How to Hit for Power in Baseball

It is largely acknowledged by athletes in all sports that hitting a baseball consistently is the most difficult athletic task. Michael Jordan is considered the best basketball player ever and perhaps the greatest athlete since Babe Ruth, yet he barely hit .220 in one season in the minor leagues. If hitting consistently is tough, hitting consistently for power is even harder. It takes coordination, consistency, strength and patience.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

1. Wait until the last possible instant before pulling the trigger and swinging the bat. The longer you wait before sending the bat through the hitting zone, the greater the chance of achieving maximum bat speed on impact with the ball. The natural inclination is to begin your swing as soon as possible once you think your know what kind of pitch has been thrown--fastball, curve, slider--and where it will end up when it crosses the plate. When swinging for power, the idea is to wait a fraction of a second longer. It's a risky move that will result in a lot of empty swings, but the more it is practiced the more likely it is to have a positive impact.

2. Take your stance deep in the batter's box. If you are trying to hit singles or doubles or just get on base consistently, you are better off standing even with or in front of the plate. When the object is to drive the ball over the fence, the more time you have to look at the pitch the better off you are. Put your back foot on the horizontal line in the batter's box closest to the catcher. This will give you more time to recognize and time the pitch as you begin your swing.

3. Start with your feet shoulder length apart and your weight on your back foot. You should shift your weight forward as you step into the pitch. To generate maximum power, you should make contact as your weight is transferring from back to front. It is not your arms or your legs generating power; it is the transference of your weight. Hitting for power is all about the timing and coordination of the weight transfer along with the proper timing of your swing.

4. Put the small finger of your bottom hand on the knob of the bat. You will get maximum plate coverage with this grip and that will allow you to reach out and connect with pitches over the outside corner of the plate. You may lose a bit of bat control, but you are swinging for power and the further down you hold the bat the greater the plate coverage you will have. Taken to an extreme level, you can even hook your bottom little finger below the bottom of the knob for even greater plate coverage.

5. Know the situation you are in. Unless you are a natural power hitter, don't try for the home run unless the situation calls for it. If your team is down by a run in the eighth or ninth inning and nobody is on base, you can take it on yourself to drive the ball for power. However, trying to hit a home run and succeeding at the task is very difficult, so pick your spots carefully. Swinging from the heels when it is not necessary will ruin your batting average and hurt your team's chances of winning the game.

Tips & Warnings

• Many of the best home run hitters never try to hit the ball out of the park. They are merely trying to make solid contact and the ball will go out of the park if they swing correctly.

• Swinging hard and trying to hit home runs is a hit-or-miss proposition and the hitter should realize that even if he is successful, it is likely to have a negative impact on his batting average.

• Watch as much videotape of the opposing pitchers as possible. Keep a notebook and write down every pitch in a given sequence and figure out how the pitcher was trying to get you out.

• Review your notebook regularly and you'll have an idea how each pitcher will try to attack you every time you come up to the plate.