Open Stance

[Hoover's Dad]

My DD is 9 and makes very good contact, but has always hit most her balls to the right side. Part of her problem was that she would wrap the bat behind her head a little to much and would have trouble catching up to fast pitches. That problem has been solved for the most part.

In her last few batting sessions in the cage, we opened up her stance a couple inches, now she hits the ball more up the middle and will pull some pitches now.

We have always had to tell her to move her front foot back a little, because she would get in the box with a slightly closed stance.

Can any of you think of a drawback to slightly opening up a stance? I don't want to cause new problems trying to fix one old one.

 

[starsnuffer]

Try not to focus on her stance. Start your focus at toe touch. Stance really tells you nothing, and you can spend a lot of time adjusting it. I recommend a slightly open stance for slappers, as it means they have to make a smaller adjustment with the front foot before the cross step, so this can be more deceiving to the defense (will she slap or hit) but you have to be careful the hitter still stays over the plate and doesn't break early for first leaving them vulnerable to the outside pitch.

If she's hitting the ball left or right, you need to adjust her timing and where she makes contact with the ball, not her stance.

-W

 

[kls_hittingacademy]

one thing that will help your dd by opening up her stance is she will be getting a good 2 eye look at the ball. In other words she will be seeing the better off the pitchers hip.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Agree with last post. Which is her dominate eye? Most right handed hitters I work with are actullay looking at second base, not the pitcher .

 

[cshilt]

When I see hitters who are getting fooled badly at the plate the first thing I look at is their stance. Getting a good two-eyed look at the pitcher is important in order to be able to track the ball as long as possible as it travels to home plate. A slightly open stance, with a 5 degree offset, is usually enough to allow the hitter to track the ball without straining the eyes or neck.

For the hitters with a closed stance this is the test I give them to see if an open stance could help. While hitting off of a tee and into a pop up net, I place a piece of tape on the wall at around eye level and in the direction of the pitcher. Hopefully the distance is 8-10 feet away. I then ask the hitter to get into their normal stance and get ready to hit. Then I ask them to look at the tape (or distant focal point if outside) and close one eye, then the other and ask them if they can see the tape. Sometimes they can't, they are so closed, but usually they can see it even if they are straining with one eye. Now I have them set up with their back foot two inches (or so) closer to home plate than their front foot. Then I repeat the vision test. Almost always when asked if they can see the object without any strain in their neck or eye muscles they say yes.

To answer the original question, no I don't see a problem with a slightly open stance. As long as it isn't so far that you are giving away the outside of the plate it should only help her see the ball better.

 

[Wellphyt]

I prefer an open stance where the the front foot is laterally separated approximately 2"- 4" (further away from plate) from the back foot. Many hitters have a couple of inches of lateral separation between their feet to maintain blance during the swing. If the batter moves their back foot closer to the plate a corresponding distance they will be able to hit the outside pitch. IMO the key is the back foot. My daughter uses a slightly open stance, but her back foot is right up against the inside line of the batter's box.

 

[Hoover's Dad]

Yesterday was the third trip to the batting cage since we we opened up the stance, and she was killing the ball. Her stance is only open about 2", but just that little bit has made a huge differnce. She is getting more distance and more balls are hit flush. This afternoon is her first TB parctice since the change, hopefully she hits today like she has the last few batting practices with me.

 

[kls_hittingacademy]

good for her, i have my hitter having the front toe in line with the ball of the rear foot. Which is about 2" to 3", now you will have to do alot more reps, to reinforce muscle memory.