Batting Stance Basics
Have you seen the many different stances in baseball these days? Some are just humorous to watch. What about Craig Counsell with his arms stretched over his head? And Kevin Youkilis, what is he doing with his hands spread apart? And Jeff Bagwell with the extremely wide feet and knees almost outside of his feet, looks weird. Those extreme stances obviously work for those guys, but will they work for most young hitters? Probably not!
There is one thing for sure, we don't hit from the stance, we hit from the load position. That is why those guys are so successful with their weird stances. If you study them, you will notice one thing - they all look the same in the load position.
There is one thing for sure, we don't hit from the stance, we hit from the load position. That is why those guys are so successful with their weird stances. If you study them, you will notice one thing - they all look the same in the load position.
Notice Ken Griffey, Jr.'s stance, pretty basic huh? He doesn't hit from his stance either. When he loads, he looks basically the same as Youkilis, Bagwell, Counsell, and the rest of the guys with weird stances. What makes Griffey different is that he can make the transition into the load position much more smooth than the others. Why? Because he keeps it simple from the start. The other guys are good hitters, but Griffey is a great hitter. And I think that his greatness starts with his simple stance, nothing fancy, nothing showy. There are no wasted movements from the stance to the load position, just a smooth transition.
A Few Tips About the Stance
I try to keep it simple when I teach the stance to young hitters. Start with the feet a little wider than shoulders. Good balance is important and I believe that when the feet are too narrow, the balance is not as good. Also, have some flex in the knees which helps with balance as well. The upper body should be bent slightly forward at the waist, keeping the weight on the "balls" of the feet and not the heels. Keep the shoulders either level or the front shoulder slightly lower than the back shoulder. The head should be straight ahead with the eyes level to the pitcher. The hitter should be able to see the pitcher with both eyes comfortably. Lastly, place the hands no lower than the top of the strike zone, and to the back of the back shoulder. This is a strong, basic position for a young hitter.
A Few Tips About the Stance
I try to keep it simple when I teach the stance to young hitters. Start with the feet a little wider than shoulders. Good balance is important and I believe that when the feet are too narrow, the balance is not as good. Also, have some flex in the knees which helps with balance as well. The upper body should be bent slightly forward at the waist, keeping the weight on the "balls" of the feet and not the heels. Keep the shoulders either level or the front shoulder slightly lower than the back shoulder. The head should be straight ahead with the eyes level to the pitcher. The hitter should be able to see the pitcher with both eyes comfortably. Lastly, place the hands no lower than the top of the strike zone, and to the back of the back shoulder. This is a strong, basic position for a young hitter.
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