Hitting Angie Ryan Centennial HS Head Coach (Lino Lakes, MN) MN Alliance Director (Forest Lake, MN)

Creating Power! Leaks Take hacks! Linear Movement Power from the hips/core Bat weight Some players need to be on 2nd after her at bat…some can steal second and don’t have to be

Baseball vs. Softball Swing It’s not different BUT The pitch trajectory is…. Baseballs are coming from a person on a mound who are releasing at their head…softball pitchers are at the same level as the batter and the release point is at the hip Understand why this matters! It matters because a hitters goal should be getting on plane with the pitch for as long as possible and the trajectory of the pitch changes the type of swing necessary

Confidence “Fake it ‘till you make it” Non-Verbals: when you take your sign and step in the box Small Movement/Large Movement Have a routine like basketball and free throw shooting BSLEOU: “The game is talking to you, are you listening?” Ball Strike Late Early Over Under

Stance One legged squat on back foot, touch down front toe lightly but keep weight on back foot, bend both knees, front shoulder down slightly Back hip should be slightly higher than front hip Feels as though you’re creating a position in which you’re ready to uncoil and fall downhill even though the ground is flat. Understanding the stance and knowing what it feels and looks like is extremely important…helping the players feel this will take a lot of time. The skill of going from small movement to stance should be practiced often! It’s not easy!

Fall Forward Why take out the stride? Why, “Fall Forward” instead? Hips take the hands into position Don’t get “handsy,” hands don’t move much if at all from shoulder This is the linear movement We do not want to create “Spinners” Why? All energy goes straight back, straight forward At this point there is no rotation yet Back hip is still higher than front hip! If this does not happen then staying on plane with a pitch that is up will be very difficult

Drive back hip through HARD Back hip comes through hard and finishes even with the front hip Another way to check is to see if the back shoulder points at the pitcher at the end of the swing Chin and belly button stay in line throughout the swing Be sure chin does not finish behind the hips…chin and belly button should be in a straight line as well as the spine Back shoe laces should point at the pitcher but it is not about the back foot! It is about the hip driving through and the foot is a sign that this did or did not take place. Head DOES NOT MOVE after the Fall Forward! Knees should not pinch together…don’t drive knee…drive the hip! Up to a 1” drag of back toe is okay…not more than 1”

Finish 6 things to check! The result of the finish tells you a lot about what happened during the swing. Teach them these 6 things and have players check every swing at practice when they are done. This helps tremendously. PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE!! Eyes stay at point of contact (head is still) Hands reconnect to opposite shoulder (not above shoulder, why?) Back foot shoe laces at pitcher, heel is to the sky Front knee is straight but not locked Back knee is bent Chin and belly button are in a straight line

Low vs. High Pitches Low Pitches Bat head drops well below the hands on low pitches, on low/inside bat is vertical (swing level makes 0 sense!) Hit the inside of the ball…most players swing and miss by hitting the outside of the ball or none of the ball on the outside so overcompensate Drive the ball up as the opponent is trying to have you hit a ground ball…hit the ball out in front with the bat slightly angled under the ball (need to be on time to do this) Extension is very important on low pitches, always hit through the ball but especially focus on this for low pitches

Low vs. High Pitches Continued HIPS, HIPS, HIPS Knocking knuckles Back of the ball Shoulders relaxed Players think they need to rise up to hit rise balls/high pitches…they don’t! Bat head always starts above strike zone, they always have to go down to hit the pitch

Inside vs. Outside Pitches Inside Pitches Timing is critical More rotational than outside pitches, less linear movement is needed Still want to hit the back of the ball Pitcher is trying to get you to be late or very early Hands need to stay tight..extending out (toward 1st base dugout for a RHH, and not forward causes a major problem for inside pitches (leak!) Extension Knuckles

Inside vs. Outside Pitches Still contact them in front of the front foot after it hits the ground What I used to teach and what I teach now increases the power for outside pitches More linear movement, less rotation than inside pitches Might be the most important pitch to work on for youth players once pitchers can hit spots (14U-18U) Hips may not quite close completely on outside pitches Hands should still stay tight…they do not need to cast on outside pitches!

Hitting Drills Bat on Hip Drill Bat on Shoulders Drill Japanese Drill Top Hand/Bottom Hand (T, ST, FT, Live)

Hitting Drills T set up off the plate Low pitch rolling ball on knee with short bat 1-2-3 Tennis Ball Bounce 3’s Tennis Ball Bounce

Hitting Drills Inside pitch front toss (Nebraska drill) Hit to contact and stop, hit to extension and stop 2 or 3 plate hitting off machine or live Screen behind live hitter

Hitting Drills Basketball/Volleyball bounce drill 2 T extension drill T or ST with ball on T as a target Long T

Hitting Drills Long Tennis Ball Bounce Bat click drill or bat throw drill Tennis ball by back foot for spinner