Anatomy of Hitting a Baseball

 

 One of the greatest hitters of all time, Ted Williams, quoted “I think without question the hardest single thing to do in sport is to hit a baseball”1.  Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn said, “Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing”.1  As I mentioned in a previous blog, hitting a baseball at 95 mph is extremely difficult . So, there’s no question that hitting is a skill, but is it a science?  There have been numerous studies conducted regarding this topic many of which have come to the same conclusion that Williams mentioned.  Hitters only have 125 milliseconds to gauge the average Major League fastball – less than the blink of an eye.2 Which begs the question: how is it humanly possible to hit a baseball?  

“The hitter’s job is to time the arrival of the pitch based on the estimated speed of the ball while determining where, horizontally, it will cross the plate.”1 Science suggests there is realistically not enough time for the brain to process this information and execute the skill. But it happens almost every day, so  how does a hitter defy science?   Perhaps, the answer isn’t as complicated as it may seem. All the great hitters in baseball have a deeply ingrained muscle memory built into their swing so they can totally forget about their swing mechanics and concentrate solely on hitting the ball.1 Hitting a baseball requires thousands of repetitions to train the necessary muscles of the body, to respond perfectly each time the swing is performed.3  Creating this muscle memory allows hitters to be able to successfully swing and hit the ball without even having to process all the mechanical steps involved.

I believe I have made it clear the difficulty of hitting a baseball, and the significance behind  repetitively swinging the bat enough times that it becomes second nature.  In order to become a better hitter and achieve this level of muscle memory that I have been referring to requires examination of the anatomy of hitting a baseball.  Luckily, a solid foundation involving both can be achieved through a few basic steps. Here is a list of Six Fundamental Steps for a Better Swing to help build that foundation or refresh a more seasoned hitter.

Six Steps to a Sweet Swing

Step-by-Step instructions that can train or refresh you - regardless of your  level!3

Step 1: Load

·        Shifting the weight to the back foot with the front foot lightly touching the ground to maintain balance

·        Keep the body upright and balanced will assist with the upcoming step

·        Keep hands close to ear assist hit top half of the ball

·        Point the knob of bat to backside of the plate helps keep the bat in a good load position

Step 2:  Step

·        Depending on the width batter’s stance, a short 12″step will work perfectly and be careful not over stride as it changes the eye level.

·        Keep weight on the back leg – this helps keep the batter from lunging at the ball

·        Do not let hands drop can cause batter to hit under the ball

Step 3: Hip Explosion

·        Pivot on back to allow hips to turn toward pitcher  - throw the belly button at the pitcher

·        Keep your head and eyes still to allows better vision

·        Do not allow hands to move forward staying back and balanced

·        Keep hands inside close to the body and pull the knob of the bat toward the ball to create a quicker bat

Step 4: Pulling the Knob

·        Pull the knob of the bat toward the ball places the bat in the best position to make contact

·        The top hand is in a palm up position at the point of contact

·        The bottom hand is in a palm down position at contact

·        Have a bent arm, left hand knuckles up  and right hand knuckles down at contact

·        Keep a strong and straight front leg and bent back knee

Step 5: Extend

·        Do not allow hands to roll over to soon they will when needed

·        Keeping a straight front leg to allow leverage for the bat-head to swing around

·        Keep chin down to keep eye on the ball and not look up too soon

Step 6: Finish the Extension

·        Top and bottom hands rolls over

·        Holding bat with two hands finish high

 Although hitting a baseball is an extremely difficult task,  it is not impossible.  It is amazing what our minds and bodies will allow us to accomplish with a solid foundation of proper mechanics combined with lots of practice!  Every ball player  has an opportunity to set themselves up for a successful baseball career. Do not settle for less by allowing science to dictate your chances to do so, by discouraging and limiting your aptitude. You have the chance to hit the ball harder and more consistently; it isn’t going to happen overnight or without practice, but the choice to become great is yours, and it starts with those six steps I just mentioned.

References

1Peterson, D. (2011). Hitting A Baseball-“The Hardest Thing To Do In Sports. AXON SPORTS. Retrieved from: http://www.axonpotential.com/hitting-a-baseball-the-hardest-thing-to-do-in-sports/

2Kizoian, A. (2016). Hitting a Major League fastball should be physically impossible. Business Insider. Retrieved From:                 http://www.businessinsider.com/science-major-league-fastball-brain-reaction-time-2016-4

3Down, R. (2002t). Six Steps to a Sweet Baseball Swing. Be A Better Hitter. Retrieved from: http://www.beabetterhitter.com/six-steps-sweet-baseball-swing/