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Five Key Principles to Great Baseball Hitting Mechanics

Like no other time in history has the opportunity for female athletes ever been so great. With the advent of Title nine mandated in the sports arena, female athletic programs have blossomed across the country. From youth select program, starting at the ripe age of 10- some even younger, to the highly recognized USA national teams, and professional teams that have emerged in basketball and softball.

Same Game, Same Swing!

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In the area of fastpitch, a major change has been taking place; an evolution of a game. More and more players, and coaches, are adopting a hitting technique that has been around for along time; a baseball approach to hitting, and with very good reason. The mechanics that the best players in the game are using are showing up in the girls game and making a significant impact.

#1 Weight Transfer

First of all, we believe that weight transfer is an essential element of great hitting mechanics. We do not believe it is a hitting technique, but rather an element of great hitting, and a major one at that. There has to be back to front movement in a players swing process in order to hit with any kind of consistency and power. Sitting, squishing the bug is simply poor mechanics.

Watch the back foot - players are either on the tip of their back foot, or the foot is completely off the ground at contact. This is what good weight transfer looks like and there has to be back to front motion in the swing. There is no sitting, there is no squishing "the bug".

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#2 Hips & Core

Turning to the ball with the hips leading the way is such a huge part of hitting and is an area that a majority of young players never fully develop. The power that is generated by the hips/core in a baseball swing is based on the principle of torque. The big muscles need to pull the small muscles. The same way a golfer, boxer, tennis player, and pitcher use their core muscles to turn, so do the best hitters in the game. Players need to "learn to turn" to the ball.

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#3 Leveling

The greatest difference between a linear and rotational hitter is their approach to the ball. Leveling is the technique that gets the bat into the path of the ball and is irrefutable as to whether it is really happening, because it is. Dipping the back shoulder, dropping the barrel of the bat level to the ball and swinging up through the oncoming pitch.

The process of the elbow working up and around the body is an essential part of leveling and the only way a player can ever get the barrel where it needs to be. Whether it is Manny Ramirex on a pitch up in the zone or Texeria dropping down on a low one, one thing remains the same - they get "level to the ball" and they are "swinging up" through it.

#4 Ideal Impact

Ted Williams wrote that the ultimate contact point is made when the barrel of the bat and ball meet at a 90 degree angle - 10 degress outside of either side of your ideal contact spot and you will lose all power that was generated prior. Another term that is used to describe ideal impact is hitting with your hands "inside" the ball. A couple things have to happen to make ideal impact; one, you have to let the ball travel deep enough into the hitting zone and two, your front elbow has to move up and around your body. Wrists are square (knocker knuckles) and the hitters box is intact. By intact, I am referring to the back elbow is at, or close to, the body and front elbow is slightly bent.

#5 Extension & The Power "V"

Finally, we will take a look at "Extension" and the long part of the swing, also referred to the Power "V". Great swing mechanics can be broken down into two simple elements; short and compact to the ball, long through the ball. It is this concept of "getting long" that really sets the great hitters apart. The longer a player can keep the bat in the plane of the pitch, the better chance they will hit the ball and make contact. Great baseball Hitters understand the importance of keeping the wrists square at contact and push through to the "V" without rolling through the ball; but rarely is it taught. You simply cannot ignore the significance of having a long swing and keeping the bat in the plane of the ball as long as possible. It is way too important. Teach your players short to the ball, long through it!

Great hitters transfer their weight forward, let the back shoulder dip, pull with their hips, keep their hitters box intact, get level to the ball, understand ideal impact, have a long finish, and swing up through the ball. They are short and compact to the ball, and long through it. great hitters understand the importance of keeping the bat in the hitting zone as long as possible, and stay calm and under control at the plate. Hitting is a series of linked movements that all come together as one and is based on the principle of slow to fast; nothing rushed, nothing jerky, just nice and smooth, step and turn to the ball!

The best hitters use rotational mechanics. The very same mechanics that Ted Williams used, and the great hitters before and after him. The best hitters in baseball are doing exactly the opposite of what a large majority of coaches in this country are teaching. They don't swing down and they are not trying to hit grounders - sorry to say it. Do you think for a second that Pujols ever goes up to the plate looking to hit the ball into the ground?

"The ParkerTraining System"

Specifically designed to teach players the vital mechanics through a unique scaffolding system unlike anything you have ever seen. Don't let another season pass you by, make the change and give your players a legitimate chance to be the best the can possibly be.

TRAINING MANUAL

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