How to Approach an At-Bat

Whether it is the bottom of the ninth or the top of the first inning, a hitter should always approach every at bat the exact same way. The preparation for an at bat begins when the hitter is standing in the on deck circle awaiting his turn at the plate. During this time, the batter should pay very close attention to the pitcher. The batter should attempt to get his timing down and note the different types of pitches that the pitcher throws. Also while in the on deck circle, the batter should note the situation of the game.

The game situation and the hitter's position in the batting line up are very important to the hitter's goal for each particular at bat. The main goal of the lead off man is to get on base any possible way and try to see as many pitches as possible while doing so. The second batter will try to advance the lead off hitter to the next base and the third and fourth batter will try to drive the base runners in. If a runner is on first base and there are no outs, then a bunt might be attempted to advance the base runner to second base. If the runner is on second base with no outs, a bunt or a hit to the right side of the infield would allow the runner to advance to third base. If the runner is on third base with less than two outs, any pall that is hit into the field of play will give the base runner an opportunity to score.

With this in mind, as the hitter moves from the on deck circle to the batter's box, the hitter should watch for several things. The hitter should note where the first and third basemen are playing, because it might be a good idea to attempt to bunt for a base hit if the fielders are playing to far back. The hitter should also briefly scan the field of play for any shifts by the fielders that could open up holes for the ball to be hit into. Finally and most importantly, the hitter should allow his coach to communicate with him through a series of signals. This is very important because it allows the hitter, the base runners, and the coach to all know what is going on.

When the hitter finally steps into the box, he should be very calm and relaxed. The hitter should stand in a comfortable position while the pitcher mounts the rubber. At this point in time, the hitter should be in a very broad focus, meaning he is still very calm and loose. As soon as the pitcher begins his delivery to the plate, the hitter should move from a broad focus to a fine focus. Although he should still remain calm and relaxed, the hitter should now focus solely on the pitcher's throwing arm and release. From the release the hitter should follow the baseball all the way until it makes contact with the bat.