The ABCs of Hitting
Select a bat that allows for plate coverage and has some weight to it, yet is comfortable in the hands and can be swung with speed. Test the balance of the bat by holding it in just the lower hand and fully extended out in front of the body. If conscious effort is required to keep the bat extended, it is probably too heavy.
Hold the bat so that the handle in both hands is set in line where the fingers meet the meat of the hand. Wrap both thumbs around the bat handle. Grip the bat firmly as to allow for strong, natural wrist movement. Ultimately the hitter is required to snap or whip the bat head to the contact point. This snapping or whipping motion is restricted if the bat is held too deeply in the palm of the hands which is referred to as choking the bat.
Take a shoulder width stance, perhaps slightly wider, in the batter's box so that both feet are equidistant from home plate and that the bat when extended spans the width of the plate. The back foot should be within a foot of the furthest extent of the plate. Unless facing a pitcher that has exceptional velocity there is no reason to be extremely deep in the box. Setting either foot further from home plate than the other foot is not recommended as to do so requires body movement superfluous to the swing.
Fix the eyes in a straight line to the pitcher. Determine the release point of the pitcher, create an imaginary box around that point, and follow the flight of the ball from that particular point of origin. There is no reason to focus attention on the full range of motion of the arm. Do not move your head, but keep the neck muscles loose and relaxed.
As the pitcher prepares to deliver the pitch but has not yet started his motion, shift the body's weight to the balls of both feet. The heels need not be raised, but there must be no weight on them. Alternately shift the weight rhythmically from the back leg to the front leg. This barely perceptible rhythm prepares the body to react. Hold the bat straight up and down and perpendicular to the ground or if preferred with a slight angle to some degree over the back shoulder. The more upright the bat angle, the shorter the distance the bat head travels to the contact point. Start with the hands about heart high and the knob of the bat in line with the front of the knee of the back leg. The rear elbow should be at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the torso. As the pitcher starts his motion, get quiet- stop the rhythm.
As the pitcher's arm advances to the release point, load the body's weight to the back foot and initiate the moving of the hands by bringing them back and away from the pitcher so that ultimately the knob of the bat is in line with the back of the rear knee (see the note to follow). Not much of a load relative to distance is necessary.
At the point of the pitcher's release of the ball, stride directly toward the pitcher while maintaining the body's weight on the balls of the feet. Stay off the heels. The stride may be a short forward step, the lifting and setting down of the front foot without a change in stance width, or simply the redistribution of weight from upon the back foot to an even distribution to both feet. Work the hands from the loaded position (in line with the back of the rear knee)so that there is no stop in their motion. The load brings the hands to their deepest point simultaneously as the weight is transferred to the back leg and then they are immediately ready to reverse direction to attack the pitch. Stride or shift weight every pitch whether or not a swing is attempted.
Initiate the swing with the back leg. There are two common ways to do so. Either firmly rotate the back foot on the ball of the foot so as to turn the knee cap of the rear leg in toward the knee of the front leg or push off the ball of the rear foot as to drive the back knee toward the knee of the front leg. This movement is often referred to as the L. In either case the weight remains primarily on the back leg, the front leg stiffened through the knee and the body's weight lightly upon the front foot (as if on egg shells). Keep both the hands and the upper body in line with the back leg. Keep the shoulders level and in line with the approaching pitch, the head still, the eyes on the ball. Ultimately, the weight is transferred to and vaulted through the point of contact over the locked knee of the front leg.
To bring the bat head to the ball, keep the hands inside the line of the approaching pitch so that the physical sequence is body, hands, ball. Bring the lower hand to the ball in a back hand motion employing the forearm from elbow to wrist so that the knob of the bat is directed at the ball. Thrust the top hand almost in a punching or pushing motion as to assist the lower hand to the ball. Do not bar either arm at this point in the swing. To bar is to fully extend either or both arms. At the point where the lower hand is out over the back knee and perpendicular to the toes of the front foot and in the hitting zone, use both hands to snap the bat head to the contact point and follow through keeping the bat on the line of contact as long as possible. Do not roll the hands through the contact point. Keep the palm of the bottom hand facing down, the palm of the top hand facing up. The hands will roll naturally once the bat can be extended no further. Let the swing finish high and long behind the head and shoulders. The expression is short to the ball, long through it. Keep the weight back and the chest and upper body over the knee of the back leg through the swing. Keep the chest in and over the hitting zone to contact, then get tall through contact..
Regardless of the location of the pitch, start the bat above the height of the approach of the pitch and bring the bat head down to hit the ball squarely. This approach will create back spin and promote carry and flight. Continue long and fully extend through the contact as to promote full bat speed and natural deceleration. Seek to slice the pitcher in half with the extension of the bat.
Employ a batting T to practice initiating the swing above the ball. The T can be extended to its greatest height or placed upon a box or chair. Begin by practicing hitting the ball straight to the ground at a point about fifteen to twenty feet directly out front and progressing to hitting line drives, also straight and true.
Beyond the obvious pitch down the middle, look for pitches that are up and away or down and in. It is easiest to bring the bat head to these locations, either dropping the bat head down or extending it out. Learn to let the ball travel deep on outside pitches, get the bat head out on inside pitches. Do not look to pull. Instead learn to stay back and hit the ball hard. The batting T can be adjusted to practice hitting pitches in both locations.
Once in the batter's box, there is no need to think. Let the eyes do all the work. Be aggressive. Expand the hitting zone beyond a particular favorite pitch and attack pitches early in the count. Pitchers below the professional level are encouraged to get the first pitch over, usually lack the type of velocity that over-powers the hitter, do not have the feel for creating movement, and do not have the command to consistently spot the ball. A hitter that has worked at his hitting mechanics and is aggressive and willing to attack a larger hitting zone will make more consistent and harder contact, and will frustrate opposing pitchers who will lack for a clear cut pitching strategy.