BASEBALL CLINIC RECAP

Thanks to all of the players who came out to the clinic today.   You all looked to be in great form for pre-season.  Let's keep on building those skills!    If you couldn't attend, don't worry, as you haven't missed anything that we won't review time and time again this season.  We believe in mastering fundamentals! 

FIELDING GROUND BALLS: 
Wide Base- Approach the ball, spread the feet and get your behind down low.   Extend the hands out in front to receive the ball with throwing hand on top to handle a bad hop.  Gather the ball out of the glove pulling it toward the chest, with the throwing hand on top.   Bring it to the ear in a "J" stroke.  Peg the ball to your target by rotating hips (navel), arm, hand and toward the target.

CONTACT HITTING:
Establish A Solid Base- Spread the feet as wide as is confortable and put a comfortable athletic bend in the knees to accomodate a violent rotation of the upper body.

Arms and Hands- Rotate around an upright, linear spine.   If back shoulder drops and the spine assumes an upside down "J" shape during the swing, it is a recipe for a pop fly, not a line drive.

Feet- Align the toes.

• Don't allow the front foot to be closer to the plate than the back foot, it inhibits hip rotation.
• The front foot takes a soft step which helps with timing the pitch as well momentum transfer.
• Once the front foot is down, keep it solid.   .

Rotate to Contact- Explosively rotate the hips (navel) and hands to the ball.

• Keep the "L" bend in your front arm intact until contact. 
• Punch the top hand  as you rotate the top hand palm toward the sky.   Extend and extend again at contact , throwing the hands and straightening the elbows toward the pitcher. 

Details of the "load" will be discussed next clinic along with perhaps the most important part of hitting, "seeing the ball".

HITTER'S PLAN:  All hitters need a plan.

Inside Fastball:   Hope for this pitch, you'll see it coming. Start the swing early, make contact well in front of the plate to pull it.   No matter what else happens, don't let an inside fastball by you.

Outside Fastball:  Wait, and wait some more and "let it in the kitchen".  Make contact with the ball as it crosses the middle of plate.  By waiting, a normal swing will take this pitch to the opposite field.

Fastball Down the Middle:  Make contact just in front of the plate to hit it back up the middle.

Breaking Balls:  Look for the spin. Start your hips but keep your hands back and wait, and wait some more (until you're almost sure it's too late ), then swing.

Two Strikes:  "Choke and Poke."  Choke up an inch for bat control.  If the pitch is off the plate, or just above the dirt, you're swinging.  It is better to take an epic hack and look like a champ going down than to have the ump call strike three with the bat on your shoulder.    If the pitch is high above the letters, take it for a ball.

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