While the baseball swing has many complexities, these are fundamental basics that young hitters can learn and benefit from. To become a BetterBaseball player, go to TeachingBetterBaseball.com!
25 Responses to “Baseball Hitting: Basic Hitting Mechanics”
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: CoachCorral38
@trvlmgr13 I … @trvlmgr13 I played in the Toronto Blue Jay org, and now am a college pitching coach at NAIA Vanguard University in Southern Cal. I’ve a high school and travel ball coach for 10 years now, and teaching the game is my passion. I’ve learned and listened and read everything I could. I have fun in what I do and tray to make sure to keep learning. Socrates said, “true knowling is knowing that we know NOTHING.” Take that approach and you’ll find yourself constantly learning something new.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
I’ve read and … I’ve read and watched a lot about hitting, have listened to past professional players while attending their camps, etc, and played a lot through high school and college. To this day I haven’[t stopped – I feel it’s my responsiblilty as a father and coach. Three things Ted Williams stated that really put it all in perspective: 1)Hips lead the hands, 2)match the plane of the swing to the plane of the pitch and 3)keep your hands inside the ball
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Torque is created … Torque is created in the swing when the top half turns back slightly during the “load” – against a mostly stationary lower half. The upon launch, the hips turn before the top half creating the torque, then “pulling” the top half with it. “The big muscles of the lower half, pulling the smaller muscles of the upper half”, if you will.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Where did you/ do … Where did you/ do you play ball and learn from? I absolutely agree with your comment about where the elbow begins. the same could be said about the hands and bat. I don’t believe that the torque has anything to do with the where the back elbow is . Watch old videos of reggie jackson who nearly cork-screwed himself into the ground on his swings. His hands start near the bottom of his rib cage and the elbow is lower.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Coach – Well said. … Coach – Well said. With that attitude and approach, you would be one of the few I’ve come in contact with that I’d allow my son to be coached by. What irks me is the “this is only way” approach that many, many coaches subscribe to. Modifying your teaching approach to the individual is of utmost importance, and it seems that you are spot-on with it. Your players are lucky. good luck.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: CoachCorral38
3. Elbows up, … 3. Elbows up, elbows down. I don’t care where the back elbow starts (personal style), as long as its down when the body begins to rotate into the baseball. The higher the front elbow, the more the bat reaches a “level” plane. Having to START the stance with the elbow up is the myth. However, it has been talked about that it’s required to develop a torque during the load.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: CoachCorral38
2. The swing I … 2. The swing I teach is a marriage of rotational and linear approaches. I don’t subscribe to either one entirely, as the baseball swing is constantly fluid and adjusting. Rotational mechanics bring more of the body and power into play, where linear mechanics bring a more balanced and contact approach. Both swings have their merits, and both have their weak points. I feel trying to adapt the strengths of both is my goal when teaching young hitters.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: CoachCorral38
Hey guys, thanks … Hey guys, thanks for all the active comment. I’d like to help clarify a few things:
1. The barrel of the bat will most always be BELOW the hands during the swing. With my young hitters, I try to get them to remember to keep their hands above the baseball, helping them to ensure flush, fat contact behind the baseball. In my video, as a result of teaching that the hands will move towards the baseball in a slightly downward plane, I kept the barrel above my hands without noticing it.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Mo – do yourself a … Mo – do yourself a favor and watch video (slow motion if possible) and you will absolutely see that the mechanics of the previously mentioned hitters ALL have their front elbows working UP upon launching their swing. You must think along the lines of Charlie Lau, who taught to swing DOWN to the ball. His theory would not be possible if the elbow worked up. Before you make a statement like you last one, please get more information first.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Moknows44 please … Moknows44 please expand a little on your answer. I’m interested in hearing what you have to say. As a travel baseball coach, I’m always listening to ideas because we can always learn more. Saying that the elbow coming up is a myth is not correct if we’re talking about rotational hitting and getting the barrel of the bat on plane with the pitch. You CANNOT get the bat on plane early unless this happens.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: zykomonkey
agreed agreed
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: DreamsofMajesty
scribd (dot) com/ … scribd (dot) com/nb812
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: moknows44
dont keep ur elbows … dont keep ur elbows up thats a myth
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
One more thing: … One more thing: Watch Major league hitters closely and you will see the same mechanics as described in my last post. A-Rod, Pujols, Manny Ramirez, Longoria, Pedroia, etc., all look like the “live” swing in this video, NOT the “instructional” swing that he’s “teaching”. The bottom line is that his live (natural) swing is excellent, but he does not teach that swing to the viewers. If he really “SEES” the swings of the aformentioned players or other MLB players, he’d also see the difference.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
The reason his … The reason his barrel drops is not necessarily to compensate for the load (barrel behind his head) but due to his mechanics. Which are excellent. Watch his front elbow as he starts his swing. It comes up, as the rear elbow tucks in near his ribs. This is the reason the barrel drops – and puts it on plane with the pitch early. Since the pitch is on a downward path, the swing will be slightly up to match it, giving the hitter a chance to make consistant contact.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: dgilbert9207
