Friday, January 9, 2009
HITTER'S CHECK LIST
1. STANCE - Form a strong, balanced base with weight on balls of feet.
2. GRIP – Hold bat out on fingers and align middle set of knuckles of top hand with middle knuckles of bottom hand. Knob of bat should start over the back foot.
3. Back of bottom hand should face the pitcher.
4. Bat should be held at about 45 degrees to the ground.
5. Load – must go back to go forward – use toe tap or lift knee, but coil front knee toward back knee for either approach to develop torque. See photo of Matt Holliday, former Colorado Rockies.
6. COCK WRISTS – and take bat head back toward helmet, but do not wrap the bat around your head.
7. STRIDE – must get stride foot down before starting your swing, keep stride length short & minimize lateral head movement.
8. LAND ON STIFF FRONT LEG - (Pujols, Ordonez, Texiera, Lee)
9. STEP AWAY - from your hands, keeping your weight back. See photos of Albert Pujols, Mark Texiera, and Alex Rodriquez.
10. Open hips and keeps hands back.
11. PIVOT ON BACK FOOT - SHOE LACES – should face pitcher at contact with ball. See Photos)
12. HANDS STAY INSIDE THE BALL - hands behind the ball results in hooking the ball and hitting balls that are on the inner-half of the plate to be pulled foul. Also slows bat speed.
13. PALM UP – PALM DOWN – The Palm of the top hand should be facing up while the Palm of the bottom hand should be facing down at contact।
14. KEEP HEAD DOWN – Track the ball all the way to the bat.
15. FOLLOW THROUGH – Bat head should finish above front shoulder
Items 5 through 15 best checked via video of your swings. Consider having parent or friend video game swings.
Note: Mechanics are to be worked on during weekly or pre-game BP sessions. Never think about you mechanics once you’re in the batter’s box during a game. That’s the time you must entirely focus on the pitcher and the baseball! Your objective is to get a good pitch to hit and to “Track it and Whack” it!
More MLB photos can be viewed on the internet at BestSportsPhotos.com
Click on baseball and then click on a Major League Team to see photos.
Bob Harris - Former Scout Cincinnati Reds
2. GRIP – Hold bat out on fingers and align middle set of knuckles of top hand with middle knuckles of bottom hand. Knob of bat should start over the back foot.
3. Back of bottom hand should face the pitcher.
4. Bat should be held at about 45 degrees to the ground.
5. Load – must go back to go forward – use toe tap or lift knee, but coil front knee toward back knee for either approach to develop torque. See photo of Matt Holliday, former Colorado Rockies.
6. COCK WRISTS – and take bat head back toward helmet, but do not wrap the bat around your head.
7. STRIDE – must get stride foot down before starting your swing, keep stride length short & minimize lateral head movement.
8. LAND ON STIFF FRONT LEG - (Pujols, Ordonez, Texiera, Lee)
9. STEP AWAY - from your hands, keeping your weight back. See photos of Albert Pujols, Mark Texiera, and Alex Rodriquez.
10. Open hips and keeps hands back.
11. PIVOT ON BACK FOOT - SHOE LACES – should face pitcher at contact with ball. See Photos)
12. HANDS STAY INSIDE THE BALL - hands behind the ball results in hooking the ball and hitting balls that are on the inner-half of the plate to be pulled foul. Also slows bat speed.
13. PALM UP – PALM DOWN – The Palm of the top hand should be facing up while the Palm of the bottom hand should be facing down at contact।
14. KEEP HEAD DOWN – Track the ball all the way to the bat.
15. FOLLOW THROUGH – Bat head should finish above front shoulder
Items 5 through 15 best checked via video of your swings. Consider having parent or friend video game swings.
Note: Mechanics are to be worked on during weekly or pre-game BP sessions. Never think about you mechanics once you’re in the batter’s box during a game. That’s the time you must entirely focus on the pitcher and the baseball! Your objective is to get a good pitch to hit and to “Track it and Whack” it!
More MLB photos can be viewed on the internet at BestSportsPhotos.com
Click on baseball and then click on a Major League Team to see photos.
Bob Harris - Former Scout Cincinnati Reds
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
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