Today, we are sharing some tips to achieving the perfect hitting stance, as well as an awesome mirror drill that you can use to ensure you are executing proper hitting stance mechanics.
When you’re talking about hitting, your stance is the only part of the swing that the pitcher does not have impact upon. Pitchers are supposed to take away your best swing. And hitters, as position players, are supposed to take their best swing every swing they take. So you’ve got to make sure that you get in a position that’s going to be very strong and keep things from jumping into our swing and eliminating the good habits you have worked to develop.
Bending at the Waist is a No-No
You want to have eyes parallel to the ground so that you can read everything out in front of you.
Stack the hips above the knees, and the shoulders above the hips, keeping the front shoulder just a little bit lower than the back shoulder. This does two things: getting the front shoulder just a little lower than the back shoulder will give your eyes a clear path to the ball and give your hands a better path to the ball.
The Proper Head Alignment
Next, take the head and stack over the shoulders, so that you can get your head turned where you can see the pitcher with both eyes. Seeing the ball with two eyes is very important.
Arms and Hands
Leave the elbow relaxed down beside the rib cage, and bend at the elbows, bringing the hands up to where they are comfortable. In this position, your players are going to be very strong in executing the swing.
With the elbows down and relaxed, lift your hands up in a position where they’re even with your armpits.
How far your hands should be away from your body is going to be different for each age group, but you’re usually going to be in the 4-8″³ range, with younger players a little bit closer.
Keep the hands in a good position where they don’t get so close to the body that you can’t get them started, or so far away from the body that you lose control of the hands. Somewhere between the midline of the body and back armpit should be the starting position, and not past the shoulder. Because when we start getting past the shoulder, that’s where you’re in trouble.
Hand height should be just start in the top of your strike zone, which is the armpits. Lay the bat in both hands so that when you grab the bat and wrap your fingers around it, your second knuckles are lined up.
Tip the bat back, and lay it right next to your back ear. If you don’t like that position, don’t over-adjust. Just make a small adjustment by moving the hands and the bat back a little bit.
Have a 90-degree angle in the front arm, so you can see the relationship from bottom to top is elbows in the bottom, then your hands, then the barrel of the bat.
Hitting Stance & Balance Drill
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