THE BATTERS BOX
The proper batting stance, weight position and swing of the bat is a very important thing. You shouldn't bat off balance and always watch the ball. "You can't hit what you can't see." Bring your hips through, your arms across your body, and use a COMPACT swing. The animated picture above is a good example.
Click here to get some batting tips, other than the ones below. They're provided by head coach of USCB, Liz Kelly.Be sure to look under Techniques for effective batting.
TIPS ON HITTING
Tip #1 - Bat Selection
Athletes should select a bat which is the heaviest weighted she can swing without losing bat speed or mechanics of the swing. For example, I use a 33in, 25oz. bat, because when I swing a 33in, 26oz. bat, I lose bat speed and form.
A rule of thumb: if the athlete stands tall and places the bat to her side, the knob of the bat should be positioned at the wrist. If the knob is in the palm, the athlete more than likely needs a longer bat. If the knob is up the forearm, the athlete would more than likely need a shorter length bat.
Tip #2 - The Grip
If you look at your hand and notice the joint lines of the finger, label them such that the joint line closest to the tip of the fingers is joint line #1. The one in the middle is joint line #2, and the joint line closest to the palm of the hand is joint line #3. If the bat is placed out in front of the athlete and the bottom hand is positioned such that the bat extends from the #1 joint line of the index finger directly to the #3 joint line of the little finger. Then close the grip, such that the thumb extends around the bat in the direction of the index finger, not straight up in a "hitch-hike" position. This is repeated with the top hand. When the grip is examined, notice the "door-knocking" knuckles are aligned with the exception of the index finger "door-knocking" knuckles off line. Notice with this proper grip, the bat is placed in the fingers and not in the palm of the hands. This will create a more natural roll of the wrists.
it is important to have a proper grip to increase consistency of the swing. This grip makes the bat a straight extension of the hands, thereby providing better eye/bat coordination.
Tip #3 - Batting Stance
First, position yourself in the batter's box so that the back foot is equal to the back corner of the plate. The front foot is placed at least shoulder width apart, and a straight line can be drawn from the back to the front foot out to the pitcher. This positions the batter so that she is in a "sideways" position with her front shoulder pointing to the pitcher. Both feet are pointing in the same direction (towards the opposite batter's box) with the body weight directed down the center of the body, not leaning heavily to the front or the back foot. A suggestion: lift the back heel up slightly without shifting the weight so that the athlete senses being on the ball of the back foot. Next, the proper grip is taken. With the proper grip, the bat is then placed on the back shoulder, parallel to the ground and aligned with the side of the body. The front elbow makes a 90o angle or an "L" shape. The elbows should be in a relaxed position, which creates an upside-down "V" with the forearms. Notice the knob of the bat and the back foot point in the same direction. This relationship is maintained throughout the entire swing.
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