Baseball is one of the king sports not only in the US but also in Canada, Japan, and Taiwan also huge fans. When it comes to baseball, you might immediately picture a pitcher and a person trying to hit the ball. And the image of a pair of baseball gloves and a baseball bat is always familiar even to those who have never held them.
So do you know how to swing a baseball bat?
This article will introduce you to the most detailed way to swing a baseball bat. Okay, let’s dive in!
How to Swing a Baseball Bat – Follow our steps!
1. Place your legs and feet up below your shoulders
First, place your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Note that your feet should be parallel to each other and aligned directly below your shoulders. If you are right-handed, your left half should be facing the pitcher. Your head is now facing the direction the ball is coming from. The position will be reversed if you are left-handed.
2. Keep your knees bent
Try to keep your knees bent. Do not stoop or stoop too low. Make sure your knees and hips have a bit of a spring-like stretch. When your center of gravity is low, you will create more force in your shot and keep you steady while hitting the ball.
It should be noted that you should not arch your butt or let your upper body tilt too far.
3. Focus on the back foot
Try to keep both feet firmly on the ground until you’re ready to start the shot.
The more stable your back foot’s center of gravity is, the more power you can generate by driving from foot up. You’ll have to take a small step with your front foot and rotate your back foot to follow when you start swinging. However, until you make contact with the ball, both feet must be locked.
Your weight should be placed very lightly on your back foot to prepare you for the next swing.
4. Relax and get ready
Many sports studies have found that athletes are able to move much faster when they are relaxed.
Don’t be too pressured. Relax and relax as much as you can to prepare to move your body in a fluid motion.
If your mind is too tense, your movements will be erratic, and your speed and accuracy will not be high. Shake your shoulders, hips, and ankles before stepping up to hit the bat. Remind yourself to stay open-minded and poised.
5. Put your hands in the correct position
Make sure your fingers are in the correct position on the bat. Place the shaft with the fingers of both hands, then wrap your arms around the bat. You should not hold the stick in the palm of your hand. This will cause you to lose flexibility and not be able to rotate your wrist when you swing the racquet.
You also should not cling too high to the handle of the bat. This can ruin your shot. There should be very little space between the little finger of the lower hand and the bottom knob.
An important thing to remember is to always think about gripping the baseball bat with your fingers, not with your whole hand.
6. Line up your knuckles
How should the fingers be arranged properly? Keep your fingertips in a long line along the shaft. The bat will move in your hand as you swing, and both hands will naturally turn on the handle. Remember that you should use the pressure of your fingers to keep the bat in place, but not too tight.
If you feel uncomfortable holding the bat with the tops of your knuckles aligned, try turning your hands inward until your middle knuckles point in the same direction.
7. Let the bat hover over your shoulder
You should let the bat face up at an angle over your shoulder. Many people have the habit of placing it on their back, but this is completely ineffective. Next, raise the bat high above your shoulders and get ready to start the shot. It is important not to let any part of the bat touch your back, neck, or shoulders.
The angle at which you hold the bat should be about 45 degrees or so.
8. Keep your body in a straight line
Place your weight on your feet and keep your toes, knees, hips, and shoulders aligned. Point your chin towards the mound to always look at the ball. From this position, you will swing your arms out when the ball is within striking distance.
If any part of your body deviates from a linear position, you lose speed, power, and ball control.
9. Take a small step to increase your strength
You should step out very lightly after the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand with your front foot. Remember to only move your feet 2–3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) and avoid misaligning. This move will increase the power of your swing by adding directional force to the hip and shoulder movement.
Be careful not to lose your balance as you step. Your steps should be quick, short and must ensure you are in a position with a solid platform to hit the ball.
10. Hip rotation
Perform hip rotation to build momentum for the swing. During the rotation, you must not let your hips sway or move away from the rest of your body. If you are right-handed, you should rotate your hips counterclockwise and clockwise for left-handed players. Most of the power of a good swing comes from the hips.
Remember to try to stay upright as you rotate, so you don’t get off-axis.
11. Keep your eyes on the ball
Follow the ball to make sure you hit it. To do that, drop your chin and keep your head low throughout the swing. Your vision should always be locked onto the ball. From the moment you start throwing until the bat hits the ball or you hit it, you have to keep an eye on it, really focused and ready to time your shot.
Do not tilt your head too much when dropping your chin. If your eyes are not level, it can deflect your vision and affect your ability to catch the ball.
12. Shoulder rotation
Next, rotate your shoulders in line with your body. Try to relax until just before the bat hits the ball. Your whole body will expand like a spring, from your legs up to your hips, ending with a shoulder rotation. Note that the shaft of the bat must be held firmly in the early part of the swing. As a rule, the further the bat-head is from your body, the less leverage you have.
13. Follow through
After the bat hits the ball, keep hitting the ball until the bat is extended past your opposite shoulder. At the end of the swing, your upper body should be facing the pitcher.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, through this sharing, you have gained knowledge on how to swing a baseball bat correctly.
Using a bat to hit the ball requires a lot of hand strength. Therefore, you should regularly practice exercises to help your hands become stronger and hit the baseball more accurately.
Thanks for reading our guide!