Don't Be Afraid to Have a Wide Base at Contact
Willie Mays was one of the best hitters that the game has ever seen. He hit 660 home runs with a .302 lifetime batting average and 1,903 RBI's. He was a 2-time NL MVP, a 2-time All-Star MVP, and the 1951 Rookie of the Year. He had the rare ability to hit for power and average, the true mark of a great hitter.
As I study the great hitters of the game, I've noticed that they all have a pretty wide base after |
the stride foot has landed. Some actually start with a fairly wide stance and a shorter stride, while others start with a more narrow stance and then take a long stride. In today's game, you see a variety of stances and steps/strides. Many instructors today teach a short stride and feet either shoulder width or slightly wider than the shoulders. The width of the feet in the stance and the length of the stride should be up to the hitter. If the hitter is hitting the ball well with a wider stance, then why try to change it? Allow the hitter's natural athleticism dictate how wide the feet should be in the stance. Natural athleticism should also dictate the length of the stride. Changes can and should be made if a hitter is not hitting the ball well.
Today there is too much emphasis put on the particulars of the mechanics and not enough on timing. Some will say that a long stride will make you late. That is true if you get the foot down too late. Watch some of the videos of the great Hank Aaron. Aaron's stride was over twelve inches during some of his greatest hits. His long stride just meant that he needed to start his load and step sooner to be on time with the fastball. Again, it's all about timing.
I was watching a college game one afternoon, and seated next to me was a youth baseball coach. I noticed him watching the batter warming up in the on-deck circle. He commented to me that the hitter's feet were too wide. He also said that he wouldn't allow his hitters to have a stance that wide. I asked him why he thought they were too wide, and his response was, "he won't have any power because he can't rotate his hip with his feet that wide". I said, "what about Albert Pujols?" He said that Pujols hits the ball so hard because he is so strong, not because of hip rotation. And by the way, the college hitter, the one whose feet were "too wide", hit a line drive that one-hopped the fence at Vanderbilt's baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Needless to say, I never heard anything else about "wide feet" for the rest of the game.
Although Willie Mays' feet are not quite as wide as Pujols, they are still pretty wide. Mays is no where near the size or strength of Pujols but he still hit the ball just as hard. Why, because of his tremendous hip rotation. And by the way, Pujols has tremendous hip rotation also. So I wrote this article to say that most power hitters, past and present had a wide base after the stride foot landed. And what makes them successful is an uncanny knack for timing the baseball. They know when to get the foot down to start hip rotation and attack the baseball.
So, don't be afraid to have a wide base, I believe it is a key to having great balance at contact for most hitters. Also, allow your natural athleticism to determine what's best for you!
Today there is too much emphasis put on the particulars of the mechanics and not enough on timing. Some will say that a long stride will make you late. That is true if you get the foot down too late. Watch some of the videos of the great Hank Aaron. Aaron's stride was over twelve inches during some of his greatest hits. His long stride just meant that he needed to start his load and step sooner to be on time with the fastball. Again, it's all about timing.
I was watching a college game one afternoon, and seated next to me was a youth baseball coach. I noticed him watching the batter warming up in the on-deck circle. He commented to me that the hitter's feet were too wide. He also said that he wouldn't allow his hitters to have a stance that wide. I asked him why he thought they were too wide, and his response was, "he won't have any power because he can't rotate his hip with his feet that wide". I said, "what about Albert Pujols?" He said that Pujols hits the ball so hard because he is so strong, not because of hip rotation. And by the way, the college hitter, the one whose feet were "too wide", hit a line drive that one-hopped the fence at Vanderbilt's baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Needless to say, I never heard anything else about "wide feet" for the rest of the game.
Although Willie Mays' feet are not quite as wide as Pujols, they are still pretty wide. Mays is no where near the size or strength of Pujols but he still hit the ball just as hard. Why, because of his tremendous hip rotation. And by the way, Pujols has tremendous hip rotation also. So I wrote this article to say that most power hitters, past and present had a wide base after the stride foot landed. And what makes them successful is an uncanny knack for timing the baseball. They know when to get the foot down to start hip rotation and attack the baseball.
So, don't be afraid to have a wide base, I believe it is a key to having great balance at contact for most hitters. Also, allow your natural athleticism to determine what's best for you!
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