Hitters: Be athletic when you land

One of the many challenges of working with younger players is trying to get them to make the most of whatever  their body has in terms of power, quickness, and overall athleticism.  One way we try to accomplish this for hitters is to put them in a good athletic position from the very start.  Wider stance, knees slightly bent, a little bend at the waist, weight more on the balls of the feet, head up and level, etc.  However, some hitters quickly get out of that good athletic position as soon as they start their stride and swing to the ball.  At contact, they have all but lost whatever athleticism they possess.

If a player is going to be in an unathletic position then he needs to make sure that position starts things off.  You’ll see this with a lot of major leaguers that are straight up and down in their stance with feet fairly close together.  They seem to be just standing up and hanging out as if they are just waiting for a bus.

But take a look at where they are at the point of contact and you’ll notice a complete change over to an athletic position.  At contact, all the athletic points of the body listed above are there when needed the most.

When working with younger kids, there is benefit to having them get into the athletic position from the start and have them just stay there throughout the swing.  Less movement the better.  Some players have a tough time with that, though.  For those that do, what matters most is that they are at their athletic best when their stride foot hits the ground and contact is about to be made.

Tomorrow’s post: Hands or head to the low pitch?