Hitting Absolutes

Hitting a baseball is a difficult and complicated skill to master. Trying to hit a round object that's moving at an accelerated speed with the potential for movement either in or out, and down, and trying to hit it with a cylindrical shaped object - a bat, hitting a baseball is possibly the most difficult feat to accomplish in all of sports!

Coaches teaching hitting mechanics try cover everything from the proper placement of the bat in the hands and alignment of the knuckles to the proper stance, the load process, keeping the head on the ball, follow through, etc. All are important but there are 6 main ingredients or ABSOLUTES that make for a successful swing and are used by every good Major League hitter.

The Absolutes of Hitting used by all of the best hitters in professional baseball include the following:

1. The front knee must coil, at least slightly, in order to start your loading process. Think of it as taking the front knee toward the back knee, in short it's "knee to knee". This is where torque is developed.

2. As you coil your front knee, the hands must start back and the wrists must be cocked in order to generate power. The bat head should move just slightly behind the hitter's helmet. Do not wrap the bat around your head though.

3. You step away from your hands when you stride. Some coaches talk about walking away from your hands, but you actually step away while your body stays back. This action of staying behind the stride foot is one of the main elements in generating power in your swing. If you move your body toward or even worse, move out over the front foot, you have no power to hit!

4. Then, the stride foot must land before you start your swing. If you’re late getting the stride foot down, you lose momentum and of course you consequently lose power in your swing. And, of course, you must keep your eyes on the flight of the ball all the way to the bat.

5. You must pivot on the back foot and the shoe laces should face back toward the pitcher upon contact with the ball. Do not roll the pivot foot over or you'll be off balance.

6. Finish high. Your swing should finish above the front shoulder. That is where all professional power hitters finish.

Watch yourself in a mirror or have your swing video taped so you can see what your swing looks like. Use a Tee and over emphasize your front knee coil during practice swings. Also use the "walk through" Tee Drill and again exaggerate the knee coil during your swing. This will help train you utilize good hitting mechanics come game time!