Understanding the Baseball Swing

Understanding the Baseball Swing
By guest author: Nate Barnett


If I asked you to give a five minute lecture on hitting mechanics start to finish, could you do it? If the answer is yes, then you've undoubtedly done some research on the baseball swing. If the answer is no, then there is some work to be done, and you'll want to read on, especially if you're in a role where you provide any type of baseball instruction.

Coaches must be continual learners if they are going to stay in this game for long and attract some success. The most dangerous attitude anyone of influence can obtain is an attitude of arrival. Therefore, be a constant learner.

The baseball swing can be broken down into various parts and movements. The key for any good coach or athlete is to understand first what these parts are, and secondly, to understand the sequence of these moving parts throughout the swing. Without getting into depth on the specific parts in this article, my purpose in writing this is to introduce how energy is created within the baseball swing.

Much like other athletic activities the energy created to produce a quick swing comes from the back side of the body. The lower half of the back side of the hitter's body is responsible for generating momentum directed toward the pitch. This movement does not happen automatically, unfortunately. Most hitters begin their swing with the front side of the body or their hands which greatly reduces the speed of the baseball swing.

The two most common and incorrect swing starters are the hands and the front hip. Here are the drawbacks for using those parts to begin the energy creation process.

Hands: The baseball swing is a movement where energy is created from the ground up. The back knee turns first, back hip second, and hands third. While this sequence happens very quickly, it's important that it remain consistent. The reason is because this process creates torque. It is a core body movement that creates a whip action and propels the bat into the zone. If the hitter's hands are responsible for generating power, little power can be generated comparatively.

Front Hip: As explained above, the back side of the body creates energy. Therefore, if the front hip of the hitter begins to rotate at the same time of the back side of the body, momentum begins to move away from the play instead of being directed at hitting the baseball.

Consistent drill work should be focused on minimizing the above two movements. While Little Leaguers can get away with some of these mistakes and have relative success, athletes in high school cannot. Therefore, the best time to correct these incorrect movements is between the ages of 10 and 15.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Learn how to help your game by improving the skill of mental baseball

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Baseball Fundamentals - Throwing & Catching

Baseball Fundamentals - Throwing & Catching
By guest author: Brian Schofield

Throwing a Baseball

It sounds so simple yet so many players do this incorrectly at a young age. In my opinion, nothing hampers a young player's love for the game more than if he can't throw the ball correctly. Fundamentally it is a very simple concept, but must be practiced correctly to be mastered. I have been blessed with having 4 girls as my children. They don't quite love baseball like I do but one thing I've tried to really teach them is how to correctly throw and catch a baseball. The first thing I tell them is that they aren't going to hurt me. To demonstrate I start with a softer ball like a wiffle ball or a tennis ball because the theory is how they throw and catch, not what they throw and catch. I want the confidence to be built up, not crushed because a hard ball smashed them in the mouth. Stand a fair distance apart, maybe 15-20 feet and have both players stand facing each other. When it is your turn to throw the ball, make absolutely sure of a couple points.

One, always step with your lead foot and aim it at the person you are throwing. Your front foot should point directly to your target. When practicing this for the first time it is ok to exaggerate the step. Second, make sure the ball is released behind or near the ear of the player throwing the ball. Young players will tend to short arm the throw by holding it too long. When they do this you will notice right away because the throw will have no life on it. A short arm throw eliminates the shoulder from being used and that completely decreases velocity on the ball. I have the players say step, plant and throw until they form a comfortable rhythm. My father was an incredible baseball coach growing up and I believe the difference was he took the time to teach us the simple concepts like throwing and catching a ball which is really what the game is all about, isn't it?

Catching a Baseball

Young players need to be shown the correct way to catch a ball as well. Don't get me wrong, some players will know from day 1 how to do both these things while others won't. Some may show all the ability but haven't been taught the correct fundamental behind it. Young players tend to do two things incorrectly when catching a baseball. One, they box it. I call it boxing the ball when everything thrown to them is met by a boxing motion with the glove always going in a downward motion no matter how low the throw is. Instead of just turning the glove over with the palm up, players will do the opposite and box it no matter where it is. Second, the opposite occurs and they try to catch everything with the palm up. I've seen more kids clocked in the head because of this than you could imagine. This is mastered only through correct repetition and practice. I encourage parents to spend 10 minutes outside showing kids how to correctly throw and catch. If it is done you will avoid the kids being made fun of or teased and they'll stick with it. I'm glad I did and I'm glad that my father took the time to play catch with me.

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