HITTING Site Map Bad Advice Skills & Instructions BASIC ADVANCED BASICS In General The Bat Grip Stance Load & Stride Swing Special Situations Bunting Illustrated Step by Step   ADVANCED Stance versus Swing Bat Angle  Bat Selection  Aluminum or wood Bat Size Bat Sizes and Age Getting Ready HITTING APPROACH  KNOW YOURSELF How do you step in the box? KNOW YOUR OPPONENT STRATEGY KNOW THE SITUATION BE A TOUGH OUT GRIP LOOSEN UP PICK IT UP LIKE AN AX KEEP LOOSE STANCE  DIG IN WEIGHT AND HANDS LOCATION IN THE BOX DEPTH Proper Hitting Goals On-Deck Preparation Stance versus Swing Bat Angle COIL STRIDE COMMON PROBLEM Keep the Front Toe Closed During the Stride Perfecting the Stride Hitting Off Your Front Leg "Squishing the Bug" Flat-Snap Hitting Finishing the Swing Seeing the Ball Plate Coverage and Forward Extension  Poor Timing Correcting a Weak Swing Lunging and Over Striding Lunging forward during stride Over Striding Staying Closed Before the Swing  Stepping Out on the Pitch The Level Swing Bunting The K Factor (The Strike factor) Trouble Shooting Your Hitting   Click Here!   Report Broken Links

Getting Ready to Play If it's February or March, then in most parts of the country baseball is around the corner. Teams are forming and local leagues are beginning registration.  It's time to start working on the swing before tryouts or evaluations.  Whether hitting off a tee in their garage or braving cold weather at the park, many players will spend hours and hours grooving their swing before the season starts. The problem many face, however, is that they will build bad habits by repeating an improper swing. Repetition is the key to success if the reps are done correctly. Chances are good that you've swung at many pitches before discovering this page.  So you may have some idea of what works in your swing - and the results you get.  You may also have a need to improve in a certain area only. Batters need to do what works for them. Working on the philosophy that  "if it ain't broke don't fix it",  We recommend you try first to understand your own swing,  then move on to correction.   What does it take to be a great hitter? How do we maximize our potential and become great hitters? It's obvious Edgar Martinez, Tony Gwynn, George Brett and  Mark McGwire have all discovered the answer. What about the rest of us?  How do we maximize our potential and become great hitters?   Since you love playing baseball, your goal is to become a better hitter. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone will give you advice.  Your job is to take ALL the advice and weed out everything that doesn't fit your hitting style.  How do you know what to weed out?  There are certain fundamentals common to all good hitters. Use those fundamentals as your building blocks, then be open to other advice. Try out different ways of hitting, different stances, different approaches, different drills.  If something works for you, keep it;  if it doesn't, throw it out. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses, incorporate these into how you practice, and how you approach each at bat.  You want to be a great hitter?  There is no substitute for desire and hard work, both mentally and physically.   Know your strengths  Know your strengths and weaknesses as a hitter. Try to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. If you make a conscious effort to eliminate a weakness in practice, you can make that translate into the game.   Click the button above to go back to the web page or web site you were at before coming to this page [Official Little League Rules & Regulations]   [Parents]   [Players/Kids] Learn How to: [Hit]  [Pitching]  [Infield]  [Outfield]  [Catcher]  [Baserunning]  [Coach] [Baseball Humor]  [Baseball Terminology]  [Site Map] [Sign Our Guestbook] [Privacy Statement/Disclaimer]  [Terms] Copyright © 2000 Brookside Little League, Inc. All rights reserved Brookside Little League, Inc. Indianapolis, In   Do you like what you see,  got a gripe,  would you like to see something added to this site? We would love to hear from you! jontanderson@juno.com If you are interested in advertising on this web site, e-mail us for rate information.