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A common misconception about baseball hitting is that it's the arms which are most important. And while they certainly are important, it is actually the feet that are most important in my opinion. You see, as the old cliche goes, "hitting is all about the timing".

And timing starts with the feet. Hitters use what is called a "trigger" to start their swing. You'll notice that all professional hitters have some kind of foot movement when they see the ball coming. Some lift the knee up and put it back down, some stride forward, some move it up only an inch or so forward, some actually step towards or away from the plate, and some like Matt Murton even balance the front toe on the ground like a ballerina before planting it to start their swing.

It is this "trigger" that starts your swing. When you see the ball coming, you will want to make some kind of foot movement to "trigger" your swing. Excessive foot movements can do more harm than good, however. Derrek Lee, when he hit 46 Home Runs in 2005, said his hitting coach was having him work on "keeping my feet quiet". I consider the best trigger one that is minimal enough only to start the swing, but also does not distract from the actual act of hitting.

Also, you want to move that front foot, your "trigger", roughly a second or less before the ball reaches you. If it is too early it will almost certainly be useless in letting you time the ball. Usually you want to start it slightly after picking the ball up out of the pitcher's hand (i.e. right after you see it coming).

With that said, the upper body and hands also important as well. A typical rule of thumb (no pun intended) is that the bottom knuckles of your hands below the fingers should be roughly aligned for the ideal grip. The bottom knuckles of your top hand should be somewhere between the bottom and middle knuckles of your lower hand. If the top hand is turned too much inward your top arm (if you're right-handed it will be your right arm) will be too clenched to get a good swing, and if not turned in enough the top wrist won't be straight enough for a good swing.

You generally want to keep the bat in a roughly upright position and hold your hands loosely before the swing near your back shoulder. You may find moving the arms slightly back before the swing or even tilting your upper body backwards on contact will provide more power.

Many coaches will tell you to "swing through the ball". By this is meant to simply keep your swing strong even after hitting the

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