Baseball Hitting Drills
Word pictures should be a major part of our baseball hitting instruction. They help players quickly and accurately understand technique. Here are some word pictures pictures to help hitters to correct rolling the wrists when the bat is in contact. Hitters often roll the bat on contact for several reasons. One reason is that they are coached to do this in their baseball training.
This will never allow a hitter to maximize his ability. He will hit lots of ground balls. To correct this, while in contact with the ball, the bottom hand should be facing down and the top hand facing up.
For hitters who use a wrist roll, in order to get the hands to perform correctly, using word pictures, we say that the bottom hand “lands the plane” and the top hand “crashes the plane”.
Here is the drill: The bottom hand (lead hand) starts at the shoulder point, palm open and facing down, while in the stance position. Other hand is on hip. Front heel lifts and the player loads. As hips rotate square to the pitch, the hand at the shoulder moves straight to the front of the body, where hands would be while the bat is in contact. Hand remains palm down. This is “Landing the Plane”. Do this several times, starting with the hands back at the shoulder in the stance position.
The top hand (power hand) is next. It starts at the same position but with palm open and facing up and forward. As hips rotate square to the pitch, this hand will move to the same location, but with palm up. This is “Crashing the Plane”. Do this several times.
Now do the drill again. This time put both hands together, but with the bat added, starting at the shoulder area. Now move the bat into contact. The hands should be in the same position as before. Open them while in the contact position. The top hand should be open, palm up, under the bat. The bottom hand should be open, palm down, over the bat.
Note: The proper action to complete the stroke is that the top hand continues under the bat through contact and first extension. The bat will finally roll as it comes to the second extension position, just before the stroke is complete.
By repeating these baseball hitting drills, with the pictures in mind, hand action is improved. The batter is not swinging to contact. He is snapping at the point of contact. This will increase bat speed, quickness and the ability to make contact with the ball.
