To be an effective hitter, the player should be agile. A strong upper-body, powerful arm, reflexes that are as quick as the wind, an immense vision and the will to succeed is just but a few of what makes a great player great.
Movement Should Be Minimized
It is advisable for a neophyte baseball player to minimize their movement. The logic behind this is mainly to minimize their room for errors, which is valuable, specifically in improving their game performance.
Building up their greatest possible stance is critical mainly because it is essential to the effectiveness of their hitting techniques. A pitcher’s main goal is to mess with the hitter’s timing, when the hitter minimizes his swing movement, it lessens the pitcher’s opportunity to muddle with the hitter’s timing.
With this in mind, minimizing the player’s movement minimizes the possible errors he may commit. Less movement, less mistakes.
Eye on The Baseball
One of the vital skills to be a successful hitter is tracking and seeing the baseball. The hitter should have a relaxed stance to easily see the rapidly approaching baseball the moment it is out of the pitcher’s hand. Recognizing the timing and release stage of the baseball is vital in quick, split-second decision making.
Grip
The right and left hand of the player should touch as he grips the baseball bat. The grip should be relaxed as the swing motion will tighten it. The hitter should grip the baseball bat lightly because gripping it tightly will fatigue the fingers resulting in a weak swing. This will take practice and constant adjustments until the hitter finds his strongest grip.
Hand Positioning
In order to maintain the consistency of a player’s swing, the hand start should be as close to the locked in position (close to the back) as possible. In order to achieve this, a player’s hand, front and back elbow should be relaxed.
The moment the baseball leave the pitcher’s hand, shift your weight forward, swing and hit that baseball with all your might. Top hand’s palm should face down and bottom hand’s palm should face up.
The Lighter The Bat, The Better.
New players need to get familiar with their equipment, in baseball, their baseball bat. Baseball bats are of different length, weight and sizes. The best way to determine which bat a player should buy is to ask their coach.
There are different leagues and each league is governed by rules. It is better to buy a baseball that will be approved and is legal to use. A lighter bat is recommended for beginners because they are still in the process of getting used to hitting the baseball.
As the coach determines how the player plays and what needs to be improved on, a different bat may be recommended. Choose a baseball bat that is comfortable to hold and easy to whip.
Batting Stance
With constant practice, the player can determine which stance will be more comfortable for him. It can either be even, open or closed stance. The whole body should be balanced. Keep the head, eyes and the whole body steady.
The key is to keep your eye on the ball, the pitcher and be comfortable with your position. With constant practice, the player will determine which stance works for him.
Consistent Contact
The players should keep their eyes on the ball while keeping their head still as they swing is an effective way in achieving consistent contact. The eyes gathers the information that it sees then sends that information to the brain, which will trigger the muscles the position for the bat and baseball.
The head should consistently be still as the player swings the bat because the more that the head moves, the information sent to the brain will continuously change too, making an error a huge possibility.
Swinging Properly
Baseball is a battle and there’s no better way to be sure that you are well equipped, than to practice one essential skill worth keeping in your arsenal. Swinging. This skill is complicated as it is simple.
First, players should stay in a position where they are most comfortable in, allowing the player to properly attack the pitch and be in sync with the pitcher. Second, time your step, then swing, but remember to keep the head still.
Remember, small step, head still, then swing away. Hand and eye coordination and proper timing are vital in swinging properly. Eye on the baseball, head should be steady, put your trust in your hand and swing that baseball bat.
Power
Hitting the ball with power is essential, by doing so the player can draw the baseball farther away from the fielders. Arm strength and perfect timing are the key in making this possible.
Constantly practicing will help the player find what position is comfortable for him, while batting exercises and drills will strengthen his arm, making powerful hitting possible.
In a nutshell, all these techniques will help new players to become better hitters. The individual techniques mentioned in this article are helpful for new baseball players; specifically those who are aspiring to become ace hitters more so if these techniques will be followed in a holistic approach.
Our Baseball Camps are the perfect opportunity for baseball players to perfect their skills.