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The value of taping has been acknowledged in every sport. For years, football, basketball, and track and field have used a scientific approach in order to eliminate guesswork. As a result players have reaped the benefits of having a better knowledge of what they need to do in order to improve their skills. As a result of video analysis, a baseball batter can accomplish the following objectives:

1. The baseball batter is given the opportunity to review his mechanics over and over again in practice and game play.

2. The baseball batter can make a comparison analysis with successful hitters, and learn to make positive adjustments.

3. The baseball batter is able to keep track of his progression by consistently viewing video of his baseball hitting mechanics.

The serious hitter must be a student of the game and should be willing to do the necessary research through video, if he truly wishes to maximize his bat speed. This should be taken seriously by all baseball coaches and players, and parents.

Today’s video from our Baseball Hitting Videos series covers                                           

the basic batting stance, including how to practice the right style

sure to increase bat speed. Tips include taking the bottom hand

to take you to the ball, the top hand, which is the power hand that

forms a ‘V’, and how to keep your hands inside to perform the

‘Power V’.

Click below to view the full video!

I have had many hitters who make a batting stroke and keep their entire weight on their back leg as they swing. This NOT what staying back is meant to be.

If the hitter is staying on his backside throughout his stroke, he needs to adjust out of this immediately! Again, let’s look at the pros…

In observing all better professional hitters, we can see that when they are in contact with the ball, their front side is firm, with their weight against the front heel. They are on their back toe, with the back leg making an “L”.

They are not on the ball of the back foot! The body’s center mass is in a stacked position. The weight is not back on contact, rather it is being transferred through the ball.

The hands are in front of the body, not over the plate. The proper term hee is not to stay back, but to “start back”. we collect our weight on the backside.

On the stride, we should distribute 30-40% of our weight. Then, when we pivot, the weight is transferred from the back side to the front side. This transfer is controlled by the hips, as they come square to the pitch.

This method allows the hitter to transfer his weight through the ball. What really stay back are the hands! Using the following steps, baseball hitting will be smooth and powerful.

1. LOAD (or coil).  The weight goes back as the hips rotate slightly inward, lifting the front heel off the ground.

2. Stride. 30-40% weight on the stride. When the front heel goes down, the next step occurs. Throughout all of this time, the hands stay back.

This is what “stay back” really means!

Recap:

• Hands are back in the stride.
• Hands in launch position.
• Hitter disciplines the hands to wait.
• He trains the hips to take him to the ball.

Outside of “Swing Level”, this is the most common misconception. Where it originated is difficult to say, except that there was a professional baseball player that referred to his back arm as his “chicken wing”.

The consequence of “back elbow up” is that it takes the hitter out of the proper grip.

If we had to throw a punch, would we have the elbow up? If so, it would not be an effective punch. The elbow needs to support the hands for proper baseball hitting mechanics. It cannot do this if it is above them.

If we notice that a professional hitter has his back elbow up, we will also notice that he will drop it as he pivots into what we call a “Power-V”, just before he launches the bat.

A “Power-V” gives support to the top hand, allowing for the top hand to perform its hammer like action to ultimately increase bat speed, when hitting the ball (wrist adduction).

If the back elbow is too close to the body, that would not be good either. It needs to be about half-way in-between. This position would insure that the “knocking knuckles” are in proper position, which is “up and slightly forward”.

If the back elbow is up, the knocking knuckles will be pointing completely forward, causing the hitter to roll the bat in contact.

This creates an improper stroke. It causes the hitter to lose power and have poor baseball hitting mechanics. Back elbow at 45 degrees… just right. The back elbow supports the top hand.

Here is a short video on baseball drills that you can put to use today to increase your bat speed and hit better pitching. This video will cover:

1. How to correct hitting problems.
2. How to increase bat speed and power.
3. How to maintain a consistent hitting stroke.
4. How to improve baseball hitting through constant practice year round.
5. Simplify the routine of a hitting program at home.
6. To help you or your youth baseball team make hitting practice more efficient on the baseball field.

Enjoy!

As a baseball hitter…. “Are you making these hitting mistakes that are killing your chances of becoming a better hitter?”

Coaches and parents… “Are you teaching these baseball hitting mistakes that are killing you players’ chances of becoming a better hitter?”

Professional hitters make contact with their bat barrel under their hands 90% of the time. Look at hitting pictures of the pros and hit replay on your television. It is obvious that this is true.

What happens to the hitter who attempts to swing level? Here are three major results:

1. His hands drop to the level of the pitch, creating a “loop” in his baseball hitting stroke and a loss of power. Over 90% of my new students that come to me for baseball instruction have a “loop” in their stroke… and, THE CULPRET IS SWING LEVEL!

2. A batters top hand has to go around this bottom hand, forcing a longer stroke, and timing and contact more difficult. This also DECREASES BAT SPEED.

3. He exposes more of the top of the bat and the bottom of the bat to the pitched ball. The result: POP-UP’S and CHOPS!

4. Transfer of weight is limited. It doesn’t allow the batter to transfer his weight through the ball.

5. The batter has a tendency to sweep the bat, which causes the bat to roll and make poor contact.

6. The batter must begin the bat early, in a circle.

7. The result is less club head accuracy, less head velocity, and more difficulty in timing.

So, what is really meant when we hear the term “Swing Level”?

While, we do not swing level, we GO LEVEL!

In other words…The waistband is level. Shoulders are level at the beginning of the hitting stroke. The body is kept level, or stacked. This is level.

THE BAT… DOES NOT SWING ON A  LEVEL PLANE.