Hitting Lessons

View the weekly lessons below to maximize your hitting practice sessions. These lessons help refine the mechanics of your swing. It is one dimension to our SLUH philosophy of taking "quality" at-bats. Quality at-bats entail a process and an ultimate product. See the following bullet points of the process and product of quality at-bats.

PROCESS OF A QUALITY AT-BAT

PREPARATION – Learn about the pitcher. Time the delivery. Pick up on tendencies. Be prepared to adjust your approach.
MINDSET - Step up to the plate with a winner’s mindset. Be confident and eager to compete. Sheer will and determination will help you win the at-bat. Be tenacious!
AGGRESSIVE – Expect a strike. Get the barrel on the ball and get a good swing on it. Keep your posture and stay strong in your legs.
PHILOSOPHY - Know what you want to accomplish in your at-bat. Be discretional and directional with where you want to hit the ball. Think like the pitcher and avoid just winging it. Help increase your chance of getting on base and our team’s chances of scoring.
TECHNIQUE - Focus on your mechanics during drills, but when you are in the batter’s box trust your technique – Read and React. Balance throughout your swing can keep in check all of your mechanics.

PRODUCTS (OUTCOMES) OF A QUALITY AT-BAT

1) Walk, 2) Hit by Pitch, 3) Hit, 4) Reach Base on Error, 5) Sacrifice Fly/Bunt, 6) Hard Hit Ball, 7) RBI Groundout, and 8) 8+ Pitch At-Bat

Vision & Tracking

Key Points:

- Focus on center of ball. Aim small - miss small.
- Both eyes on the ball. Turn your head to see the ball with two eyes.
- Keep eyes mostly level. Don't tilt head.
- See the ball to the contact. Head and nose towards contact zone.
- Get in a good athletic stance. Soft stride and plant. Keep head and eyes from shaking.
- See it early. Focus on the pitcher's release window. Pick up the ball as soon as possible.
- Read the flight of the pitch or spin of the ball.
- See the ball to contact. Keep chin and nose down, looking down the barrel.

Tips & Drills from Coach Ramspott & Coach Herrick:

Rhythm & Timing

Key points

- Stance should have some rhythm and flow.
- Hitter should start their load when the pitcher breaks his hands or separates ball from glove. Think "Slow to Load."
- Load to create momentum with hands and power in legs.
- Match rhythm of weight shift and load with the pitcher's delivery.
- Keep head still and eyes on release point.
- Time the fastball. You got to be able to hit a good middle-to-in fastball before you can adjust to the outside and/or off-speed pitch.
- It generally takes 0.4 Seconds from release of pitcher to get good swing off. Work on your timing when your are on-deck by watching the pitcher's delivery.

Tips & Drills from Coach Ramspott & Coach Herrick:

Lower Half Checkpoints

Key Points:

Initial Stage

Stride - Stride to balance (50/50 weight distribution). Get the front foot down as ball gets halfway to batter. Drop and anchor the heel to engage the hips fully and initiate the rotational portion of the swing.

Contact Stage

Stay firm with the front side. Keep hips back with front leg angled. Don't let hips float forward.
Create an "L" with the back leg and sit on the back calf muscle. Knee and hips should be vertically aligned with head and back-side shoulder ("Stacked" position).
Turn on the back foot with shoelace of back foot facing the pitcher and your heel to the sky.

Tips & Drills from Coach Ramspott & Coach Herrick:

Upper Body Checkpoints

Key Points:

Initial Stage

Stay inside the ball. Don't let your bat cast away from the body. Focus on hitting inside and behind the ball.
Stay connected with swing keeping top hand elbow into body. Hands, elbow, hip, and back knee lineup on approach to ball.
Keep the bat barrel inside the flight of the ball staying close to the upper arm/shoulder.
Take barrel directly to the contact point. Let your hands cross the plane of the nose.
Keep chest over the plate.

Contact Stage

Hands should be in a "palm up, palm down" positions at contact.
Keep the barrel above the hands. Don't let the barrel drop or sag.
Keep your hands and bat on and through the launch angle. Don't let your hands get tied up into your hips forcing your bat to go down through the zone.

Tips & Drills from Coach Ramspott & Coach Herrick:

Week #4 Introductory Video
Cano Drill
Horseshoe to the Sky Drill
Net Swings Drill
Hands Inside Tee Drill
One-handed Short Bat Drill
Other Helpful Instructional Videos
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDgihjOiZ
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoPe6xXA0ks

Article to Read: https://www.infieldfundamentals.com/connection/

Planing the Pitch

Key Points:

Create an axis/angle with your body. Create an angle with your hips by getting your shoulders over your toes. Create another angle with your shoulders by tilting your shoulders with the plane of the pitch (One shoulder high and another shoulder low).
Keep the path of the bat in the plane of the pitch as long as possible. Up in the zone = flatter swing. Down in the zone = more tilt.
In the perfect swing, a hitter should be swinging slightly upwards through the contact zone and finishing their hands high around their shoulders.
Level to the ball vs. level to the ground.
On plane = More time in the contact zone and less margin for error.
Adjust the plane off the bat to the plane of the pitch. The higher the pitch the flatter the plane. The lower the pitch the steeper the plane.

Tips & Drills from Coach Ramspott & Coach Herrick:

Week #5 Introductory Video
Slash Tee Drill
One Knee Drill
Ladder Swing Drill
PVC Pipe Drills

Follow Through & Finish

Key Points:

Stay through the ball. Imagine hitting an imaginary ball placed 1-2 feet in front of the contact point.
Create a "Power V" with arms at extension (See picture of Cabrera to the left).
Accelerate the bat through the contact zone.
Full hip rotation at contact. Buckle should face the pitcher.
Finish with the backside of your torso rotating and facing the plate (See #13 in picture to the left).
Be careful not to roll over to soon with a two-hand finish. Be careful not to release top hand too soon with a one-handed finish. Choose the finish that will help you maintain bat speed through contact and best balance throughout the swing.

Tips & Drills from Coach Ramspott & Coach Herrick:

Week #6 Introductory Video
Double Tee Drill
Power V Drill
Weighted Ball Drill

Strategy & Approach

Key Points:

Anticipation - Anticipate the pitch (flight of ball, location, type - fast or off-speed).
Expectation - Expect a strike (Think - strike, strike, strike...swing or take). Don't over-think, just react.
Gap to Gap - Focus on hitting the ball to the middle third of the field.
Hunt the Ball - Look for your pitch when you are ahead in the count.
Get Your "A" Swing on the Ball - Keep your posture and get a good swing on the ball. Focus on getting the barrel on the ball.
Time the Fastball - Look fastball and adjust to the off-speed.
Extend the At-Bat - With 2 strikes, battle and protect the plate. Focus on the outer half and foul off pitches to extend the at-bat. Be ready for a pitcher mistake.

Tips and Drills from Coach Ramspott & Coach Herrick:

7-Ball Drill - Strategy & Approach
7-Ball Drill - Situational Hitting
Corner-to-Corner Cage Hitting
X-Drill (aka "Yankee Drill")
Yes, Yes, YES! Drill
Front Flips (Fast & Off-Speed)

Helpful Videos:

Helpful Videos

How to Hit a Ball with More Power (Five Tool School)
The Power Slingshot (STACK)

Page updated

Report abuse