Hitting

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Hitting
Some ideas on hitting. Run this Power point as a
slide show. Press F5. There are numerous videos.
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Click here to see video
Run this video clip of Babe Ruth. Check out how
wide he is. These pics are from the first swing.
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GRIP BAT HELD IN THE FINGERS, LOOSE IN THE
HANDS PRESSURE TOP HAND gt TOP FINGER BETWEEN
LARGE KNUCKLES BOTTOM HAND gt BOTToM THREE
FINGERS RELAXED HANDS AND ARMSBAT MUST BE ABLE
TO TRAVEL, MUST ABLE TO CHOP WOOD TAKE
STANCE, LAY END OF BAT ON PLATE, PLACE HANDS ON
BAT (LIKE GRABBING A GOLF CLUB BUT WITH A
BASEBALL GRIP), PICK STRAIGHT UP TO INTO BASEBALL
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Even when posing for pictures this group of stars
naturally grab the bat in their fingers
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All good hitters create this V
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Stance

• There are many different stances that successful
  hitters use.
• Since hitting actually begins when the stride
  foot hits, it really doesnt matter where you
  started from.
• What is important is that you are relaxed and
  tension-free as possible.

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Stride and Load
Slow, Easy, Early
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• PRE-PITCH
•    WEIGHT ROLLS TO INSIDE OF FEET (BRINGS KNEES
  CLOSER TOGETHER)  MOVEMENT OF HANDS (COCKING
  OR LOADING) IS OK AS LONG AS HANDS ARE AT
  LAUNCH POSITION AT CONCLUSION OF STRIDE

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•         THIS MOVEMENT MUST BE LINEAR AND CAN NOT
  CAUSE BODY ROTATION, DO NOT BAR OR SEPARATE
•         TOP HAND SHOULD BE CLOSER TO PITCHER
  THAN BOTTOM HAND
•         LEVEL, TWO-EYED LOOK AT THE PITCHER
• SOFT FOCUS LOOK AT PITCHERS HEAD

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o  STRIDE IS NOT PART OF THE SWING, IT IS
PREPARATION TO SWING (OVERCOMES INERTIA GETS
MOVEMENT STARTED) o  SHOULD LOAD YOU UP, NOT
TAKE YOU OUT LOAD-UP INITIATED BY FRONT SIDE
(NOT HANDS) ANKLE, KNEE, HIP, ELBOW
Make sure your back elbow can clear the body
o       GET YOUR FOOT DOWN EARLY ENOUGH SO YOU
CAN CONCENTRATE ON THE BALL. GET IT DONE BEFORE
THE RELEASE OF THE BALL.
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IT IS HARD TO BE TOO WIDE. MOST GREAT HITTERS
ARE WIDE. ESTABLISHES A SOLID BASE TO SWING FROM.
Not so narrow that you are off balance.
Not so wide that your hips cant work
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STRIDE SHOULD TAKE YOU DOWN, PLUG YOU INTO THE
GROUND, STACKED, IN AN ATHLETIC POSITION WEIGHT
ON INSIDE OF FEET ON LANDING, LIFT REAR END UP,
FRONT FOOT CLOSED ON LANDING, STEP ON THIN ICE
ON TOE OR BALL OF FOOT

• AT CONCLUSION OF STRIDE, HANDS MUST BE
• IN LAUNCH POSITION (TOP OF STRIKE ZONE),
• OVER THE BACK FOOT
• EXPOSED TO THE PITCHER,
• INSIDE THE ELBOWS
• TOP HAND CLOSER TO PITCHER,
• FRONT HEEL, KNEE, HIP, SHOULDER REMAIN CLOSED,
  EYES SHOULD REMAIN LEVEL, GO FROM SOFT FOCUS TO
  HARD-FOCUS ON RELEASE POINT

