by Jason Kaye

Created on: September 03, 2008

There is no exact blueprint for the perfect baseball swing. Some hitters have naturally graceful swings. Ken Griffey Jr. owns one of the most beautiful swings in baseball. Others, like Craig Counsel, leave the beauty at home and do what it takes to get the job done. You cannot coach every instant or piece of the baseball swing; one must innovate and create his or her own swing. There are four main stages of the swing. The first is the approach, which is the mental aspect. The second is the moments leading up to the pitch. The third is the contact stage, and the final is the post-contact stage. There are many different theories about the correct way to swing the bat, such as the rotational approach and the linear approach. You could spend months arguing and debating which is correct. The truth is, the baseball swing is a conglomerate of all these approaches. In this article, I'll go over the basic ideas of the process leading up to and following the pitch.

The mental approach is perhaps the most important aspect of the swing. You cannot teach a hitter how to step up to the plate and be mentally prepared by reading him baseball books or articles. The best way to develop a mental approach is experience, along with guidance from a knowledgeable coach. You can keep yourself sharp by staying in the game and picking up patterns that pitchers tend to fall into. I believe the biggest thing about the mental approach, especially for youngsters, is to never be intimidated. Go up there with a plan, stick to the plan, and you'll be much more likely to execute.

So the pitcher has come set, and he's ready to deliver the pitch. There is no concrete, black and white position you must be in at this point. However, you must put yourself in a position to get to the "Power Position," which I'll discuss more later in the article. However you feel comfortable standing at the plate, waiting for the pitch, is the way you should be standing. The key is to stay relaxed, keep your hands loose, and lock your eyes on something near the pitcher's eventual release point. I personally like to stare at the design on the front of the pitcher's cap. This approach makes it much easier for you to pick up the ball once the pitcher's hand comes up to the release point. Instead of staring off at the distance trees, waiting for the slingshot to appear, pick a spot on the pitcher's cap to focus on until his hand comes up and is ready to release the ball.

The pitcher's leg comes up, and before you know

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