Baseball Hitting Drills For the Stride

Hurricane Hitting Machine by SKLZ

By Joe Brockhoff

In our Hitting System, we practice striding during the following batting practice sequence:

• Soft body, no stride, full take • Load and Stride - Take • Load - Stride - Pivot

Isolating these three activities by themselves can be performed alone at home without a pitched ball, or during batting practice, like in our Hitting Agenda and Tempo Drills. This builds the stride to the point where it is constant. Here are the rules for the best stride:

• The stride travels only 6 inches. • The stride lands on the ball of the foot • The stride goes directly ahead and in the same place each time. • The stride begins on pitchers release. • The hands stay home near the back shoulder during the stride and are not released to make the bat contact the ball until after the pivot (rotation of the hips).

Another coaching point: The stride should be initiated in the large muscle mass of the hips. In other words, it is a slight linear push of the hips toward the ball. The front foot merely follows this push, landing on the ball of the foot. When the front heel goes down, this keys the turn of the hips and the weight transfer.

When facing a pitcher with above average velocity, a baseball player must be quick in the hips and rotate accordingly... having the ability to clear his mid section and allow his hands to get out in front makes for better contact with the ball. The stride plays a vital role in developing from linear to rotation for a sinker or four seam fastball for weight through the ball.
Former Tulane Hall of Fame Baseball Coach, Joe Brockhoff, fully explains his baseball hitting drills with the Super 8 Hitting System, completely demonstrated with videos and baseball hitting tips to help you hit with more power and raise your batting average. http://www.learnbaseballhitting.com/.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joe_Brockhoff

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---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
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Teaching a Balanced Batting Stance

By Andy Pohl

Hitting is a chain reaction of body movements. As with any chain reaction, the end cannot be met without a proper beginning. The purpose of the stance is to get the hitter in a body position that will facilitate a quick and powerful movement towards the baseball.

First of all, hitters need to find a stance that is comfortable and balanced. Their eyes must be focused on the pitcher. Many hitters have their heads tucked under their shoulder or tilted to the side. This consequently impedes their ability to see the ball clearly from the best angle. Make sure the head is upright with the eyes focused directly at the pitcher.

All good hitters get themselves in a good athletic position to start. A good athletic position consists of flex in the knees with the hip sockets back. If a hitter is having a difficult time getting into an athletic position or confused about what this position feels like, have them pretend they are defending someone on the basketball court. They will quickly notice that their knees are flexed, their butt is out, and they are slightly bent over on the balls of their feet. Have them hold that position and put a bat in their hands. This is the proper stance.

The stance is should be relaxing enough to have a calming effect over the body. The bat should be held loosely in the fingers or across the callous line of the hand. Never hold the bat in the palm. The hands and forearms should be relaxed as much as possible. Seeing the veins pop out of a player's arms is a good indication that they are holding gripping the bat too tight. Any tension in the hands and arms slows down the swing, which subsequently reduces power.

In order to relax, hitters should breathing slowly, in with the nose and out with the mouth between pitches. Taking practice check swings while in the box waiting for the pitcher to get set also relaxes the body and gives the hitter a sense of flow. Athletes cannot be successful hitter if their mind and body are not in a relaxed state.

Andy Pohl - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Pohl
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