Things You'll Need:
- Persistence
- Willing to learn
- Basic baseball gear
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Step 1
Baseball's such a yawner! You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you run in a circle and you're done. It's that simple, right? Wrong! Baseball training can go on for years, just ask any professional worth his weight in gold. The throwing has to be precise, the pitching has to be extraordinary and the baseball hitting is one of the hardest things to learn in sports. You need to take into consideration geometry, meteorology, physics, anatomy, and - oh, yeah – that ball comes flying at you that the pitcher just released.
Professionals like Cal Ripken will tell you that the ideal hitter will have a combination of "determination, coordination, confidence, vision, rhythm, style, body control, quick hands, and the will to learn and take advice." You need to make sure you select the perfect bat for you. You do not want it to be too heavy, too light, too thick, or too thin. When you hold your bat in your hands, it should feel like an extension of your own body. This allows for even flow and follow through with the swing. The strike zone is the area in which you can hit the ball, as well as the zone where a strike is called if you miss the hit. Be aware of this area so you can make good contact with the ball. If you constantly swing at bad pitches (such as those over your head or outside of the plate), you are more than likely going to miss and get a strike thrown against you. These are the first two basics to know about when it comes to hitting. Now you're ready to dive into the guts of the matter so that you can become a switch-hitting home run king! -
Step 2
The more you can do for yourself to become ready to hit the ball as it crosses the plate, the better. You need to watch the pitcher closely for the release of the ball, so that your swing is not too late. You need to make sure you have your shoulder and chin tucked in, and that you don't have chicken wings. Your stance needs to be at the ready, as well. You don't want to stand straight at the plate, you will wish to be able to spring into action quickly when you hit that ball so that your fluid motion can continue as you drop the bat and take that first step towards first plate. The more hesitation and time taken on your part, the better the odds are that the ball will beat you to the plate and you will be tagged out. More force needs to go into the ground off the back foot so that the forced reaction will feed the energy into your body so you can explode off home base to head around the diamond for that home run we're looking for. Your hips are in the center of your body, and therefore are quite pivotal on how your energy is released when that bat strikes that ball. You will need to do exercises to teach yourself how to move your hips in rotation with the velocity of the hit to spring into action off the plate and make a great connection with that ball.
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Step 3
For hitting baseballs, your body' s stance is detrimental to how you will be hitting the ball. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, with your front foot lined up near the front edge of home plate. If you cannot tap the outside edge of home plate with your bat, you are too far away, move in closer. Your knees need to be slightly bent, with the depth being a personal preference. Some professionals bend their knees deeply, so that the strike zone is smaller, yet your energy is compact. Don't forget to slightly bend the waist.
The bat should be positioned so that the handle is near the back shoulder and the barrel is above and behind your head. Middle knuckles should be lined up and the bat should fit comfortably in your hands.
