Baseball Drills - Hitting Problems? - Check the Lower Half First
Posted: Sunday, November 09, 2008
by Nate Barnett
The Pitching Academy
There are very few things more frustrating to an athlete than than to struggle at the plate as a hitter and not understand where the problem stems from. When I work with hitters, I focus on perfecting the functions of lower body mechanics because of the affect the lower body has on the upper half. Trying to solve upper body hitting mechanics without addressing the lower half first is like attempting to build a house beginning with the second story prior to building the basement - it doesn't work too well.
1. Collapsing of the backside (shoulder dipping)
2. Front side (hip) flying open
3. Hunching over the plate (upper body)
4. Hands extending away from body through swing
Here is what to check for as you work with the lower body mechanics of your athletes during some baseball drills.
As the hitter shifts some weight onto his back leg (the load) prior to the pitch, look to see if that weight continues to stay on the back side as the swing begins. Many hitters have the problem of letting their hips slide forward towards the pitcher during the beginning stages of the swing. This problem (often called floating) can be a major cause of some of the above problems.
Because I understand that visualizing the process I'm referring to in text can be tricky, there is a Hitting Mechanics 101 video enhanced ebook I've created that illustrates a proper trigger and lower body mechanics. You can find the ebook by visiting the links below.
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