Fastpitch Hitting Fundamentals We Can Agree On

[Ken Krause]

Good list, and a good place to start. I find that #8 seems to be particularly difficult for girls in fastpitch for some reason. Maybe it is for boys in baseball but I haven't done it enough to speak to it. Most girls want to push the hands way back away from the shoulder, then drop the hands to start the swing. Especially when I'm working with a hitter in-season, it's the first thing I look to change.

 

[Ken Krause]

1. It has to have a center or axis that can generate centrifugal force.
2. It has to have a principle of hands first – hands last! HOW?
3. It has to have the principle of pulling the bow back. Chin into deltoid.
4. In reality, for a right-handed batter, the fingernails of the right hand are up when contact is made. (Opposite for lefties!)
5. The finish has to be high. (I believe in releasing the top hand – others don’t!)
6. Front toe closed is important! (It is also impossible)
7. There is a relationship between front toe touch-down and the swing. Rather, this involves the hands location and timing. (IT CAN’T BE A STAGNANT RELATIONSHIP!) (This is where we discuss the sprinter coming out of the block!)
8. I think that the right knee in a right-handed batter actually (it is already bent) actually moves toward the hitter and then the swing occurs.
9. 55 - 45 weight ratio with 55 on back foot. (We actually don’t mind 50-50 but I’m more confident in our hitters due to what I’ve coached in the past with 55-45!)
10. The head must maintain the same plane at toe touch.
11. The ball must be hit in the first 4-6 inches of the plate. Even in a situation where you hit the ball to right field, the ball is hit on the front half of the plate.
12. You must fight situations of tense muscle activation. Even with the back arm, the arm is relaxed prior to tensing that arm to implement the swing (load). Pulling the bow back creates the needed tension or scap load.
13. The eyes must be ahead of the barrel of the bat. Find ball flight but know that you won’t see the ball the entire flight of the ball. As eye specialize Gary Meier told me, they eyes will make their adjustments if you allow both eyes to see the ball.
14. The hands should be off the armpit 6 inches and the bat must be rotated behind the ear on a 45-degree angle.
15. The hitter must be on the balls of his feet slightly. (Even the back foot that has 55 percent of the weight on it.) Heel is still down but pressure minimum.
16. Good hitters initiate the swing with some type of trigger. Almost always this entails some type of negative rotation. (Beware also that this creates many flaws in hitters for instance dropping the hands instead of rotating the shoulders slightly backwards as a unit.)
17. BALANCE BALANCE BALANCE! (This might be the most important item!)
18. As the ball is being driven, the back foot actually rotates to the point that the hitter, as they generate power, comes on top of his back toe and even drags it!
19. Great hitters hit off of a platform. In other words, the front leg becomes straight. This also helps keep the head in the proper location. Note, straight but not rigid. Many great hitters have a slight bend to that front knee during some point before and after the swing. Soft, stiff, soft.
20. Great hitters are slightly“ tilted” over the plate. Nose over the black of the plate.
21. Great hitters can control the bat plane at any point in the swing thus their ability to foul off pitcher's pitches.

I think this is a good list too, Cannonball, although more of a 50,000 foot view of hitting. To me, these are the principles, and Wellphyt's list are the execution for the most part. Together you have what you need to help a hitter start becoming successful. Just don't forget a lot of practice time too!

 

[BLB]

I keep hearing number (5) "Keeping the hands inside the ball is good." As opposed to what? What would be keeping the hands outside the ball mean? Secondly, at POC lets assume we want the knob of the bat to be approximately 29" or so from the ball (33" bat) and the hands are holding on to the bat therefore they are as well a certain distance from contact regardless of if it's an inside pitch or an outside pitch. The front elbow is a specific distance from the hands therefore it is a certain distance from the ball at POC as well. On an inside pitch, if the hands have to be pulled away from the plate to keep the ball fair so must the elbow thus creating a certain amount of separation between the upper front arm and the chest (photos show this). The front shoulder can only compensate slightly with rotation rearward. On an outside pitch the opposite seems to be true including less rotation. If my observations have some merit, how does #5 relate to all of this?

 

[JC heir]

BLB- I am with you on the "keep your hands inside the ball "cue- seriously, if you get your hands outside the path of the ball, you are gonna get hit in the arms in my mind.

 

[One2win]

BLB- I am with you on the "keep your hands inside the ball "cue- seriously, if you get your hands outside the path of the ball, you are gonna get hit in the arms in my mind.

I believe keeping the hands inside the ball means instead of casting your hands outside the ball (and eventually bring them back in when making contact). When you keep your hands inside the ball, your hands will never go outside of the path of the pitch. If you cast your hands (start your swing by moving your hands, extending your elbows), your hands will 'swoop' outside the path of the ball before coming back inside. Just my interpretation.

 

[RayR]

I believe keeping the hands inside the ball means instead of casting your hands outside the ball (and eventually bring them back in when making contact). When you keep your hands inside the ball, your hands will never go outside of the path of the pitch. If you cast your hands (start your swing by moving your hands, extending your elbows), your hands will 'swoop' outside the path of the ball before coming back inside. Just my interpretation.

A tell tale is when a hitter slices the outside pitch or always pulls it. In doing front toss you can accurately throw low outside and see what kind of action the ball has coming off the bat. Their casty swing will not allow the ball to get deep and hit squared up line drives the other way.

 

[alexander58]

BLB- I am with you on the "keep your hands inside the ball "cue- seriously, if you get your hands outside the path of the ball, you are gonna get hit in the arms in my mind.

I see many girls cast. It may sound obvious to you, but some don't understand.

 

[RayR]

Here is a great drill with immediate feedback.

Set up a small cone to simulate a low pitch (you don't need a ball as you want the cone to be hit). Stand behind the hitter and let her swing trying to hit the cone straight up the middle.

Many, many players will swing and miss around the cone (very similar to an over the top golf swing which creates a slice).

After a couple of tries they will start to make contact but the cone will fly to the pull side and the bat path will still be outside in. They have just figured out how to make contact using their casty swing.

Now ask them to hit the cone to the opposite field. Some will get it and others will struggle. The one's who can hit the cone to the opposite field are creating an in to out path and understand how to use their front arm..

As far as the cone - I would find one of those plastic ones that aren't too heavy.

If you don't have a cone - I just used a full size nerf football teed up in a plastic cup. Works the same way.

 

[Mark H]

BLB- I am with you on the "keep your hands inside the ball "cue- seriously, if you get your hands outside the path of the ball, you are gonna get hit in the arms in my mind.

I think what you and BLB are addressing, and I like it, is the difference between cues and concrete descriptions of reality. Not to condemn cues but, as you point out, they have their limitations in terms of subjective interpretations.