Batting Stance

The term batting stance refers to the position of the body and bat while awaiting a pitch.

Positioning the Feet

• The feet should be about shoulder width apart.
• The foot closest to the pitcher should be lined up near the front edge of home plate.
• The hitter should be able to tap the outside part of home plate with the end of the baseball bat.
• The feet should be parallel and be pointing in the direction of home plate.

Positioning The Body

• The knees must be slightly bent.
• The amount of bend in the knees can vary according to the hitter’s preference.
• The hitter should be positioned so that there is a slight bend at the waist.

Positioning The Bat

• The handle of the bat should be near the back shoulder.
• The barrel of the bat should be above and behind the hitter’s head.

Gripping The Bat

• The middle knuckles of the hands should be lined up.
  Some hitters prefer not to do this perfectly.
  That’s acceptable, but the knuckles should be nearly in line.
• The bat should be held comfortably in the hands.
  The bat should NOT be squeezed.

Loading Phase

Many young hitters swing the bat after the ball is past them.
This would happen because they don’t get into the load position in time.
The load position refers to the position that the body and bat need to be in just prior to the swing.
The loading phase refers to striding and the positioning of the bat.
This phase is important because, if done properly, it can help the hitter make solid contact with the baseball
on a more consistent basis.

Striding

• Stride refers to the movement of the front foot during the loading phase.
• Around the time that the pitcher lifts the knee, the hitter should lift the front knee up and back towards the catcher
  (Knee height varies from hitter to hitter).
  The body weight should be shifted towards the back leg.
• About the time that the pitcher releases the ball,
  the hitter should be striding towards the pitcher and transferring the body weight forward.
• The stride of the front foot needs to be short in length.
  No longer than 6 inches.
• The hitter should have the stride foot (front foot) up, out, and down
  well before the ball gets to home plate.

Positioning The Bat

• The handle of the bat must be near the back shoulder.
• The barrel of bat should be above and behind the hitter’s head.
   

Fire and Follow Through

Fire and follow through refers to the process of
hitting the ball and following through with the swing.

Getting The Barrel To The Ball

• The hitter should swing the barrel of the bat directly at the ball.
  The hitter should try to hit the ball with the sweet spot on the bat.
  The sweet spot is generally the area between 2 and 6 inches from the top end of the bat.
• The hitter’s arms should be extended right before contact is made with the baseball.
• When contact is made, the bat should be on the same plane as the baseball.

Turning The Hips

• If lower body strength and bat speed are to be maximized,
  it is essential that the hips be turned during the swing.
• The hitter should pivot on the ball of the back foot,
  in order to turn the hips during the swing.

Keeping The Eyes On The Ball

• Hitters should keep their eyes on the baseball until contact is made.
• The hitter’s head should not follow the body when it turns.

Following Through

• After contact is made with the ball, the barrel of the bat should maintain a smooth, slightly upward path,
  which ends with the hands rolling over.
• The handle of the bat should stop around the left shoulder for a right-handed hitter
  and around the right shoulder for a left-handed hitter.
• The barrel of the bat should wrap around the upper back.
• The hitter’s chin should be over the shoulder area at the completion of the swing.