When a batter steps up to the plate, there is much riding on their performance and the outcome relies on how well the player hits the ball.
The batter’s goal is to not strike out, but aim for a single, double or triple, and if possible, a homerun.
Now the question at hand is, where does a player begin perfecting the art of hitting or making sure they swing for the fences?
What a player wants to pay attention to is the pitcher and anticipate what their plan is.
“First thing is, you want to try to see is, if the pitcher is giving off anything,” UTRGV junior first baseman EJ Taylor replied when asked what he looks for when preparing to hit the ball.
Taylor explained the cues the team uses in the dugout.
“If a guy is doing this certain thing, then we might know he’s doing this or expect a certain pitch coming,” he said.
The first baseman said to expect anything.
“Be ready for anything that comes your way, and be aggressive,” Taylor said.
A batter doesn’t just step to the plate swinging carelessly. They practice form and technique repetitively.
When batting, a player must focus on technique first to make sure their swing is effective.
First thing to consider when stepping in the batter’s box is having a strong base. Bend your knees and stay loose. A hitter does not want to become a statue because they will lose momentum as they swing.
The second aspect is making sure the batter has a proper grip on the bat to avoid tensing up. Having a tight grip on the bat will affect how hard of a hit will result.
Finally comes the loading up process, as the player awaits the pitch, which is when the player will have to shift their weight back to help create momentum and, most important, switches their focus to the ball.
“One thing you got to have [is] unbelievable hand-eye coordination,” UTRGV Baseball Head Coach Derek Matlock said. “It’s a round bat and a round ball and you got to square it up. So it’s the hardest thing to do in sports.”
Hand-eye coordination is important because it allows the hitter to know what kind of ball the pitcher will throw and improve the performance of the overall swing.
This technique is something all baseball players must have because without it, they will not improve. At the same time, it is a technique that most players work on in practice.
“Obviously, every swing is not perfect,” UTRGV senior centerfield Coleman Grubbs said. “You can always work in the cage, off the tee, stuff like that. I feel like it’s more of a mindset thing than a swing. Just going up there believing that you’re gonna get a hit, believing that you’re going to destroy this ball is probably the most important thing.”
Batters want to have confidence because although they might be a good hitter, if a pitcher can read you, then you have no chance of making contact with the ball successfully.
Hitting is more than just swinging. It is an art because of all things that need to be learned and practiced.
