Batting Training

Many studies have been done that say training must correlate directly to the movements that take place in sport. This is a wordy definition for the phrase: sport-specific training.

If we want greater bat speed we must replicate our swing dynamics using resistance to build strength, and speed training to build power. Strength and Power are directly related. Power in definition is really just fast strength.
With these two points being made, we now need to understand the mechanics of a swing.
When we swing a bat, the swing starts from the ground, up. Think of this ground up theory as a rubber band that is fully stretched and twisted as well. When a rubber band is fully stretched, it is filled with what we refer to as potential energy, meaning if we let go, that band will move. So if our rubber band is now fully stretched and twisted as well, if we let go, the band will move in a rotational manner. In essence this is what happens to your body, your body is this rubber band. As a hitter, prior to the pitch we load up and put our rubber band on stretch. Then just prior to our swing, we put force into the ground, the ground then pushes force up through our legs, hips, and abdominals. At that moment our rubber band (body) begins to un-stretch in a rotational manner pushing the force and energy we created towards to ball. The amount of force and energy that is put into the ball will determine the distance and speed in which this ball will travel.
Now that we have a basic understanding of the swing, we are able to tailor exercises to enhance our force and energy output. I recommend in terms of equipment all baseball players purchase a medicine ball of 4-10 pounds depending on your age and body size. I usually recommend starting with a 6lb ball for athletes over 100 lbs. I would also strongly encourage purchasing some resistance tubing with handles. With these two recommended pieces of equipment you can complete a comprehensive baseball development workout.
These exercises should be done 2-3 days per week. I recommend 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions.
Core Bridges- This is one of the best core stability exercises. This exercise will help with the transfer of force and energy from your lower body to your upper
How? While lying on the ground face down, bend your arms and place them directly under your shoulders. From this position, you should be able to lift your body up as if you were doing a pushup while resting your weight on your forearms. Hold this posture for 15 seconds to start and as you get better, increase the time of your hold.
Seated Bent Knee Med Ball Rotations- This exercise will begin to develop rotational speed and strength
How? While sitting on the floor, bend both knees so just your heels are on the floor. From this position grab your medicine ball. With the ball close to your body, begin to rotate by turning your shoulders side to side and tap the ball on each side of your body each repetition. When using the medicine ball you will have more of a strength focus. To enhance the speed of muscle contraction, let go of the ball and rotate side to side as rapidly as possible.
High to Low Standing Band Chops- This exercise will also be used to build strength and speed depending on the resistance of your band.
How? Prior to beginning this exercise, it is important that your band is fixed to an object that is a few feet taller than you are. This object could be a pull-up bar, doorway, or a partner standing on a table or bench. While standing in your batter stance, weight should be equally distributed on both feet. Grab the handle of the band with your front hand, or the hand that would be closest to the pitcher, then place your other hand on top of the other. From this position you are going to chop down on the same plane you would if you were going to hit the ball off a tee. The movement should be slow and controlled if strength is your goal, if speed is your goal, use a lighter resistance band and speed up the movement to a rapid pace while still maintaining good mechanics.
Low to High Standing Band Chops- This exercise will also be used to build strength and speed depending on the resistance of your band. In addition this will enhance upper body trunk flexibility
How? Prior to beginning this exercise, it is important that your band is fixed to an object that is even with your back foot. This object could be a chair, leg of a table, or even the trunk of a tree. While standing in your batter stance, weight should be equally distributed on both feet. Grab the handle of the band with your front hand, or the hand that would be closest to the pitcher, then place your other hand on top of the other. At this point you will pivot your front foot and rotate your torso towards the object that is holding the band in place. From here, you will immediately begin to chop in an upward direction with your arms extended outward. While this is going on, your front foot will pivot to open up, while your back foot will pivot as if you were hitting and squashing the bug. Upon finish, your arms will finish high and you will look very similar to a golfer when they finish their swing.
Rotational Pushup- This upper body exercise will help develop upper body strength, stability, and flexibility all at the same time.
How? From the top of a pushup position, you will start a slow descent bringing your chest to the floor. Directly following you will push up from the floor while at the same lifting one of your hands and arms up towards the sky.
Utilize these 5 exercises three times each week and you will slowly but surely see improvements.

Vision and Hitting

As it relates to your stance, seeing the ball better means how you initially stand in the batter’s box to look out at the pitcher. There are basically three different types of stance. The neutral stance is one where your feet are square to the plate. This means that they are an equal distance from the plate. A stance like this affords you a good, comfortable look at the pitcher without straining yourself or otherwise becoming uncomfortable in the batter’s box. Most Major League hitters use a neutral stance. Ken Griffey, Jr., for one. Remember, we are only talking about how you place your feet in the batter’s box. We want to build that solid foundation from the ground up.

