High pitch velocity is the main reason it is so hard to hit a baseball. The speed of the pitches and the speed at which a batter must identify the pitch and swing the bat are extreme to the point that only elite players can manage them.
High pitch velocity is the main reason it is so hard to hit a baseball. The speed of the pitches and the speed at which a batter must identify the pitch and swing the bat are extreme to the point that only elite players can manage them.
The Mental Side of Hitting is easily the most important aspect in the game of baseball for two main reasons. 90% of hitting is how you feel when walking up to the plate. There are two players in every hitter.
Always stand facing the bowler with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your body with your hips, keeping your back straight. As you hold the bat ready, point your non-dominant shoulder towards the bowler and make sure to keep your eyes on the ball. Your shoulders shouldn’t drop and must be at eye level at all times.
Ken Griffey Jr.’s sweet swing
Williams is considered by many to be “the best hitter that ever lived.” And while the author of “The Science of Hitting” was all about mechanics, to the outsider his swing was more art than anything else. He remains the last AL/NL player to hit .
The experts ranked 60 sports on 10 different skills, including endurance, speed, agility, and hand-eye coordination. Their verdict: boxing is the most difficult sport while hockey is a close second.
Boxing. The Sweet Science. That’s the sport that demands the most from the athletes who compete in it. It’s harder than football, harder than baseball, harder than basketball, harder than hockey or soccer or cycling or skiing or fishing or billiards or any other of the 60 sports we rated.
“Most of all, the hardest thing to do is gauge movement—it’s almost impossible to do it,” he said. “People who watch the game can’t really see what a ball looks like coming into a hitter. They expect their best hitter on the team to get a hit every time, or at least hit the ball hard.
Having good mechanics obviously helps a hitter be successful! Having a good controlled load and stride. Then getting to a good launch position where they have hand and hip separation and good torso tilt will set them up to be able to unleash with increased bat speed!
The ability to recognize and react to pitches is evident in all great hitters. You have a miniscule amount of time to see the ball, recognize the pitch, its velocity and location and then have the ability to generate the mechanics to make hard contact.
Batting Order Construction[edit]- The first or leadoff hitter should be good at getting on base and preferably a good baserunner as well.
In the traditional approach, the second hitter should be a good bat handler.
The third hitter is supposed to be the best all-around hitter on the team.
Jose Bautista’s swing may be one of the hardest swings in baseball, but it is incredibly effective. Ever since he worked to change his stroke, Bautista has been one of the best players in the MLB. He is able to generate an impressive amount of power and still has solid contact rates.
Most people will say either Ben Hogan or Sam Snead had the greatest swing of all-time, but Hogan, himself, said it was Mickey Wright’s move that was the best he had ever seen. It was simple, rhythmic and perfectly balanced.
In our development of the Speed Bat we discovered that the optimum location for the ball to hit the bat is 17-21 inches from the player’s Top Hand. This is the LOCATION on the bat that results in the most POWERFUL hits!
Baseball Hitting Mechanics – Stride and Swing Phases
The Swing Phase (1 – 5) begins as the front leg blocks at heel plant and the body begins to accelerate its rotation against a firm front side, ultimately ending at contact.