How to Hit a Home Run

The "ting" of the bat is one of the most enjoyable sounds ever. There is no better feeling than hitting a baseball "dead on" with an aluminum bat. From the moment of the pitch, everything moves in slow motion. It as if you can count the stitches on the ball. In the background, the pitcher follows through with his throw. Your eyes open wide. You see the ball bigger than ever. You swing. The ball flies off the bat like it has been launched from a cannon. The crowd roars. You are filled with joy as you run the bases. For the average person, this happens about 2 out of every 10 pitches. Imagine if you could double that. You'd get that experience twice as many times. It is possible. I'm here to give you some tips on how to increase your chances to put the ball in play, and to hit the ball with more power.

About Me

I have played baseball since I was 5 years old. I am now 20. I've played through all the recreation seasons. I've been on the All- Star teams as often as allowed. I played baseball in high school, but wasn't able to play in college for several reasons. I still enjoy getting out with friends and playing a pick-up game or two. Baseball has been and is still my passion. I've been to all kinds of camps and read many books. Through experienced I've developed techniques, taking points from the books and camps, that have really improved my game a lot.

Bad Advice

Everyone gets bad advice in everything they do. It is a part of life. Especially, in a small town such as mine, everyone thinks they are professionals. Coaches are NOT always right, even the "most qualified". Coaches and fans yell out things just to be heard. People would always yell out, "Keep your eye on the ball". I'd think to myself, "Oh really? I thought I was supposed to close my eyes?"

In fact, it seems as if we are given more "bad advice" as opposed to good. On top of that, we are given new advice, but if it doesn't show results immediately, we are shown something else. We're not even given a chance to learn the fundamentals.

There is No Correct Way

Many coaches that I had growing up, showed the whole team one way to hit; one stance, one swing, and one way to fail. We are all different. Our bodies come in all different sizes and shapes. Just as we cannot all write the same with the same handwriting, we cannot all hit the ball with the same swing.

Batting Stance

As mentioned earlier, there is no one correct stance. The key to hitting is balance. All good hitters, no matter how their stance is prior to the pitch, end up balanced as the ball approaches them. The best stance for a beginner is the regular balanced stance. Jump in the air, and when you land you should be balanced. Your feet should be a little more than shoulder width apart. I'd recommend holding the bat with the handle about chest height, just shy of being centered to the body (slightly towards the back), and should be about a foot or so away from the body.

Loading and Unloading

As the pitcher unloads the pitch you should slowly bring the bat back, and in towards the body (as if you are a spring). You should distribute should distribute your weight to the back (usually involves picking the front leg up), slightly coil your body inwards, and when you're ready to swing, unload you weight and uncoil the bat towards the ball. The swing should come down and then slightly upwards as the path of the ball will be going slightly down, giving you more of a chance to make contact. When you uncoil and unload, the back foot should turn towards the pitcher as if you are "squashing a bug".

Make sure that when you swing, the bat is kept close to the body until the bat is in front of the body. This is the ideal spot to hit the ball, when you bat is fully extended and slightly in front of the body. Your foot should land as your bat is coming forward. It should land either at the same spot it was picked up or a few inches in front of the initial spot.

I had a high school coach that told me to load up prior to the pitch being thrown, by the time the ball was coming, there was no more power left. It should all be one fluid motion.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball

If you are right eye dominant, make sure that your right eye is watching the ball and vice versa if you're left eye dominant. If you cannot see the ball with your dominant eye, your depth perception is thrown off. Pick a stance that allows your head to be turned and square with the pitcher. Throughout the swing, your dominant eye should be watching the ball. If, for some reason, your swing makes your dominant eye lose contact with the ball; your chances of making contact are severely lessened. Throughout the swing, your head should remain at the same level.

In Conclusion

Keep at it. You will not see results immediately. It takes time. If possible, practice these techniques in a batting cage. Batting practice at an average practice is not nearly enough for any results. Practice is the key. I hope you've learned something from this article. Keep learning; don't rely on just this one article. Look at videos and read more articles. Good luck to you.