The second stance, and also a very popular one with Major League hitters, is the closed stance. On the closed stance, the foot closest to the pitcher’s mound is placed slightly closer to home plate than the other foot. The key word here is slightly. You can overdo most anything, and getting too closed with your stance will definitely hamper your hitting. The great Tony Gwynn believes this is probably the best stance for most hitters.

The open stance is just the opposite. The foot closest to the mound is pulled away from home plate. Jay Buhner of the Mariners is one of the more notable hitters that uses the open stance. Fewer Major League hitters use this stance, because of the obvious distance it takes you from the hitting zone. An open stance requires you to do more during the time the pitch is on its way to the plate, in order to get in the proper hitting position. More on that later.

So, which stance is right for you? Well, each one has its advantages. Before you choose one though, I’d like you to take a little test. Because it is important to see the ball well, we need to find out which of your eyes is the dominant eye. The dominant eye is the one that does the majority of the work when you look at something. It sends the messages to the brain about where the ball is as it relates to the space around you. Your other eye does the same thing, but your dominant eye sends more precise information. Remember, you want every advantage on your side, not the pitcher’s.

Extend your hand out in front of you with your thumb up as though you are giving a friend the "thumbs up" or "good job, way to go," sign. With both eyes open, pick an object about twenty feet away from you and position your thumb so that the end of it covers that object. Now, close your left eye. Did your thumb seem like it moved over to the left? If it did, your left eye is your dominant eye. If nothing happened and your thumb is still covering the object, close your right eye. Did your thumb seem to have jumped over to the right? If so, your right eye is the dominant eye.

Why is all of this important to you? The answer is simple, you want to make use of your dominant eye when you are hitting. Choosing the proper stance to help put that dominant eye to work is important. Ideally, your dominant eye would be the one closest to the pitcher. The left eye for the right handed batter, the right eye for the left handed batter. Unfortunately, most people are just the opposite. Right handed batters generally are right eye dominant and vice-versa.
Having your dominant eye closer to the pitcher contributes to better tracking of the ball to the hitting zone. This is one of the factors that helps explain why switch hitters hit better from one side or the other. Not having this luxury does not mean you can’t be a good hitter.
What it means is, by knowing which eye sends the more precise messages to the brain, you should position yourself so that you see the ball with that eye.
This is the reason most Major League hitters choose the neutral position as their stance of choice. I doubt, however, that many of them consciously know which of their eyes is dominant. It probably came about from years of trial and error and they finally settled on that position because they felt they saw the ball better. You can wipe out years of trial and error just by knowing which of your eyes sees the ball better! From the neutral stance, you can position your head comfortably enough over your front shoulder to use both eyes to see the ball, bringing your dominant eye into play. This is known as binocular, using both eyes.
Obviously, the open stance gives you an even greater use of both eyes. The reason it is not employed as often by great hitters, is that the trade off for good vision and the increased amount of things you need to do to get in the proper hitting position is simply not worth it. The less complicated your swing is, the more successful you are apt to be. Again, more on this later.
The closed stance has advantages. If you can comfortably position your head over the front shoulder to utilize the vision from both eyes, you can take advantage of the increased plate coverage you get from this stance. Stan Musial, one of the great hitters of all time, used a slightly closed stance. If you were to look at him from the pitcher’s mound during his stance, you might think his neck was made of rubber his head was turned so far over his front shoulder. Needless to say, he saw the ball very well, and he hit the ball very well.
To sum this section up; since we are building a good hitter a little at a time, pick a stance that affords you the best opportunity to see the ball well. Taking into consideration which of your eyes sends the more accurate messages to the brain. You need to give that computer up there the proper information if you want to be successful at one of the more difficult physical acts in sports.

Balance and The Hitting Stance

Let’s get you in a good hitting position with your stance. Your feet should be slightly more than shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and your weight evenly distributed between both feet. You should feel a little more weight toward the balls of your feet and to the inside of your feet. You should feel springy and ready for action, like a quarterback under center. This is a well balanced, athletic stance that will allow you to hit with power and grace.

The best way I have found to teach young hitters how to get into a well balanced, athletic position, is to have you stand still with your feet about shoulder width apart. Now jump as high as you can straight up in the air. When you land, you will usually land in a very balanced and athletic position.

When you look down at your feet, your knees should be bent just enough to prevent you from seeing your ankles and the in-steps of your feet. Standing too straight, or squatting too far, can lead to poor mechanics of the swing. There are exceptions, obviously, if you look around at the Major Leagues, where players have had success from one extreme to the other. Some players crouch down, others stand straight up, that is a matter of "style," and that’s something we don’t want to discuss just yet. For now, balance and efficiency are what we want to concentrate on.
Mechanically, what a good balanced stance does for you is it allows you to freely stride with the front foot and rotate the back foot while maintaining enough balance to swing the bat through with leverage and power. Good balance is imperative throughout the swing.