Hitting a baseball is widely acknowledged as one of the most difficult tasks in sports. Pitchers can throw a baseball at speeds approaching 95 miles per hour, and can also make the ball curve, sink, rise and slow down mid-pitch. Pitches can also be thrown from several different angles. Hitting requires superior hand-eye coordination, courage, strength and patience.
Preparation
The key to hitting a ball hard is to generate bat-head speed through the hitting zone. Negative movement is the first step to producing bat-head speed. Prior to a pitch, the hitter should put most of his weight and strength on his rear leg. By concentrating his weight in the rear, the batter can use all of his weight to move forward as he swings at a pitch for maximum momentum, enabling him to hit the ball hard.
Hand-Eye Coordination
Good hand-eye coordination is cultivated from being in the batter's box and taking batting practice on a regular basis. A hitter will hit the ball better when he knows what pitch is coming. It's one thing to study the pitcher and figure out what pitch he likes to throw at key moments in the game. However, it's quite another thing to be able to recognize a pitch as it leaves the pitcher's hand. Since a batter does not have much time to recognize a pitch, the more pitches he sees, the better the chance he will recognize the pitch. One way to help improve pitch recognition is to have the hitting coach enter the batting cage with the hitter during practice. Have the practice pitcher throw a series of pitches to the hitter. The hitter should call out the names of the pitches as he swings at them. This will help the hitter gain better pitch recognition skills.
Directional Hitting
This is one of the most important aspects for hitters. Batters who swing with the specific pitch have a much better chance of being successful than those who try to pull every pitch. Right-handed hitters should try to take an outside pitch to right field, a pitch down the middle of the plate to center field, and an inside pitch to left field. The opposite bodes true for left-handed batters. Good hitters that can hit an outside pitch to the opposite field will have better power than if he tried to pull the ball.
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