HITTING A BASEBALL

• CAM STEPHENS & NICK SKALA

THE FACTS*American

LeagueNational League A.L. + N.L. Year

228 227 455 1901

147 214 361 1910

369 261 630 1920

673 892 1,565 1930

883 688 1,571 1940

973 1,100 2,073 1950

1,086 1,042 2,128 1960

1,746 1,683 3,429 1970

1,844 1,243 3,087 1980

1,796 1,521 3,317 1990

2,688 3,005 5,693 2000

2,252 2,705 4,957 2007

THETHESWING SWING

MECHANICSMECHANICS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bn10eOpUa8

STANCESTANCE•FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART

•BACK FOOT SLIGHTLY PIGEON-TOED

•KNEES FLEXED

•KNEES PINCHED/INSIDE FEET

•SLIGHT BEND AT WAIST

•ELBOWS DOWN/FOREARMS

•RELAXED

RRHHYYTTHHYYMM

•LAW OF MOTION: A BODY AT REST, WILL STAY AT REST UNLESS ACTED UPON BY A GREATER FORCE

• DIFFICULT TO HIT WITHOUT IT

• AS A HITTER YOU ARE “DANCING” WITH THE PITCHER

•HIPS

•HANDS

•FEET

LOADINGLOADING• WEIGHT SHIFTS TO 60/40 BALANCE ON REAR LEGWEIGHT SHIFTS TO 60/40 BALANCE ON REAR LEG• GOES UP AGAINST, NOT OVER BACK LEGGOES UP AGAINST, NOT OVER BACK LEG

• TYPES:TYPES:• LEG LIFT LEG LIFT • TOE TAPTOE TAP• TOE PUSHTOE PUSH

STRIDE/ HAND SEPERATIONSTRIDE/ HAND SEPERATION

•CONTROLED/COORDINATED ACTION

• AN EXTENSION OF FRONT LOWER LEG, NOT A WEIGHT SHIFT

• WEIGHT IS STILL 60/40, 55/45

•SHOULD LAND ON BALL OF FRONT FOOT

• FOOT & HIP SHOULD BE CLOSED

LOWER HALF LOWER HALF ACTIONACTION

• BACK KNEE & HIP LEAD INITIAL MOVE TO SWING AT THE BALL

• HANDS DO MOVE AT THE BEGINNING, THEY CONNECT TO HIPS AFTER INTIAL MOVE BY LOWER HALF

• AMOUNT OF BACK HIP ROTATION DEPENDENT ON WHERE THE BALL IS: INSIDE/OUTSIDE

BAT LAGBAT LAG•POINT AT WHICH KNOB OF THE BAT IS MOVING TOWARDS THE BASEBALL & BACKOF BARREL IS POINTING AT THE CATCHER

• BAT IS LEVEL OR JUST ABOVE HANDS AT THIS POINT

• BOTTOM HAND IS LEADING KNOB TO BALL

• TOP HAND WORKS WHEN THE BOTTOM HAND REACHES THE MID-CHEST AREA

CONTACTCONTACT• POINT AT WHICH BAT MEETS BALL

• GOAL IS TO BE PALM UP/PALM DOWN

• UPPER BODY IS STACKED, NOT FALLING BACK OR LEANING FORWARD

• WEIGHT IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED 50/50

• FRONT LEG IS FIRM

• BACK HEEL POINTING UP

EXTENSIONEXTENSION•TAKES PLACE AFTER YOU HIT THE BALL

• STILL PALM UP/PALM DOWN

• DON’T HIT THE BALL, HIT THROUGH IT

FINISHFINISH• SHOULD BE CONTROLLED & BALANCED

• BAT BAREL FINISHES AROUND TOP OF SHOULDER

• SLIGHT LEAN BACKWARD POSSIBLE

HOMERUN HOMER

THE END