How important is your Grip and your Stance

Part two of  Dynamic Hitting. In this article I’m going to cover the hitters grip and their batting stance. We’ll discuss dynamic balance and how to build your stance from the ground up. This is important to understand because this is where a lot of adjustments are made when a hitter finds himself in the funk. So lets get started.

Aritcle 2

The Gip

The first area where hitters have a tendency to over look and don’t really pay attention to is the grip on the bat. When I looks at hitters today I see three different grips being used. The standard grip, modified grip and what I call the choke hold. The best and most effective grip today is the Standard Grip. 

 As you grip the handle of the bat you line up your knocker knuckles. The reason that this is so effective is it keeps the bat out of the palm of your hand and more in your fingers. By keeping the handle more in your fingers your hands seem to relax more and it also creates whip during the swing. A hitter can always check this grip by pointing your two index fingers in the air. They should point straight up.

The second grip I mentioned is the Modified grip. What is a modified grip? When the knocker knuckles are off set just a bit which puts your hands in a more comfortable position and has a more natural feeling. I see most hitters use this one. I think this grip is popular because it is comfortable and feels more natural. Is it a bad grip? No, not really it will determined by how off set your knuckles are. The modified grip is not as effective as the standard grip.

The third grip is what I call a Choke hold. Typically used by big strong hitters. When the bat gets a little deeper in the hand, hitters have the tendency to over grip.  This added tention in your hands will cause a loopy swing which create a lot of fly balls and balls hit to the opposite field with less power. This is not a grip hitters should use. Most hitters that use this grip are not even aware they are doing it.

The bottom line is that the bat handle should be held in your fingers somewhere at the end of your palm and at the beginning of your fingers. You don’t want your hands to tight or to loose. Hands should be somewhat relaxed for better response and faster reaction time.

Batting Stance 

The stance is a very important component of  hitting. This is another area hitters take for granted.  Without a proper stance you don’t have a good foundation to work with nor will you have good balance. Two things to keep in mind; your feet have to be comfortable and you have to have good balance.

There are three ways you can start your stance in the batter box; Open, Closed or Neutral. I teach my hitters to keep it simple. Start in the Neutral position, especially for young hitters. All hitters end up in the Nuetral position anyway when they stride to contact. Again keep it simple. You’ll have less body movemenet from the neutral position. Your head will be a little more stable  so you’ll get a better look at the pitch.

Let’s discuss the batting stance from the ground up. We call this the stacking method. Let start with foot placement. This is important because you have to maximize plate coverage. Start your alignment with the back corner of the plate. The Hitters front foot should be about 10 - 12 inches from the plate. The length of the hitters shoe. Back foot should be more than shoulder width away. Personally I like a wide stance. Your knees should be flexed and inside your feet. This will add more weight to the instep of your feet. This creates what is call Dynamic Balance. 

At this point you want to make sure everything is level;  hips, shoulders and eye’s. Your elbows should be relaxed and the front elbow should be pointed down, your chin should be close to if not over your front shoulder, hands located between your back ear and back shoulder, your chest should be leaning slightly forward and over your knees. Remember good posture.  Lastly, your bat angle should be at  45 degree’s, barrel up and now your ready to take a good balanced hack.

That covers the grip on the bat and batting stance at the plate. Next time you are out at a game take time to watch a few hitters. Just by observing the hitters stance you will be surprised at what you see.

Check back next week. We’ll be breaking down swing and how the process works.