Baseball Hitting Instructional Videos - Walk Through
Drill
Drill: You are viewing what is known as the
"walk-through" drill from a side angle perspective. Although
you cannot see the person tossing the ball in this video clip, they
are firmly tossing the ball underhanded to the batter. The person
tossing the ball is standing about 15 feet away from the batter
and is also standing behind a protective net, known as an "L-
Screen" (ALWAYS utilize an L-Screen when performing batting
practice or any hitting drill where a pitcher/tosser is utilized).
This drill enables the hitter to physically grasp the concept of
"getting started" and "stride-separation." Having
an actual person tossing the ball simulates the timing of an actual
pitched ball and is a great drill to develop proper swing mechanics
and muscle memory (the "walk-through" drill can also be
done off of a tee, but is more effective when using and actual person
to toss the ball). This drill is particularly effective when a batter
has been having trouble with hitting fastballs. When a hitter complains
in the game that "every pitch seems so fast" and that
they are "late on everything" it is usually due to the
fact that they are getting started late, which gets them to the
proper hitting position late, thus making everything seem "fast."
Properly executing this drill will help get the batter to the hitting
position "on time" or even "early," which will
"slow everything down" for them, thus giving the hitter
a much better chance of successfully and consistently hitting the
ball hard.
The main objective of all hitting drills is to develop
consistent mechanical hitting fundamentals. Doing these drills properly
on a daily basis gets your body and mind into a state known as "muscle
memory." Since successfully hitting a baseball is such a repetitive
technique, it is imperative to execute these drills consistently
and properly. In this particular clip, the objective is to hit line
drives to the middle of the field, wherever the ball is pitched.
You start by standing about four feet behind the plate, with your
feet almost together. Next, take your back foot and stride across
your front foot, toward the pitcher/tosser. Next, bring your front
foot forward toward the pitcher. As your front foot lands, you will
find yourself in the perfect "stride-separation" position,
with your front foot down and your hands back and loaded into the
proper hitting position. Mentally, visualize hitting the ball hard
wherever it is pitched IMPORTANT: ONLY SWING AT GOOD PITCHES
TO HIT. If the pitch is not a good pitch, TAKE IT (i.e., let it
go). The whole time your eyes are focused on the ball. Finally,
let your hands throw the bat head to the ball while keeping your
swing path through the hitting zone, naturally pivoting on your
back foot. As you follow through with your swing, you can either
hold on with two hands or release your top hand, whichever feels
most comfortable (this is known as the "finish").You will
be able to tell if you took a proper swing path during this drill
if you are able to hit line drives consistently to all fields/areas
of the batting cage. Repeat this drill for about 25 swings or until
you feel that you have established a nice, consistent rhythm. Remember:
your objective is to get yourself into a nice rhythm and mindset
prior to your actual game.
Exercises To Use With Drill: Hamstrings
(light weights, high repetitions only)
Benefits of Exercises: This exercise complements
squats and other leg exercises. It strengthens the muscles in the
backs of your legs which are vital components to all athletes for
all types of athletic movements.