☐ From your stance, load to proper launch (swing) position, as discussed in “Hitting Parts 1-5”;

☐ Eyes level & focused on ball; Head steady; Body balanced & ready to react to pitch;

☐ Use the hands & arms swing mechanics, as discussed in the previous lesson, “Hitting Part 6a: Start With The Hands”

☐ Use the swing mechanics for your hips, legs, knees & feet, as discussed in the previous lesson, “Hitting Part 6b: Hips Fire With Hands”;

☐ At contact, head remains over back leg with eyes looking down bat barrel;

☐ At contact, top hand palm facing up to sky; bottom hand palm facing down to ground;

☐ Chin starts on or slightly above front shoulder; back shoulder rotates to chin;

☐ Try to keep eyes in hitting zone after swing (head will naturally turn slightly from force of swing);

☐ Shoulders and hips remain level throughout swing;

☐ Follow-through takes bat from back shoulder to front shoulder;

☐ Bat barrel goes down to ball in hitting zone, and after contact, finishes “high” above front shoulder (not “flat” and below shoulder);

☐ Finish swing in good balance with both knees and belly button facing the pitcher.

Swing Phrases
  • Quick, Short Stroke.
   • Compact, Quick & Explosive Swings.
   • Sharp, Crisp Swings Through The Ball.
   • Stay Inside Ball.
   • Don’t Get Long & Loopy.
   • Fire Hands & Hips.
   • Hands & Hips Together.
   • Swing Through The Ball, Not To The Ball.
   • Quiet Head, Quick Hands.
   • Slow Feet, Quick Hands.
   • Swing Hard, But Under Control.
   • Be Aggressive & Attack The Ball.
   • Palm Up, Palm Down At Contact.
   • Wrist, Elbows & Shoulders Move Together To The Ball.
   • Knob To Ball; Barrel Through Ball; Finish High With Bat.
   • Shoulder To Shoulder With The Bat.
   • Hit The Ball Where It’s Pitched

Drills: The Hitter’s Swing From Beginning To End

Drill #1 – Lift, Load, Land & Launch Drill: {Part 4 of this 4-part drill; This drill can be used with “dry swings”, a tee, soft toss or short-screen front toss.} Perform “the lift, load and land” parts of this drill as explained in the previous hitting lessons “Parts 2-4”.  Simply, add your swing to the drill, using the swing mechanics discussed in the Skills section above and in the Hitting Part 6a & 6b lessons … trying to drive the ball with compact, quick, & powerful swings. Continue taking swings in this manner at your various drill stations to develop a controlled, consistent, and natural swing from pre-load stance to follow-through.

Drill # 2 – Hit-To-All-Parts-Of-The-Field Tee Drill: {This drill can be done into a catch net, in a batting cage, or on a field.} Work on your stance, load & swing with a batting tee, hitting balls to left, center & right fields. Start with placing tee across from belly button, and on outside part of plate, driving balls to the opposite field. Next, move tee to middle part of plate, across from your front hip, hitting balls up the middle. Finally, place tee 6 to 8 inches in front of your front hip on inside part of plate, working on solid, hard hit balls to left field. Try not to “open up” the front side of your body (foot, knee, hip, shoulder & ear) before starting the swing with your hands (especially on the inside pitch). It’s important to keep your front-side closed (coiled) as long as possible to allow hips to rotate (uncoil) when hands are being thrown to the ball. Remember hands & hips should fire together to produce compact, quick & explosive swings. Take 15-20 swings to each field. Make this a regular part of your batting practice routine both in-season and during the off-season. [This drill can also be done with soft toss: the feeder tosses balls on various locations of the plate; the hitter drives the ball to the appropriate part of the field or net. Make sure feeder is positioned across from the hitter’s belly button to prevent him from getting hit by a ball driven to the opposite field.]

Drill # 3 – Game-like Swings: {This drill can be done in a batting cage or on a field; as a short-screen front toss drill or with “live pitching (coach or players); with or without an “L” screen; and near or from the age-appropriate pitching distance.} Throw balls to different locations on the plate and have the hitters “hit the ball where it’s pitched.” The further the ball is away from the body, the deeper it needs to get over the plate. This enables the hitter to “throw the bat” in the direction of where he wants to hit the ball, and still get power into the swing with the lower part of his body. The drill’s goal is to help hitters develop relaxed, effortless swings that are quick and powerful, with the control needed to hit balls to all parts of the field.

Note: Incorporate a variety of hitting drills into your training. There are many drills from which to choose. By regularly changing up the drills, you can keep your training MORE exciting, making you MORE motivated to stick with your training program.

Life Lessons: Many Body Parts, But All Must Work Together

In baseball, the swing utilizes many individual parts of the body (from head to toe). All of these parts are important and must work together, in unity, to produce a correct swing and successful hitting results. No one part is more important than another! They all have their own function, but must work in unison. This is exactly the same in The Body of Christ (which is all the individual Christians in the world). Each “believer in Christ” has his or her own function or purpose as a member of “Christ’s Body”, blessed with different natural and spiritual gifts, abilities, passions & experiences. We must all perform our own individual roles with humility and in unity with other believers, as we serve Christ in this world. No one is more important than another! Read I Corinthians 12:4-31 and Romans 12:3-8 to better understand this truth. Then, live out your “individual purpose” for God every day, working together with other “believers”, as the “Body of Christ”.

Written by Ron Hobar © 2009