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Swing
Barry-500

• o TURN (ROTATE) TO THE BALL BACK KNEE TRIGGERS,
  HIPS OPEN, HANDS BEGIN TO TRAVEL, SHOULDERS OPEN,
  HANDS FINISH TRAVEL, BARREL GOES LAST (IN
  SEQUENCE, SHOULDERS AND EYES LEVEL)
• HANDS TRAVEL INSIDE THE BALL, ON A LINE, BACK
  ELBOW DROPS INTO SLOT HITTING IS ELBOWS DOWN,
  HANDS MUST LEAD THE BARREL, CREATES LAG,
  BARRELL MUST STAY UP AS HANDS GO

Sammy- 499
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Barrel goes last!
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• o       BAT TRAVELS DOWN TO THE MID-POINT OF BODY
  AND THEN LEVELS OUT PLAYER SHOULD HAVE A
  SWING-DOWN FEEL TO THE SWING (NATURAL TO
  UPPERCUT SO IT FEELS LEVEL)
• BACK KNEE TRIGGERS THE HIPS TO FIRE (BACK FOOT
  MUST TURN OVER), BACK KNEE POINTS DOWN

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Lou Gehrig
Check out how wide Gehrig is when landing foot
hits. Like Ruth, when he gets his front foot down
he then gets his big butt going to generate bat
speed.
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• o       MUST DO MORE THAN JUST SQUISH THE BUG ?
  GET UP ON TOP OF TOE
• SWING BEHIND (AND AGAINST) A FIRM FRONT SIDE,
  PASSIVE FRONT SIDE, EXPLOSIVE BACK SIDE

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Get your head behind the ball
o       HIPS GO FIRST, SHOULDERS GO NEXT TO
CREATE TORQUE o       HANDS MUST FINISH TRAVELING
BEFORE THE BARREL COMMITS, LEAD ELBOW STAYS
FLEXED UNTIL IMPACT ELBOWS DOWN (ELBOWS AND KNEES
STAY CLOSE TOGETHER), ARMS GO FROM FLEX TO
EXTENSION
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Get your head behind the ball.
Video runs 59
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Roger Maris
Click here to see video
Look how solid Maris was mechanically in 1961.
Back knee points straight down. Head solid.
Hips work to deliver barrel.
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HANDS TRAVEL IN AKARATE CHOP MOTION (PALM UP,
PALM DOWN AT CONTACT), TOP HAND ROLLS OVER
NATURALLY OR COMES OFF THE BAT AT THE FINISH OF
THE SWING (WELL AFTER CONTACT)
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STAY TALL, STAY BEHIND YOUR FRONT LEG, LET THE
BALL GET DEEP AND DRIVE IT CHIN GOES SHOULDER TO
SHOULDER, CHIN SHOULD DROP TO INSURE TRACKING
(ESPECIALLY ON LOW AND/OR INSIDE PITCH)
Here are some swings from A Rod.
Click here to see video
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• Hips rotate to deliver hands and barrel.
• Hands drive tight to body to ball.
• Barrel goes last.
• Chest should be parallel to barrel at contact.

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Joe DiMaggio
Click here to see video
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Rotate Hips to Deliver the Barrel.
Click here to see video
Ted Williams and Stan Musial were pretty good at
using hip rotation to deliver the barrel to the
ball with pretty good bat speed.
Click here to see video
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Barry Bonds
Click here to see video
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o      FINISH SHOULDER HIGH OR ABOVE, DISTANCE
BETWEEN LEAD SHOULDER AND KNEE SHOULD REMAIN
CONSTANT THROUGH SWING WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. BE
QUICK. SWING HARD.
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Click here to see video
Click here to see video
Erubiel Durazo Opp. field bomb.
Derek Jeter Stays over the ball so well and then
gets inside the ball with his hands.
Click here to see video
Jeff Bagwell How does he hit? Weird stance and a
hitch. Does a lot of things right. Great legs and
he is very strong.
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Some Pretty Good Left Hand Hitters
Rafael Palmerio
Luis Gonzalez
Jim Thome
Click here to see video
Click here to see video
Click here to see video
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