trvlmgr13, … trvlmgr13, technically you are correct however I don’t think he is intentionally contradicting himself. The reason the barrel is below his hands on live swing is because he wrapped his bat around his head when he loaded creating a long swing. In order for him to get to the V-extention, he automatically drop the bat barrel to compensate.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Here’s the problem: … Here’s the problem: The mechanics he’s teaching CONTRADICT those of his own swing! I see this a lot. Many coaches “parrot” what they’ve been taught instead of really studying the swing and SEEING the mechanics step-by-step. As he’s teaching the swing, the barrel of his bat is ABOVE his hands until contact, putting the swing on a V-shaped path, and is NEVER on plane with pitch), but BELOW his hands in his full-speed swing and the bat is on-plane early in swing and stays there to contact.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: lvdjohnson
Justin….You just … Justin….You just said the bats going down until contact, then its perfectly level. It doesn’t matter where it goes after contact. You’ve already hit the ball! Thanks for pointing that out.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: MrJustin124
@lvdjohnson you … @lvdjohnson you idiot, its going down UNTIL it makes contact, once the contact is made, its perfectly level. stupid.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: lvdjohnson
I did say “solid” … I did say “solid” contact. If that’s not true, in your next video….why don’t you demonstrate how you hit the ball off of a tee swinging down and the ball getting enough backspin with “solid” contact to get out of the infield? I’ll take Griffeys, Pujols or Jeters swing any day!
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: bighitter755
Thats not true when … Thats not true when the barrel moves down through the zone and the finishes high it causes the ball to have back spin and rise as it travles.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: lvdjohnson
The thing I don’t … The thing I don’t like is your barrel is moving downward through the contact zone. This means you’re going to hit a lot of grounders when you make solid contact. 90% of grounders are outs.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: plaguedXkyle
this really helped … this really helped me.
i always have problems with shifting my weight forward and sometimes i spin my waist earlier than my arms.
but i think i got it now!
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: bronze139
other points bend … other points bend your knees for a strong balance..also that elbow I recommend should pointed down past your face
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: veredia2
Save yourself some … Save yourself some time and get something from Charley Lau. Even his book is an easy read that anyone could gain a mass of knowledge from, especially coahces
While the baseball swing has many complexities, these are fundamental basics that young hitters can learn and benefit from. To become a BetterBaseball player, go to TeachingBetterBaseball.com!
25 Responses to “Baseball Hitting: Basic Hitting Mechanics”
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: CoachCorral38
@trvlmgr13 I …
@trvlmgr13 I played in the Toronto Blue Jay org, and now am a college pitching coach at NAIA Vanguard University in Southern Cal. I’ve a high school and travel ball coach for 10 years now, and teaching the game is my passion. I’ve learned and listened and read everything I could. I have fun in what I do and tray to make sure to keep learning. Socrates said, “true knowling is knowing that we know NOTHING.” Take that approach and you’ll find yourself constantly learning something new.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
I’ve read and …
I’ve read and watched a lot about hitting, have listened to past professional players while attending their camps, etc, and played a lot through high school and college. To this day I haven’[t stopped – I feel it’s my responsiblilty as a father and coach. Three things Ted Williams stated that really put it all in perspective: 1)Hips lead the hands, 2)match the plane of the swing to the plane of the pitch and 3)keep your hands inside the ball
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Torque is created …
Torque is created in the swing when the top half turns back slightly during the “load” – against a mostly stationary lower half. The upon launch, the hips turn before the top half creating the torque, then “pulling” the top half with it. “The big muscles of the lower half, pulling the smaller muscles of the upper half”, if you will.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Where did you/ do …
Where did you/ do you play ball and learn from? I absolutely agree with your comment about where the elbow begins. the same could be said about the hands and bat. I don’t believe that the torque has anything to do with the where the back elbow is . Watch old videos of reggie jackson who nearly cork-screwed himself into the ground on his swings. His hands start near the bottom of his rib cage and the elbow is lower.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Coach – Well said. …
Coach – Well said. With that attitude and approach, you would be one of the few I’ve come in contact with that I’d allow my son to be coached by. What irks me is the “this is only way” approach that many, many coaches subscribe to. Modifying your teaching approach to the individual is of utmost importance, and it seems that you are spot-on with it. Your players are lucky. good luck.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: CoachCorral38
3. Elbows up, …
3. Elbows up, elbows down. I don’t care where the back elbow starts (personal style), as long as its down when the body begins to rotate into the baseball. The higher the front elbow, the more the bat reaches a “level” plane. Having to START the stance with the elbow up is the myth. However, it has been talked about that it’s required to develop a torque during the load.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: CoachCorral38
2. The swing I …
