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Ever found hitting a baseball intimidating? If this is your first time being a batter, then – first off – welcome! Second, hitting the ball is nothing to be scared of, as long as you have the know-how. Essentially, the batter must think on their feet, as they determine where the ball will go.
So, to effectively hit the baseball, a beginner batter must practice these 9 techniques – and practice, practice, practice!
- Make Eye Contact With The Ball
The most basic technique to learn, eye contact is extremely important in baseball. Despite its basic-ness, this technique is important, because the ballpark will be crowded and noisy. Therefore, the batter must be able to stay focused on the ball, so that he or she can get a good hit out of it. That means the batter shouldn’t worry about the scoreboard, the shortstop, or the cheers of the crowd when they’re up to bat.
2. “Put Out The Fire”
This drill focuses on working the rest of the body, besides the arms. Building up power to drive the ball comes from rotating the body. Therefore, the “Put out the Fire” Drill helps the batter the develop rotational power.
In this drill, the batter has a bucket of balls gripped as if they’re about to throw water on a “fire.” When done correctly, the batter will go through his or her swing, and have the balls fly clean out of the bucket. As they’re doing this, the batter is working on rhythm in loading and dumping the balls to the direction of their rotation and, essentially “putting out the fire.”
3. Minimize Movement
When starting baseball, beginners must also take note of minimizing their movement when they hit the ball. This is to help them limit room for errors, which can help them improve game performance. That means that the batter’s stance has to be to where they can minimize the pitcher’s opportunity to mess with their timing.
4. Positioning The Hand
Consistency in swinging the bat comes from having good hand positioning. In other words, the hand should be close to the locked-in position (close to the back) as possible. That means that the batter’s hand, front elbow, and back elbow should be relaxed.
Once the batter is relaxed, and the pitcher throws the ball, the batter must shift their weight forward, swing, and hit the ball as hard as he or she can. Keep in mind: The palm of the top hand should face down, while that of the bottom hand faces up.
5. The Batting Stance
The batting stance is simple: The batter has both feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, as he or she stands in the middle of the batter’s box. There, they must slightly bend the knees, and hold the bat in a vertical position (slightly angled) over the back shoulder. And, the head must always point towards the pitcher.
6. Having The Right Grip
The batter’s right and left hand should touch as he or she grips the baseball bat. The grip is relaxed, until the swing motion tightens it – this is so that the batter’s fingers don’t cramp up.
7. Using A Lighter Bat
When familiarizing themselves with their batting equipment, the baseball bat is important. While all bats come in many shapes and sizes, it’s important ask the coach about what bats they recommend they use. Plus, the batter must invest in a bat that’s compliant to the rules of baseball (set by your league).
Essentially, a lighter bat is often recommended for beginners, so that they can get used to hitting the ball.
8. Proper Swings
While swinging is simple, there’s an effective way to execute that action when in the ballpark. First, the batter should get in a comfortable position, and then keep their eyes on the pitcher (who has the ball). Then, once he or she times their step correctly, the batter can swing with the head still.
9. Using A Good Amount Of Power
Finally, hitting the ball takes power. Therefore, the batter needs arm strength and perfect timing to do this correctly. By constantly practicing their hits and strengthening the arms in various exercises and drills, powerful hitting can be achieved.
Conclusion
These 9 techniques should help beginners become great hitters. Essentially, each of the techniques discussed in this article will help the batter gain better focus, strength, and ability to hit the baseball effectively, which can possibly result to a fantastic home run!
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