Mastering the Basic Fundamental Hitting Approach: Look Away, Adjust In
Mastering the Basic Fundamental Hitting Approach: Look Away, Adjust In
In baseball, success at the plate often comes down to having a solid approach. A strategic plan for each at-bat can significantly improve your performance and increase your chances of making solid contact. One of the most effective and fundamental hitting approaches is "Look Away, Adjust In." In this blog, we'll delve into what this approach entails, why it works, and how you can implement it to elevate your game.
The Importance of Having a Plan
Why a Plan Matters
Going up to the plate without a plan is like driving without a map. You might get somewhere, but it’s unlikely to be your desired destination. At higher levels of play, pitchers and their coaches always have a plan to get you out. Therefore, having a plan, or an approach, is crucial for hitters to counteract the pitcher's strategy.
As Benjamin Franklin famously said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." This quote applies perfectly...
Mastering Hitting Contact Points in Baseball By Building Room for Error
Mastering Hitting Contact Points in Baseball By Building Room for Error
In baseball, hitting is not just about making contact with the ball; it’s about making consistent and powerful contact. One of the keys to achieving this is understanding and mastering hitting contact points. This blog will delve into the nuances of hitting contact points, providing insights and techniques to help you build room for error in your swing and improve your overall hitting performance.
Understanding Hitting Contact Points
The Basics of Contact Points
When it comes to hitting, the contact point is where the bat meets the ball. Depending on the pitch's location, the contact point can vary:
- Outside Pitch: Ideally, you want to make contact with an outside pitch deep in the zone, allowing the ball to travel before swinging.
- Middle Pitch: For pitches down the middle, contact should be made slightly further out in front.
- Inside Pitch: Inside pitches should be hit even further out in front to pull the...
Mastering the Trigger in Your Baseball Swing: A Key to Power and Control
Mastering the Trigger in Your Baseball Swing: A Key to Power and Control
In baseball, mastering the mechanics of your swing is crucial for success at the plate. One essential component often overlooked is the trigger. The trigger is the pre-swing movement that serves as a staging platform to generate energy and momentum, allowing you to attack the baseball with purpose and control. This blog explores what a trigger is, why it’s important, and how to implement it effectively in your swing.
What is a Trigger?
The trigger in a baseball swing is a pre-swing movement designed to generate energy and momentum in a controlled manner. It sets the stage for your swing, ensuring you’re ready to attack the ball with purpose and intent.
Purposeful and Controlled Movement
A good trigger involves aggressive yet controlled movements. Think of it as being 99% committed to swinging at the pitch with 1% control to adjust if necessary. This balance allows you to maintain enough commitment...
Stealing Information from Other Players: A Key to Baseball Success
Stealing Information from Other Players: A Key to Baseball Success
In baseball, the term "stealing" usually brings to mind swiping bases, but there's another kind of stealing that can significantly benefit your game: stealing information. This blog post explores how gathering insights from fellow players can help you improve your skills and reach higher levels in baseball, from high school to pro ball.
Why Stealing Information is Important
As a player aspiring to improve, you can't rely solely on your own experiences or even just on your coaches' guidance. Other players, especially those who have already achieved the levels you aim for, are valuable resources. They have firsthand knowledge of how to apply the mechanics and techniques that coaches teach.
Real-World Application
Coaches provide critical information and training, but players often have unique ways of applying this knowledge based on their individual experiences. By learning from your peers, you can discover practical...
Popping the ball up? It may not be your back shoulder dropping
Correct Your Back Shoulder Drop And Discover A More Powerful, Consistent Swing
“You’re dropping your back shoulder! Get your back shoulder up!” It’s a phrase echoed in ballparks across the country. But is it the right advice? Honestly, it’s not. But while it may be bad advice, it’s not lousy coaching. But your barrel usually drops with you when you drop your back shoulder. As a result, it is impossible to be short to contact and long through the zone of contact. This lowers the point of contact and makes it much more challenging to hit the ball properly. When the back shoulder drops, the angle of contact changes, and the ball is more likely to go foul or weakly hit.
So, instead of a base hit or a home run, you earn an instant fly-out or foul ball over the backstop—or worse, a swing and a miss.
While it may sound like decent advice, it is missing the point. Whether you are a parent, athlete, or coach,...
Choking Up On The Bat Doesnโt Make You A Better Hitter
Choking Up On The Bat Doesn’t Make You A Better Hitter. Here’s Why.
Spend a few minutes watching a little league baseball game, and you will undoubtedly hear the coaches instructing some of the smaller players to choke up on the bat. There is this intuitive idea that when the bat is just a bit too long for the size of the young player, choking up reduces the length of the bat, thereby reducing the amount of time and effort it takes to rotate the bat over the plate.
That same conventional wisdom has extended through the more advanced ranks of the baseball world. Coach tells you to "Choke up when you get two strikes." This is about changing your grip by moving your hands up the bat's handle toward the barrel. To be clear, I am not talking about choking up and staying there throughout your at-bat—Barry Bonds was famous for doing this—or when we face ultra-hard throwers or a game on the line. On these occasions, some hitters will choke just...
