Barnstormers Baseball

Hitting Myths

Myth #1  We should teach hitters to hit the ball on the ground.   Don't we teach pitchers to throw ground balls? Yes we do. We teach pitchers to throw tempting pitches that hitters may offer at or umpires may call strikes. They are called “wave” fastballs by many. If that is what the pitcher wants, why do we teach this to our hitters?  Do professional hitters strive for ground balls or line drives? Yes often times hitter work to hit the ball on the ground and the majority of the time they are working towards a line drive.

Myth #2  We should keep our shoulders level with the ground or hit down on the ball.  All pitches are traveling at a downward angle through the strike zone, so should we be teaching hitters to swing on plane with the pitch?  Some truth here, the body has to work in sequence in order to hit the ball hard and consistently. But training young players to swing up is a disaster and is the reason young hitter swing in a circle behind themselves before getting to the ball. Which would lead to greater success: the sweet spot of the bat traveling directly toward the incoming pitch, or the sweet spot trying to make contact at an angle? If our shoulders stay level to the ground how do we hit a low outside pitch? When you swing down do you hit a lot of weak ground balls or little flares or pop ups?  Most weak ground balls come from rollover at every level. Ground balls have an 70% greater chance of being hits or having errors made than fly balls. Do professional hitters swing with their shoulders level to the ground or do they dip? The shoulders are a part of creating a functional path to the ball and the back shoulder will be lower than the front in most cases. This does not mean hitters are trying to swing up. Watch the Yankees working on their swings on deck.

Myth #3  We should "take the hands to the ball".  If we teach "taking the hands to the ball" how can a hitter also stay inside the ball?  When you take your hands to the ball do you get "Jammed" a lot?  Do professional hitters "take their hands to the ball" or do they "stay inside the ball"? GOOD POINT! If you stand at the plate in your stance and the pitcher throws the ball near the plate you are inside it already. Don’t mess it up.

Myth # 4  We must hit down on the ball to impart topspin.  We want topspin on the ball so it will carry farther, yet hitting down on a ball rarely results in a ball in the air.   Do professional hitters hit down on the ball? This has to be some type of typo. Most hitting coaches want back spin on the ball so it will travel.

Myth #5  We must "squish the bug".  What does squishing the bug allow us to do?  Is it harder or easier  to get our hips through when we squish the bug?  Do professional hitters "squish the bug"? Nope, most of them do not.

3 out of 5 of these myths are absolutely false. Anyway, beware of the internet guru, especially if they are using someone elses credibility to train others.

KCB Staff