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The Art of Hitting by Ray Pahl

There are many important factors to hitting. The most important is that the bat is the proper weight. The best way to test if a bat is the right size is the one hand drill. Simply have the player grip the bat with the hand that goes on the bottom of the bat. Now have the player extend the bat straight out and hold for a count of ten. If it is a struggle, then a lighter bat is needed. Conversely, if it is too easy, a heavier bat is the proper choice.

The next thing is to make sure the grip on the bat is correct. The bat should rest in the crease where the fingers meet the palm. The middle knuckles on both hands should form a line. They now sell batting gloves that have this line drawn on them, which help the players check to see it they are in proper alignment. Many players make the common mistake of placing the bat against their thumbs; this reduces their ability to fully snap their wrists during the swing. Finally, make sure that they do not squeeze the bat too hard. It is important that the bat is held comfortably and the batter is relaxed. If it is held too tight, their muscles will also tighten up, and they need to be as relaxed as possible.

The stance that they use should allow them to swing the bat and hit a ball pitched over either corner of the plate. The drill that I recommend is a simple one. First have them grip the bat with the bat positioned correctly in their bottom hand, walk up to the plate and put their feet together. Then, have them extend their arm until the tip of the bat touches the point of the plate, moving closer or further away as needed. (This will insure that when they swing, the bat will cover the entire plate) Next, have them draw a line in the dirt from the point of the plate to their feet. Now they place their top hand on the bat, making sure that the knuckles are lined up, and place the bat on their shoulder. They should now move their back foot until their feet are shoulder width apart. Check here to make sure that their feet are in a straight line and parallel to the plate. This will stop them from stepping towards first or third base on the swing.

Finally, they lift the bat off their shoulder, and drop their posterior down. Their knees should now be bent over their toes, and the chin should be lined up so that it is in the middle of their feet if you were to draw a line down, with the chin also being over the toes. Their head should be relaxed and facing the pitcher. Check their balance by gently pushing them forward, backward and to the side. They should not move or fall back, if they do, they need the stance corrected until they are balanced.

Now for the fun part, the swing! Everyone wants to hit the ball hard, so the natural thing for hitters to do is to swing too hard or to over swing. If a hitter's rear foot comes forward during or after the swing swinging too hard usually causes it. Have players get used to a nice swing, not one where they fall down.

Here is an easy drill to get them to do that. First, once they are in the proper stance, have them start their swing. This means that they step forward with their front leg, and the arms move slightly back. Next, their rear leg and hip should start to rotate towards the pitcher. A common mistake here is that the batter will also turn their front leg and hip. This causes them to pull off the ball, or for a right-handed hitter, step toward third base. This reduces not only their ability to cover the entire plate, but also reduces their power. Now as they extend their arms on the swing, check and make sure that their head is looking right down their arms, through the bat, to the ball. When they make contact with the ball, their top wrist should roll over their bottom hand and they should swing all the way through until the bat comes to rest behind the hitter's back. Many hitters when they start to learn will not follow through, so watch out for this. The rear pivot foot should also grind into the dirt during the swing. You can also help them watch the bat hit the ball by doing the chin to shoulder drill. This means that a right-handed batter will have the chin next to the left shoulder when the swing starts and next to the right shoulder when the swing is completed. This helps them concentrate on watching the bat hit the ball, as well as not moving their head during the swing.

The first thing to remember is that it takes about three weeks to change a person's muscle memory. This means that you will not see dramatic improvement overnight, so it is important that you as a coach or parent explain this so that the ball player is not disappointed. Also, many hitters, no matter what age, want to swing just like the players on TV. Well the problem here is that these hitters have swung the bat well over 10,000 times, so they have their own style mastered. Also, even major league hitters spend time hitting off a tee. It is the best way to make sure that their swing and their mechanics are in line. The tee is probably one of the most effective and overlooked hitting tools.