We’ve often heard baseball coaches tell their players, “Trust the hands!” and “Throw Your Hands” Is that a good coaching concept?

Our hands are auto reactors. They provide some of our quickest muscle reactions. If we hold our hands up and pop our wrists, we can do that over and over again very quickly. If someone were to throw a punch at us, our hands would quickly and automatically pop in defense.

As in infielder, we don’t have to think about a ball thrown to us. Our hands will react to the direction of the ball and make the catch without having to think about it.

Think of the catcher after he gives the sign to the pitcher. He is taught to frame the pitch. His hands automatically go to the pitch without any thought or direction.

So, the hands are auto reactors. Is this good for the hitter? The answer is: NO! The hitter who allows his hands to react automatically as his first movement towards the pitch will never have full body support.

When the hands go too early, this is when we hear the coach yell out, “Wait on the pitch!”.

Now, let’s apply this to our baseball coaching tips:

1. Coil (Load): The hitter collects his weight on the backside

2. Stride: A linear step towards the pitched ball (30-40% of weight transfer)

3. Body Rotation: Hips rotate toward the ball

4. Hands will then, and only then, execute the stroke

Here is one of our best baseball coaching tips: “HIPS TAKE US TO THE BALL. HANDS TAKE US THROUGH THE BALL.”

So, when we are learning how to hit in baseball, do we trust the hands? The answer is:

Don’t trust the hands. Then, trust the hands. In other words, discipline the hands to wait until we get into the launch position, which is with the hands inside the ball and hips rotated.

Our hands do not initiate the stroke until we rotate to the pitch. They travel in rotation with the pivot, but they do not commit to the pitch until the rotation is complete. This rotated position with the hands still back is what we call the DRIVE position. It is at that time that the hands will launch.

NOW we can trust them. Let them explode the bat to the ball.

One final note. Remember that when we hit, the hands are in a double lever system. That is, they don’t personally go to the ball. They are holding the bat, which goes to the ball. The hands always end up in front of the body. They are responsible for directing the bat to the proper cut line on the pitch.

These techniques are fully explained in our Super 8 Hitting System DVD set, completely demonstrated in a series of baseball coaching tips.

Good luck – hope this helps.

Coach Joe Brockhoff

“In Hitting, Trust the Hands: Good or Bad?”

Hi. I’m Coach Joe Brockoff, a Division I Head Baseball Coach for Tulane University for more than 19 years, and former minor league player for the New York Yankees. My proven baseball hitting system has helped many hitters become a threat at the plate.

As a coach committed to continuous improvement, I share my baseball drills, tips, and techniques here so that you will, in turn, inspire and motivate a young player to improve his/her game. Read excerpts from my book, Super 8 Hitting System, watch some of my free instructional videos, or order my video package, The Super 8 Hitting System,!

So let’s get started.

We’ve often heard baseball coaches tell their players, “Trust the hands!” Is that a good

coaching concept? No, I say. It’s the opposite. In fact, here’s one of the most important lessons I teach players during drills:

“HIPS TAKE US TO THE BALL.

HANDS TAKE US THROUGH THE BALL.”

Our hands are auto reactors, providing some of our body’s quickest muscle reaction. If

we hold our hands up and pop our wrists, we can do that repeatedly very quickly. If

someone were to throw a punch at us, our hands would quickly and automatically pop up in

defense.

As an infielder, we don’t have to think about a ball thrown to us. Our hands react to the direction of the ball and make the catch without having to think about it. Think of the catcher after he gives the sign. He is taught to frame the pitch. His hands automatically go to the pitch without any thought or direction.

Yes, the hands are auto reactors. Is this good for the hitter? “No!” When the hands move too early, this is when we hear the coach yell out, “Wait on the pitch!” Good coaches know that a hitter who allows his hands to react automatically as his first movement towards the pitch will never have full body support.

Now, let’s apply this to our baseball hitting mechanics.

Here are the steps:

1. Coil (Load): The hitter collects his weight on the backside.

2. Stride: a linear step towards the pitched ball (30-40% of weight transfer).

3. Body Rotation: Hips rotate toward the ball.

4. Hands will then, and only then, execute the stroke.

Repeat, “hips take us to the ball, hands take us through the ball.” Don’t trust the hands . . . yet. Discipline the hands to wait until we get into launch position—hands inside the ball and hips rotated—then turn to the pitch and initiate the stroke.

They travel in rotation with the pivot, but they do not commit to the pitch until the rotation is complete. This rotated position with the hands still back is what we call the “drive” position. It is at this time that the hands will launch.

“Now” we can trust the hands. Try it, and watch the ball explode onto the bat.

Coach’s Corner Extra Tip: Remember that when we hit, the hands are in a double lever system. That is, they don’t personally go to the ball. They are holding the bat, which goes to the ball. The hands always end up in front of the body. They are responsible for directing the bat to the proper cut line on the pitch.

Learn more about the Trusting the Hands baseball hitting drill and other proven methods for increasing batting speed by visiting my Super 8 Hitting System—a bestselling baseball training web site and instructional video package, which includes many free youth baseball drills and tips.