2. The swing I teach is a marriage of rotational and linear approaches. I don’t subscribe to either one entirely, as the baseball swing is constantly fluid and adjusting. Rotational mechanics bring more of the body and power into play, where linear mechanics bring a more balanced and contact approach. Both swings have their merits, and both have their weak points. I feel trying to adapt the strengths of both is my goal when teaching young hitters.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: CoachCorral38
Hey guys, thanks …
Hey guys, thanks for all the active comment. I’d like to help clarify a few things:
1. The barrel of the bat will most always be BELOW the hands during the swing. With my young hitters, I try to get them to remember to keep their hands above the baseball, helping them to ensure flush, fat contact behind the baseball. In my video, as a result of teaching that the hands will move towards the baseball in a slightly downward plane, I kept the barrel above my hands without noticing it.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Mo – do yourself a …
Mo – do yourself a favor and watch video (slow motion if possible) and you will absolutely see that the mechanics of the previously mentioned hitters ALL have their front elbows working UP upon launching their swing. You must think along the lines of Charlie Lau, who taught to swing DOWN to the ball. His theory would not be possible if the elbow worked up. Before you make a statement like you last one, please get more information first.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Moknows44 please …
Moknows44 please expand a little on your answer. I’m interested in hearing what you have to say. As a travel baseball coach, I’m always listening to ideas because we can always learn more. Saying that the elbow coming up is a myth is not correct if we’re talking about rotational hitting and getting the barrel of the bat on plane with the pitch. You CANNOT get the bat on plane early unless this happens.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: zykomonkey
agreed
agreed
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: DreamsofMajesty
scribd (dot) com/ …
scribd (dot) com/nb812
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: moknows44
dont keep ur elbows …
dont keep ur elbows up thats a myth
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
One more thing: …
One more thing: Watch Major league hitters closely and you will see the same mechanics as described in my last post. A-Rod, Pujols, Manny Ramirez, Longoria, Pedroia, etc., all look like the “live” swing in this video, NOT the “instructional” swing that he’s “teaching”. The bottom line is that his live (natural) swing is excellent, but he does not teach that swing to the viewers. If he really “SEES” the swings of the aformentioned players or other MLB players, he’d also see the difference.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
The reason his …
The reason his barrel drops is not necessarily to compensate for the load (barrel behind his head) but due to his mechanics. Which are excellent. Watch his front elbow as he starts his swing. It comes up, as the rear elbow tucks in near his ribs. This is the reason the barrel drops – and puts it on plane with the pitch early. Since the pitch is on a downward path, the swing will be slightly up to match it, giving the hitter a chance to make consistant contact.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: dgilbert9207
trvlmgr13, …
trvlmgr13, technically you are correct however I don’t think he is intentionally contradicting himself. The reason the barrel is below his hands on live swing is because he wrapped his bat around his head when he loaded creating a long swing. In order for him to get to the V-extention, he automatically drop the bat barrel to compensate.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: trvlmgr13
Here’s the problem: …
Here’s the problem: The mechanics he’s teaching CONTRADICT those of his own swing! I see this a lot. Many coaches “parrot” what they’ve been taught instead of really studying the swing and SEEING the mechanics step-by-step. As he’s teaching the swing, the barrel of his bat is ABOVE his hands until contact, putting the swing on a V-shaped path, and is NEVER on plane with pitch), but BELOW his hands in his full-speed swing and the bat is on-plane early in swing and stays there to contact.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: lvdjohnson
Justin….You just …
Justin….You just said the bats going down until contact, then its perfectly level. It doesn’t matter where it goes after contact. You’ve already hit the ball! Thanks for pointing that out.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: MrJustin124
@lvdjohnson you …
@lvdjohnson you idiot, its going down UNTIL it makes contact, once the contact is made, its perfectly level. stupid.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: lvdjohnson
I did say “solid” …
I did say “solid” contact. If that’s not true, in your next video….why don’t you demonstrate how you hit the ball off of a tee swinging down and the ball getting enough backspin with “solid” contact to get out of the infield? I’ll take Griffeys, Pujols or Jeters swing any day!
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: bighitter755
Thats not true when …
Thats not true when the barrel moves down through the zone and the finishes high it causes the ball to have back spin and rise as it travles.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: lvdjohnson
The thing I don’t …
The thing I don’t like is your barrel is moving downward through the contact zone. This means you’re going to hit a lot of grounders when you make solid contact. 90% of grounders are outs.
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: plaguedXkyle
this really helped …
this really helped me.
i always have problems with shifting my weight forward and sometimes i spin my waist earlier than my arms.
but i think i got it now!
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: bronze139
other points bend …
other points bend your knees for a strong balance..also that elbow I recommend should pointed down past your face
Mar 24th at 5:46 pm By: veredia2
Save yourself some …
Save yourself some time and get something from Charley Lau. Even his book is an easy read that anyone could gain a mass of knowledge from, especially coahces
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