EXPLODE TO THE BALL


EXPLODE FULL FORCE THROUGH THE BALL
I have observed hitters who tend to finesse the bat through the hitting zone or try to correct during the swing. I teach my students that once they reach the point in their swing that the hips are rotating, they should explode full force through the ball. Since I teach that the legs and hips generate the power and the bat speed, I use this as the go-no-go point in the swing. This should not make the hitter over-commit early, but help her understand that prior to this explosion she can take the pitch, and after she decides to swing, she should do so.



GO-NO-GO POINT
Since I teach that the stride and the hands are in place prior to the commitment to the pitch, the “go-no-go point” is when you commit the hips to rotate and accelerate through the swing. I work with the student on bat speed. This allows the student to wait before needing to decide to swing, and gives her more time to judge the pitch. ExampleThis skill takes a great deal of work and helps build confidence in the student’s ability. Teaching this way has improved my student’s judgment of the strike zone and so she can increase the bat speed on contact, since the idea is all or nothing.



LET’S HEAR THE BAT
I often tell my students that once they have decided to swing, I should be able to hear their bat. I will work with the student to create torque with the lower body that should snap the bat through the zone. Example



MAXIMUM BAT SPEED: ALWAYS
I teach and stress to my students that they should reach their maximum bat speed on every swing. A hitter has only one swing, and the trigger changes based on the speed of the pitch. The contact changes based on the location of the pitch.