Youth Bat Pros

Hitting a pitched ball is one of the hardest things to do in baseball. Hitting a pitched ball with power is even more difficult but that is certainly the goal of most hitters in baseball. Certainly they don’t try and hit it out of the park every time, but they do try and make solid contact at every single at bat. They know that if they can do that, every so often the ball is going to be sent out of the park.

If you doubt the difficulty of hitting a pitched ball just look at the number of professional baseball players who can’t successfully accomplish the feat at least 3 out of every 10 times they are at bat. The number is huge, and these are actually professionals who get paid to hit baseballs! Even the very best of the best in terms of hitting can’t successfully hit a ball and reach base safely 4 out of every 10 times they are at bat.

Or you can look at some of the greatest athletes that have ever played sports – the Micheal Jordans and Bo Jacksons of the world – who also tried to make it in baseball.  They could definitely hit the ball, but they couldn’t even hit it as much some of the not so good professional baseball players.  Hitting is hard with any sized bat.

So it is no wonder that the kids in our life can’t seem to hit with power.  There are a lot of mechanical issues that you have to consider when trying to hit a ball with power, and only one of them has anything to do with the youth baseball bat that they swing.  In fact, if you can get them to do the mechanics of hitting properly the youth bat is only to add some extra pop to the swing, not make it great.  You just want to make sure that get a proper fit for your youth baseball bat.

Here are some helpful tips for hitting with power:

1. Pull the trigger at the right time

Hitting with power is all about bat speed and meeting the ball at the right time in its journey through the strike zone.  If you can wait just a moment longer before pulling the head of your baseball bat through the zone you are going to be forced to swing your bat that much faster in order to get the bat on the ball.  This will also make sure that the ball is not to far in front of the plate when you make contact.  Ideally you want the ball to make contact with the bat when both are traveling at their highest speeds in order to get the most power in your swing.

2. Stand correctly in the batter’s box

When you are trying to hit with power you need to take into consideration a couple different things.  The first is that you need time to recognize the pitch that is coming your way.  Some people like to stand near the very end of the batters box in order to increase the amount of time that they have to see what type of pitch is coming their way so that they can “time’ their swing appropriately.  I am of the opinion that this is not necessarily needed depending on who the hitter is.  Instead, I think the batter should be at a point in the batter’s box that lets them feel the most comfortable.  A batter need to be comfortable with the pitch coming their way if they are to get a lot of power in their swing and get their bat around fast enough to make solid contact with the pitch.

3. Use proper hitting mechanics

Your feet should be shoulder length apart with the majority of your weight on your back foot.  This stance will give some power since you can push off your back foot to give your hips the power and speed that you need to drive a ball deep.  Once you start your swing you will need to shift your weight forward.  It is in this transfer of power from back to front that you want to make contact with the ball.  Your legs are your friend and your hips will transfer the power from your legs to your arms and your baseball bat.  Some you should have your youth visualize power originating in their back foot, transferring through their hip into their arms and into their baseball which will transfer it to the ball which will send it flying over the fence.

4. Hold your bat properly

When bats hit a baseball they act like a lever.  On principle of lever technology is that the farther away the point of contact is from the fulcrum the more power you are going to be able to transfer at the point of contact.  When this principle is applied to baseball bats you know that the point of contact is where the ball hits the bat and the fulcrum is the where you hold your hands on the handle of the bat.  If you want maximum power at the point of contact you are going to want to hold your hands as close to the end of the bat as you can.  You will be giving up some bat control by doing this, but that is why choosing the right youth baseball bat is so important.

5. Be a situational hitter

As a hitter you have to be using your head.  Sometime you don’t want to hit for power because you just need to advance a runner or make contact to put the ball into play.  Teach your youth to be smart and do what it smart for their sutation.  If they are in a 3-0 count with the bases loaded you know that the pitcher is going to need to throw them a pitch that they can hit, probably a fast ball right down the middle.  In a situation like this if you think the hitter has a good enought eye to give the green light why not give them the green light to pull the trigger?  This is a situation where they should be trying to get the best swing possible on the ball.  But sometime, like in a full count, you just want to make contact with the ball so that your player can stay in the game.

Hitting for power is not easy, but with a lot of practice and a good, well fit youth baseball bat you can make this a reality for your player.