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1.
2. Learn a pre-pitch approach at the plate.
Understand the proper way to grip and hold the bat in your hands.
Understand the stride and load concepts to hitting.
Learn the consistencies at the point of contact to be a successful hitter.
Understand the “inner” and “outer” circles of your swing and how it translates to a short, compact, and quick swing.
Learn the mechanics of the swing to be consistent, successful, and a dangerous hitter in our program.
Develop a hitting philosophy in our program that is established in the youth programs and enhanced at the high school level.
Teaching Goals This is what we expect you to be able to do.
4. Pre-Pitch Approach At The Plate
27. Grip (“Door Knocking Knuckles & out of the palm)
Stance (Even & shoulder width apart, chin tucked, shoulders level, back elbow down and relaxed & both eyes on the baseball)
Focal point (“Soft” focus on the bill of the pitchers hat & pick up the baseball at the release point “hard” focus.)
Over-striding & lunging (4-6 inches & land on the ball of your foot)
Bat Wrapping (45 degree angle on stride)
No loading of the hands. Hands & feet separate on the stride.
Collapsing Front Leg (Land with a firm front leg & front toe slightly closed)
Dropping the hands or bat casting (take the knob of the bat to the pitcher. Keep bat at a 45 degree angle on swing)
Lazy backside (Back foot pivots on swing and your heel must be over your toe) “Backside L”
Finish (Chest towards pitcher, keep both hands on the bat the entire swing, and follow through on finish)
Common Hitting Mistakes
28. To be successful, we must develop a hitting philosophy and consistency from the Youth Leagues to the High School level.
As a hitter we focus on the bill of the pitcher’s hat, and pick up the baseball and the spin on the ball from their release point (Fastball or Breaking Ball).
We will embrace the mindset of looking for a fastball middle-of-the-plate-in until we get two strikes. We will not swing at breaking balls until 2 strikes!
With two strikes we still sit on the fastball and adjust down to the breaking ball or change-up. Never look breaking ball first. You will not be able to adjust up.
We must produce hitters that hit hard live drives and ground balls to put pressure on the defense.
Our focus should be to drive the baseball to the middle of the field.
With two strikes we must choke up on the bat (1-2 inches), move up in the box to take away the break on a CB, shorten our swings, have excellent plate coverage, protect on anything close, foul off good pitches, and put the ball in play. “Be a tough out!”
Never go down looking in a two strike count. Extend at-bats!
You often only get one “good” pitch to hit in an at bat. It might be the first pitch of an at bat or the last pitch of an at bat. We must be ready to hit as soon as we step in the batters box.
“Fastball, fastball, fastball = Yes!”
“Fastball, fastball, curveball = No!” Until two strikes.
Having a Plan at the Plate
