When you play the game of baseball there are many areas that take a lot of practice to take get good at. One of the most difficult aspects of the game is batting. If you are not hitting a baseball well then it can be really frustrating because it is such a big part of the game that will help your team’s chances of winning. When you are trying to perfect your hitting, oftentimes it is best to break down your hitting into individual parts such as your stance, your grip, and your swing. This article will seek to give you some tips on how to swing a baseball bat properly.
Why is your swing important? A lot of it has to do with simple physics. I don’t want to get into a science lesson here but it’s not hard to see that if you swing through a batted ball properly it will go further and if you make contact with the ball in a certain area of the bat you will hit the ball harder. Your baseball swing can be such a beautiful thing if you put all the mechanics of it together that we are about to discuss. With a proper swing, there is no limit to potential when batting; it really is that important.
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Two Important Aspects Of Batting Prior To Your Swing
It’s true this article is mainly about teaching you how to swing a baseball bat properly but we would be remiss not to at least mention two things that every batter must do prior to taking a swing. These include:
Proper stance
The way you stand in the batter’s box is important to how you swing. That’s because it does not matter how well you swing a bat if you are not facing the pitcher the right way and allowing yourself to hit a baseball anywhere it is pitched in the strike zone. When you get into the batter’s box the first thing you should do is reach and tap your bat on the front far corner of home plate. By doing that you will position yourself so you can cover the whole strike zone with the bat from where you stand. After doing that, next you want to spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Once you have done that, then next take your foot that is furthest away from the pitcher and move it toward the outside of the batter’s box about three inches.
Proper grip
In order to grip a bat properly first, you will place both hands at the bottom of the baseball bat handle one over the other. The hand you will follow through with on your swing will be the bottom hand of course. Next, separate both index fingers from the other three as you hold the bat so each knuckle on those fingers points away from the bat in a 45-degree angle. This will place the bat more in your fingers than your palms and also help you relax your grip which will help increase your swing speed.
Perfecting Your Baseball Swing
OK, so now you are properly positioned in the batter’s box and you have a good grip on the bat; it’s now time to learn how to take a good swing at the baseball.
Here is how you do it:
First
Before you start your swing your bat should be about chest high in front of you, about one foot away from your body and it should be positioned adjacent to your shoulder that is furthest away from the pitcher. Taking a deep breath and relaxing too is very important when swinging.
Next
As the ball approaches, you always keep your eye on it. When it is time to start your swing do not move the bat backward (called a hitch) because it will throw your timing off. Swing smoothly forward from the position you started at.
Project power
As you make contact with the ball turn your wrists and your hips to generate more power behind your swing so you can hit the ball harder.
Follow through
Even after you have made contact with the ball and it has left the bat continue your swing all the way through with your lead hand so that it wraps around your body. This generates, even more, power as you swing and you will notice all of the good professional hitters do it.
Practice
So there you have it. You now know some of the key areas that experts emphasize as far as swinging a baseball bat are concerned. Like with any part of perfecting how you play the game of baseball, you have to practice at it. You can do this by taking many practice swings a day trying to hit an imaginary baseball coming at you and you can also perfect your swing during batting practice. How to swing a baseball bat is so important that if you do it right you will not only increase your batting average but you will enjoy the game of baseball more as you play it too.
