zone.   

DRILL #3   (Full Take)

The hitter will coil, stride, and read the pitch to the catcher.     

This keeps the head independent and disciplines it to stay with the ball.  Note:  This head discipline should carry over to his regular hitting, in the “full take”, a pitch that is an obvious ball.

Coaching Points.  The hitter should not go to the point where his head is pushing against the back shoulder.  This locks up the back shoulder and restricts his extension.

The head swivels.  It should never tilt while reading the pitch.  This causes the body to tilt also and the eyes to look on a vertical plane.  Eyes must stay basically horizontal for best vision and body control.

These techniques are fully explained in our baseball hitting instruction web site for the “Super 8 Hitting System”, including batting aids and a series of baseball hitting videos, which demonstrates many baseball hitting drills.

This is one of many baseball hitting drills coaches teach —“Get the bat off your shoulder!”               

It is a common phrase used by fans, coaches, parents, and players. 

The question is “Why is that so bad?” 

Here is what happens when a player moves his bat away from his body in his hitting stance. As the batter does this, consequently separating the batter’s hands from his body. A hitter’s hands will more often than not be out over home plate right at contact. This will produce an arm swing with no balance in your body.   

So why is that a problem?  Let’s look at it this way. If you were to are wrestle someone, would you want your hands away from your frame?  Or would you want your hands close to the body for support? 

If you had to throw the best punch you could, would you hold your hands away from the body? No, you shouldn’t. You would want to have them by your shoulder to increase power.

 If you had to push an automobile, would you want your hands at your side, or would you want them in front of you? Your body increases power to the hands. And so naturally, keep your hands in front of you. 

Now, stand up like you’re at home plate with your bat out over the plate like it is in contact with the ball. What’s behind your grip?  Nothing! What MLB players.  

You might say…”I’ve seen major leaguers start with their hands away from their bodies. This has a tendency to be good.” 

And the answer to that is –“Major leaguers make an adjustment. Prior to making contact with the ball, they quickly bring their hands back to the shoulder area. You have to watch it in slow-mo to catch it.  But research shows that is exactly what they do. 

Therefore, let us be clear. You’ll be in a better hitting position when you keep your grip close to your shoulder. Keep your hands near your shoulder as you release your hips to take you to the ball. You will make contact in the proper zone, not over home plate. 

So if you want to learn how to hit a baseball,  remember this rule:  The only time separation of the hands from the body occurs is when they move forward to hit the ball. 

These techniques are fully explained in the “Super 8 Hitting System”, completely demonstrated in a series of baseball hitting videos, which includes many baseball hitting drills.  

HITTING TIPS:

Get the bat off the shoulder in the hitting stance?   No.

Make contact over the plate?    No.