How to Hit a Baseball
From Adviceopedia
When you want to learn how to hit a baseball, you have to first understand that hitting a baseball isn't an easy skill to master. Don’t worry, though. Whether you are 5 or 50, you can learn to hit a baseball with time and practice. In learning, you will better your depth perception, increase your reflex speed, and develop quicker timing. You may even become able to read a pitcher’s pre-throw routine so you can adjust your own timing.
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How Do I Start Learning to Hit?
Make sure that you select a baseball bat that is proportionate to your height. A good rule of thumb is to stand the bat next to you: it should be waist-high or close to it. You want to have a bat that can reach the strike zone. If you have a short bat, you may not be able to reach those outside pitches. A longer bat may mess up your timing a little.
In the beginning, practice hitting a baseball from a tee ball stand. If you don’t have someone to fetch your hits, swing the bat just above where you would place the ball; if the stand falls over or if the wind from you swing doesn’t move the stand at all, your swing is off. This exercise will help your eyes learn to judge ball height and distance. You should adjust the stand's height often, as well as change the position so it is closer to and farther away from you at different times.
Eventually you will need someone to pitch to you. When you find someone, have them toss underhand pitches at you. When you learn how to hit a baseball this way, you will continue to develop your ability to judge height and distance, as with the tee ball stand method. You should also have your pitcher vary the speed, which will help with your timing.
How Should I Progress?
Once you’ve experimented a bit with the basics of hitting a baseball, it’s time to increase the speed of the pitch. Ask your pitcher to start throwing overhand pitches to you. Start with slow pitches, and progress up to as fast as your pitcher can throw. It's also important to practice swinging at different types of pitches, so ask your pitcher to vary his or her throws. It's important to practice hitting curve balls, sliders, and straight fast balls.
Timing is very important once you get up to the faster levels. This is why bat selection is important early on. Your ability to swing is dependent on using the proper bat. While you may not be able to use your own bat 100 percent of the time, you can always choose the right size bat. Regardless of the type of bat you use, the length is always the same, and weight is never more than a few ounces off.
How Can I Practice?
The best way to learn how to hit a baseball is to watch other hitters and to play yourself. Watching other players, whether professional or not, will show you how they stand and how they start their swing for different types of pitches. Some players stances change in split second depending on curve balls, splitters, or sinkers. You can learn from watching their movements, and then see what works for you when you take your spot in the batter’s box.
It's great to continue practicing with a live pitcher, whenever one is available. However, this may not always be possible due to scheduling conflicts. The next best thing to practicing with a live pitcher is to use batting cages. Batting cages are just random enough in speed and strike zone position to help you perfect your swing. Most batting cages offer different speeds, and usually allow hitters to choose varying speeds ranging from 40 to 60 mph. While your pitcher may throw strikes and balls, the mechanical pitchers at the batting cages will mainly throw strikes. When you visit the batting cages, be sure to bring enough money to last you a bit.
What Should I Takeaway?
Playing and practicing are the best ways to learn how to hit a baseball. You can read all the books you want or listen to the pros talk about hitting a baseball in their instructional videos, but nothing beats actually hitting a baseball in real time. With hard work, dedication, and practice, you could soon be hitting a baseball in real time as a pro.
