The Truth about Baseball Hitting Mechanics

Great Hitters Swing Different than Everyone Else

(Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Babe Ruth)

These are world class baseball hitting mechanics.

Take a look at the barrel. Notice the initial direction, notice the depth, think about what your hands have to do to create that movement. How many times have you swung a bat while holding the barrel in front of your hands?

All of the hitters above tip the barrel towards the opposite foul pole. Notice how far the barrel moves before the hands every come forward. The barrel is able to work backwards, create momentum and bat speed without having to move the shoulders.

This angle shows the point I'm trying to make. Look at how far the barrel moves without the shoulders opening. While most hitters are busy trying to rotate for power, this running start allows for the head to stay perfectly still.

Adjustabilty

Adjustability is THE difference between good and great. Many hitters can hit the ball hard in batting practice. But can you hit a major league slider? Can you adjust your swing to handle a well placed 95mph sinker? Make no mistakes about it, your swing mechanics are the difference between having that adjustability or not.

Does your barrel get on plane early? Do your hands stay back long enough? Do you create enough bat speed? Can you create that bat speed while keeping your body quiet and your head still?

The overwhelming majority of players I come across push the hands forward to create bat speed. A talented ball player can use this technique and have some success. But no one gets away with a bad swing in this game. That player may even be drafted, big, strong and fast. But when he faces REAL pitching, he crumbles. No ultra light metal bat, no 83mph straight fastballs. Just a steady diet of sinkers and sliders until he eventually gets traded, then released.

Your coaches are probably wrong

"Swing down"

"Squish the bug"

"Foot down early"

"Level Shoulders"

Fundamentally, coaches are AGAINST everything that the greats are doing. Do those phrases describe anything that is happening here?

He is not swinging down, he is matching plane.

He is not squishing the bug, he is shifting his weight.

His foot is not down early.

And his shoulders do not stay level, they tilt to match the plane of the pitch.

"You're not Barry Bonds"

"You cant swing like that"

"Bonds can get away with that"

"You're not strong enough"

STOP IT

Who could you possibly point to that has a better swing than these guys?

These guys didn't just hit the ball in the air, they SQUARED the baseball. Of course small players shouldn't try to hit home runs, the aim should always be to square the ball. What I'm telling you is, THIS is how you do that.