Batting Fundamentals.

[Music] making a good clean hit is one of the greatest thrills of baseball however before a player becomes an accomplished hitter he must master a number of basic skills among them are choosing the right bat taking the proper stance in the box using the proper grip on the bat keeping your eyes on the ball the stride the swing and the follow through choosing the right bat is very important the right bat will vary with the individual but select one short enough and light enough to handle easily that's usually weigh about one ounce to the inch 33 to 35 inches is about right for most players it's a mistake to think you can hit better with a heavier back most major league players use 34 or inch bats stance in the box also varies somewhat with the individual player take an easy comfortable position hips forward from the plate and relaxed knees slightly bent but not stiff or locked feet should be fairly well spread and in line with the pitcher or the forward foot slightly closer to the plate weight should be evenly distributed on the balls of both feet hold the arms well away from the body back fairly high but not high enough to interfere with seeing the ball there are three basic grips in the full length or free swing the hands grip the bat at the knob end of the handle in the modified free swing the bat is held about an inch or two from the knob and in the choke grip it is held still further from the knob to suit the individual each has its purpose the full length grip is best for the free swing of the power hitter however most players of high school age will find that the modified free swing will give better control and result in a higher batting average the choke grip may be better for the small player as it's even easier to control the grip should be firm but relaxed and tightened just before the bat meets the ball keep your eye on the ball at all times from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand until the swing of the bat the art of hitting begins with a strike a low flat step directly toward the pitcher as the weight is shifted to the back foot the bat is cocked backwards slightly before starting the forward swing the power of the swing comes from several factors a thrust with the back foot as the weight is shifted to the front foot a roll of the hips and a forceful swing of the freely extended arms in the swing the bat is actually thrown forward toward and through the ball gauge the swing to make the best part of the bat hit the ball swinging early for an inside ball and hesitating just a bit longer for the outside one keep the swing level at all times raising or lowering the handle of the bat for high or low pitches for the low outside pitch it'll be necessary to stride toward the ball bend the knees slightly and lower the end of the bat keeping the swing as level as possible the follow-through gives added impetus to the ball it maintains body balance which results in a good breakaway from the plate to first base another fundamental skill needed by hitters is bunting there are three types of bucks the sacrifice usually to advance another player to the next base the surprise but for a base hit usually down the third base line and the push or drag bunt which is used by the more experienced players a bunt may be made from the regular batting position or by stepping around so that the body faces the pitcher this position is preferred by most players the batter changes his position just as the pitcher's arm goes up for the pitch the top hand slides up toward the trademark and acts as a fulcrum to control the direction of the bunt in all types of bumps the bat is held loosely and fairly high knees and hips are bent and arms are fairly well extended to hold the bat in a parallel position in front of the plate body weight should be shifted to the foot nearest the plate in buzzing the bat is held forward rather than swap the bat should meet the ball high in order to knock it downward the direction of bunt depends on the angle at which the bat meets the ball perfection of batting skills requires constant practice pepper games provide an ideal way to sharpen the batting eye and get practice in all the fundamentals batting should be practiced at every opportunity outdoors during the spring and summer months and in the gym during the winter a ball suspended from a string provides a safe effective method of getting practice when you have mastered these fundamentals you're ready for the thrills of baseball the thrill of fitting your skill against a catcher who is trying to size up your weaknesses and sending signals to a pitcher who is determined to take advantage of those weaknesses and seven other players who are determined that any hit you make won't result in a run you are one man against nine and your percentage of hits will depend to a large extent on how well you've mastered the elements of successful batting then the greatest thrills of baseball may be yours good