Hitting: Wait and Weight
Posted on March 25, 2008 - Filed Under Hitting | Leave a Comment
There is a simple, old school hitting philosophy that continues to make a lot of sense for hitters at every level: wait and weight.
This “reminder” has been used by some of the greatest hitters in MLB history. For example, Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly, Rod Carew, and George Brett have all, at some point, admitted […]
Learn to Breathe
Posted on July 19, 2007 - Filed Under General, Fitness, Hitting, Pitching | Leave a Comment
Learn to breathe? Who needs to “learn” how to breathe? Didn’t we figure that out about three seconds after emerging from the womb?
Well, yeah, but, not really.
You learned to breathe to survive, not necessarily for optimum efficiency. Possibly, some knucklehead gym teach along the way taught you puff out your chest and suck […]
Power Hitting: On-deck Prep
Posted on June 5, 2007 - Filed Under Hitting | Leave a Comment
What do you do when you’re in the on-deck circle? Any of the following?
Swing a weighted bat
Stretch out arms, wrists, back, legs
Take practice swings
Apply pine tar to the bat
Adjust batting gloves and socks
Check out the people in the stands
Nibble on sunflower seeds
All of the above
The first five options are somewhat helpful, but only […]
Read More..>>Power Hitting: Get Deep to Go Deep
Posted on March 29, 2007 - Filed Under Hitting | Leave a Comment
Every hitter I speak to — regardless of age — wants to hit the ball farther more consistently. Singles hitters want to hit doubles, doubles hitters want to hit home runs, and homerun hitters want to hit balls further and more frequently over the fence. Often, batters think they need to change their mechanics […]
Read More..>>Hitting: Offseason Strength Training
Posted on January 17, 2007 - Filed Under Fitness, Hitting | Leave a Comment
Despite the MLBs influx of muscleheads, the truth is, you dont need to be musclebound to hit for power. This has been covered here before, so we wont waste space.
While excellent mechanics will do more for your swing than your “max” bench press, theres no question that strong hands, wrists, and forearms will […]
Hitting to the Opposite Field
Posted on October 17, 2006 - Filed Under Hitting | 1 Comment
If you have watched the NLCS between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, you may have noticed that a few of the Mets hitters specifically power hitters Carlos Delgado, David Wright, and Shawn Green often hit the ball the other way. While you may expect to see spray hitters such as […]
Read More..>>Book Review: The Science of Hitting
Posted on June 23, 2006 - Filed Under Book Reviews, Hitting | Leave a Comment
Ted Williams was the greatest hitter who ever lived or at least, thats what he kept telling himself. All kidding aside, the Splendid Splinter was probably one of the top five hitters of all-time, if not the best. This book one of the few of its kind when it was originally published […]
Read More..>>Maple Bat: Recommended
Posted on June 22, 2006 - Filed Under Equipment, Hitting | Leave a Comment
Some visitors have emailed me regarding a good choice of wooden baseball bat, specifically a maple bat.
Personally, Im not a huge fan of the maple bats; I prefer good old ash. But then I guess that goes with my old school ways, doesnt it?
However, I have used several maple bats in games and practice, and […]
Butcher Boy / Slash Bunt
Posted on May 2, 2006 - Filed Under Hitting | Leave a Comment
An almost forgotten skill is the swinging bunt, often referred to as a “slash”, a “butcher boy”, “slug bunt”, or other name. Whatever you call it, the action is pretty much the same: the batter squares as if to attempt a sacrifice bunt, then pulls the bat back slightly and swings at the pitch. […]
Read More..>>