A wide variety of stances are employed for baseball players and there is no one perfect stance style. The Maryland Baseball Academy notes that there is no wrong stance and there are many styles used in Major League Baseball. For a hitter using a wide stance, there are benefits and certain things to remember for more consistent success.
Stride
The Maryland Baseball Academy notes that the more narrow the stance, the longer the stride will have to be. This is important because if you employ a wide stance you will have a shorter or at times no forward stride. Keep your stride short and comfortable, as many hitters that take a wide batting stance simply put their foot back in the same spot after they load. Taking too big of a stride can leave you off balance and in a bad hitting position, especially if you start wide.
Load Hands
The Maryland Baseball Academy notes that the load of the hands, which means to move your hands back to coil or put your hands in a strong hitting position. Hitting from a wide stance does not mean you can ignore the starting mechanisms of the swing. A failure to load can leave you swinging from a standstill position and not getting your entire upper body into the swing. You want to couple your load of the hands with a weight shift to generate momentum and have everything in your body going into the swing.
Weight Transfer
The Maryland Baseball Academy says that most great hitters employ a combination of weight shift and rotation in their swing. In addition, the MBA notes that you should aim to shift onto the back knee and hip, and then hit against a firm front leg. Basically as you move your hands back to load you want to shift your weight back onto the back legs and then as your hands move to the ball, open and explode your weight to the ball. In theory it is usually easier for hitters with a wide stance to execute the weight transfer and loading without getting off balance and out of whack.
Head
It is essential that you track the ball from the pitcher's release until it hits your bat, according to QC Baseball. QC Baseball notes that you should aim to watch the ball hit the bat. In a wide stance it is important that you keep the head on the ball, and usually it easier to do so since you will not be taking a drastic stride. The less shift and movement you have the better, meaning if you can keep your head still you will have a better chance of tracking the ball and making solid contact.
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