If you think about it, hitting a baseball is probably one of the hardest things to do in sports. If you have a 30 percent success rate in any other aspect of athletics, you probably won’t make it too far, but in terms of hitting a baseball, that may very well send you to the Hall of Fame. But there are a few things you must first know before getting your name in Cooperstown.
Getting Started
You will be training your nerves and muscles to spontaneously react to an 80 mph and up speeding baseball. Your body does not naturally have the reflexes to swing a bat at something so small moving so fast. That is why practice is such a huge factor when speaking of baseball. First you must get a bat that is comfortable and will help you perform better on the field. One good test that always seems to work is to hold the knob of the bat and bring it up until it is completely parallel to the ground. If you can keep it in the same position, it should be a good weight for you. The length should never be greater than a three off from the weight of the bat. For example, if the bat is 31 ounces, you don’t want to go longer than 34 inches.
Things To Practice
The first thing to practice is your stance. Make sure you can comfortably reach every part of the strike zone and that you are a good distance from the plate. Also, remember to always bend your knees slightly so you feel relaxed at the plate. Now that you have worked on your stance, it’s time for in-game hitting. One thing to remember is to always stare at the pitcher’s cap until the ball becomes visible. This will make sure that you see the ball for the longest amount of time possible. This is extremely important because you need to make about four different decisions in a fraction of a second. Where’s the ball, what pitch is coming, where is the pitch located, should I swing? When getting ready for the pitch, use all your focus to analyze the ball and ready up to make contact. Don’t get out of control with swaying your bat, but you should feel comfortable and relaxed enough to have a slight sway back and forth to keep in motion. As you move in for the hit, always remember to rotate your hips at the same time of the swing. If you have ever been golfing, the same rules apply. The last couple of things to remember are that you should swing at the ball as if you were chopping a tree down. This will result in more contact hits when playing. Lastly, don’t forget to follow through!
So now that you know the keys to success, remember to have fun and keep on practicing.