3 Keys To Increase Hitting Power
By Charles "Popcorn" Thompson
Lily Beth Waddle is one of my 11 year old fastpitch softball students
Keep a Firm Front-Side
Most young hitters make the mistake of bending the front knee at contact. This is a mechanics flaw that will not only cost you power but will also create a host of other problems as well. Bending the front knee prematurely causes the hitter's head and eye level to change right before contact, which usually results in a pop-up. Hitting against a firm front-side allows hitters to generate more power through proper weight transfer at contact.
Top-Hand Underneath at Contact
A hitter's power is increased when the top-hand stays underneath at contact. When hitters are told to "throw the hands to the ball," or "get the barrel to the ball," the natural tendency is to "roll" the top-hand at contact. A premature "roll" of the top-hand will always result in hitting a ground ball. I teach my hitters to focus on hitting line drives, because a line drive is a perfect hit. A line drive cannot be accomplished unless the top-hand is underneath at contact.
Notice Lily Beth's top-hand at contact, that is a great example of the top-hand underneath. Lily Beth is a 5th grader playing against 7th and 8th graders in Middle School. She hit her first career home run against an 8th grade pitcher earlier in the season. All great hitters learn to get the top-hand underneath at contact. She works hard on top-hand awareness in all of our training sessions. I want it to become a part of her "natural" swing mechanics, so that she doesn't have to think about it in a competitive game situation. Hitters shouldn't be thinking about swing mechanics during an at bat. They should be completely focused on the ball and being on time.
Full Hip Rotation at Contact
A firm front-side and the top-hand underneath are two main keys to increasing hitting power. However, the third key is hip rotation. Let's refer back to the photo above. Notice Lily Beth's hip rotation. She is at contact and her hips are fully rotated. This is also something that is focused on in every training session. In the photo above, Lily Beth is hitting an outside pitch. Some coaches and hitting instructors don't believe the hips should be fully rotated at contact on a outside pitch, but I do. I train all of my hitters to do it. I believe it provides more power, and hitting the ball hard is important...no matter where it is hit. I teach and train this philosophy to my smaller and weaker hitters as well, because I want them hitting the ball as hard as they can. You don't have to be a power hitter to think this, I think every hitter should think like this. Train to get the most out of your swing.
Without this crucial last key, the two other keys would be worthless. There would be no power in the swing without the last key. So, the next time you take batting practice, incorporate these three keys in your swing and watch the ball start flying off your bat deep into the outfield!
Most young hitters make the mistake of bending the front knee at contact. This is a mechanics flaw that will not only cost you power but will also create a host of other problems as well. Bending the front knee prematurely causes the hitter's head and eye level to change right before contact, which usually results in a pop-up. Hitting against a firm front-side allows hitters to generate more power through proper weight transfer at contact.
Top-Hand Underneath at Contact
A hitter's power is increased when the top-hand stays underneath at contact. When hitters are told to "throw the hands to the ball," or "get the barrel to the ball," the natural tendency is to "roll" the top-hand at contact. A premature "roll" of the top-hand will always result in hitting a ground ball. I teach my hitters to focus on hitting line drives, because a line drive is a perfect hit. A line drive cannot be accomplished unless the top-hand is underneath at contact.
Notice Lily Beth's top-hand at contact, that is a great example of the top-hand underneath. Lily Beth is a 5th grader playing against 7th and 8th graders in Middle School. She hit her first career home run against an 8th grade pitcher earlier in the season. All great hitters learn to get the top-hand underneath at contact. She works hard on top-hand awareness in all of our training sessions. I want it to become a part of her "natural" swing mechanics, so that she doesn't have to think about it in a competitive game situation. Hitters shouldn't be thinking about swing mechanics during an at bat. They should be completely focused on the ball and being on time.
Full Hip Rotation at Contact
A firm front-side and the top-hand underneath are two main keys to increasing hitting power. However, the third key is hip rotation. Let's refer back to the photo above. Notice Lily Beth's hip rotation. She is at contact and her hips are fully rotated. This is also something that is focused on in every training session. In the photo above, Lily Beth is hitting an outside pitch. Some coaches and hitting instructors don't believe the hips should be fully rotated at contact on a outside pitch, but I do. I train all of my hitters to do it. I believe it provides more power, and hitting the ball hard is important...no matter where it is hit. I teach and train this philosophy to my smaller and weaker hitters as well, because I want them hitting the ball as hard as they can. You don't have to be a power hitter to think this, I think every hitter should think like this. Train to get the most out of your swing.
Without this crucial last key, the two other keys would be worthless. There would be no power in the swing without the last key. So, the next time you take batting practice, incorporate these three keys in your swing and watch the ball start flying off your bat deep into the outfield!
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