Batting order roles

Below is a chart that indicates the ideal roles, expectations, and priorities for each batter in the line-up.  Of course, a manager is going to be limited to the talent he has on the team and most likely will not have a hitter in each spot who is capable of achieving all that is expected. […]

Tips for gripping a bat

How a batter holds the bat is one thing that a lot of players overlook when addressing problems with hitting.  I think that it is assumed that hitters just know how to do it.  Sometimes a minor adjustment in the grip can go a long way to improve contact and overall bat speed.  Below are […]

Two strike adjustments (Part 2)

Yesterday’s post dealt with the physical adjustments a batter should make when he is in a two strike situation.  Today, I list the mental adjustments all hitters should consider making.   Mental adjustments:   Expand your strike zone.  This adjustment goes back to the saying “never allow the umpire to take the bat out of your […]

Two strike adjustments (Part 1)

In my post called Cardinal Sins of Baseball: Offense, I mentioned a number of times something that drives me nuts.  Called third strikes.  I was raised to believe that under no circumstances should a hitter take a called third strike.  Period.  End of story.  No exceptions.   Of course, hitting is not easy and sometimes the umpire will just […]

Hitting: Power and Grace

Twins catcher, Joe Mauer Think of some swings that are/were just beautiful to watch.  For me, I think of Ken Griffey Jr., Adrian Gonzalez, Ted Williams, Albert Pujols, and Joe Mauer.   I also think of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in golf.  What makes them beautiful is that all their swings have the combination of power and grace.  […]

Track the ball to the catcher

In a previous post called Off-season Hitting: An overlooked Drill I talked about the advantages of standing in when pitchers are throwing indoors or in the bullpen.  One tip I recommended while doing it was to follow the ball all the way back to the catcher’s mitt.  This allows the hitter the ability to see any late […]

The Stubborn Hitter – a short story

Once upon a time on a field far, far away there was a hitter who was very stubborn.  The boy hit mile-high pop-ups.  One after another. They soared high up into the clouds … and always landed for outs. The coaches all tried to intervene.  The boy wanted nothing of it. They searched far and […]

How to hit (take!) a curve ball

I get a lot of questions related to hitting asking for tips on how to hit a curve ball.  As players get older, pitchers certainly are going to throw more than just a fastball so all hitters have to be prepared – physically and mentally – to handle curve balls and other breaking pitches. That […]

Hitting: "Looking" vs "Guessing"

After a big home run, you have probably heard a Major League hitter interviewed and say “I was looking for a fastball and got one.”  You may have also heard an announcer say after a bad swing/miss or a called third strike, “it appeared the batter was guessing on that pitch.”    Good hitters occasionally will “look” […]

The importance of repeating yourself

The other day I am watching the MLB Network (surprise!) and they are doing an analysis of the Chicago White Sox during their 30 Teams in 30 Days Tour.  They spent a bit of time on a young pitcher named Chris Sale who was drafted in last year’s MLB Draft and is already in the […]

Indoor Hitting Drills

Yesterday’s post dealt with some indoor practice tips.  Below are some drills specific for those hitting stations that allow you to maximize the time and space available.  Of course, these tips and drills are also great for individual players who are looking for ways to improve their hitting when they are stuck indoors at home.Hitting drills for […]

Hitting: Five stages of focus

In a couple posts this week titled “Don’t think, you’ll hurt the ballclub!” (Part 1 and Part 2) I wrote about the fact that many players think about the wrong things at the wrong time for the wrong amount of time.  I then offered some tips or strategies to allow players to improve in these […]

The power of a routine

Most players at the major league level have rituals or some sort of routine they go through prior to games.  Some might put on their uniform the same way everyday.  Others might eat at the same times on game days.  Hall of Famer Wade Boggs was famous for his pre-game rituals.  Although some might scoff […]

Hitting and making adjustments

Yesterday (Feb. 18) in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was interviewed and asked a number of questions about last season as well as the one that’s approaching.  A few things he said can be very informative to hitters.  In my opinion, what he said especially applies to those who work with private instructors.  […]

Cardinal Sins of Baseball (Part 2) – Offense

Yesterday it was Cardinal Sins on defense.  Today it’s offense!   Taking a called third strike, especially with runners in scoring position.  Probably the thing that aggravates me the most as a coach. Missing a sign from a coach. Swinging at the first pitch when the previous batter walked on four pitches.  Poor awareness of […]

Hitting: Watch the middle infielders

In a couple previous posts, one for shortstops and one for third basemen, I mentioned the need to adjust positioning based on the batter and what pitch was being thrown.  As a hitter though, sometimes you can notice these adjustments if the infielders make their movements too early or too obvious.  A good tip for […]

Sacrifice bunting – square up for success

Spring training is right around the corner for pitchers and catchers in the Major Leagues.  There are many things I love about this and one of them is you start to see photos and video clips of baseball again.  Since the pitchers arrive first, many of the pictures show bullpen sessions, drills like covering first […]

Off-season hitting – an overlooked drill

This time of year, hitters are gearing up for the upcoming season probably by focusing on their hitting mechanics and taking a ton of swings.  One valuable drill that tends to be overlooked is standing-in on pitchers.  “Standing-in” involves a hitter standing in the batters box and doing everything they normally would do during an at-bat except […]

Batting stance – the importance of a good base

  When teaching hitting, I’m a believer in taking a ground up approach.  That is, start with the feet and gradually move up.  It really won’t matter how strong the player is or how quick his hands are unless his body is balanced in a good base. Regardless of the sport you play, a strong […]

Batting tee drills … that don’t involve hitting!

The batting tee is my pick for the Worlds Greatest Baseball Training Invention Award.   …and not just for hitting!  Here are some other uses: Shortstop – Across the Bag Drill: One of the mistakes that I mentioned in the shortstop mistakes post was that many shortstops unnecessarily catch a double play feed directly over the […]

My favorite bunting drill

I mentioned in a post about hitting mistakes that many good high school and college hitters fail to set aside time to practice with the future in mind.  I noted that players that keep moving up beyond high school and college tend to hit in the 3, 4, or 5 spot in the batting order.  Because […]

Hitting Mistakes

The 10th of 12 posts related to common mistakes players make by position. Poor foundation. When instructing hitters, many coaches take a “ground up” approach.  This means nothing is worked on until a batter has created a good, strong foundation with his feet.  In sports, the “athletic position” is fundamental to the success of many […]

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