FOUNDATIONGRIP, STANCE, LOAD, SWING,

FOLLOWTHROUGH

APPLICATION

ANALYSIS

ANTICIPATE

SYNTHESIS

HITTING THE STRIKEZONE

READING THE PITCHOCULAR TRAINING

SITUATIONAL HITTING

IN THE MOMENT ADJUSTMENTS

SHANNON SULLIVAN

FOUNDATION• GRIP

– The bat should be held in the fingers resting against the top of the palm.

– The “knocker” knuckles of both hands should be lined up.

– The grip should be held loosely to allow range of motion in the wrists during swing.

FOUNDATION

• STANCE– Each player will have

their own “personality” in their stance. However there are common things that need to be present for a successful foundation to swing.

•Head turned far enough for chin to be on front shoulder.

•Front elbow is at 90

•Hands are even with the top of the strike zone

•Bat head is perpendicular to front forearm

•Hands are held even with back shoulder.

FOUNDATION

• STANCE– Lower Body

• Weight is evenly distributed.

• Knees slightly bent• Weight is on balls of

feet.

• LOAD– Weight is shifted to back

leg, amount depending on hitter.

– Head stays still. – Weight is shifted by hips

moving away from pitcher.

• SWING– The swing is initiated with the front foot heel

drop which locks out the front leg and begins hip rotation. Simultaneously the front arm initiates the swing by throwing the front elbow to the upper inside quadrant of the strike zone. The back arm is lead by the back hand guiding the bat head in a straight line to the ball, by “throwing the hands above the ball.”

FOUNDATION

FOUNDATION

• FOLLOWTHROUGH

-three phases

1.Push Through

2.Extension

3.Breakdown

FOUNDATION

FOUNDATION

• DRILLS– PROGRESSIVE– BROKEN DOWN TO PRACTICE EACH

PHASE OF THE FOUNDATION– REPETITION– CONSISTANT FEEDBACK (VERBAL &

VISUAL)– QUE

APPLICATION

STRIKE ZONEARM PITS

SOME PART OF A LEGALLY

PITCHED BALL MUST PASS

THROUGH THIS STRIKE ZONE

TO BE CALLED A STRIKE

TOP OF KNEES

REMEMBER THAT THE POSITION IN THE BATTER’S BOX MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. THE PLATE AND

THE BATTER’S NATURAL STANCE AT THE PLATE ARE THE CONTROLLING FACTORS.

APPLICATIONTRACKING THE BALLTRACKING THE BALL

MOVING HEAD & EYES

TRACKING THE BALL IS WATCHING THE BALLFROM THE PITCHER’S HAND INTO THE CATCHERS GLOVE/MITT

USING A SLIGHT MOVEMENT OF THE HEAD AND EYES GUIDED BY YOUR NOSE

• DRILLSDRILLS– Tracking drill: hitter calls strike Tracking drill: hitter calls strike

or ball as early as possibleor ball as early as possible

tennis balls with colortennis balls with color

machine ballsmachine balls

live pitcherlive pitcher

APPLICATION

• The Trained EyeThe Trained Eye

– ExperienceExperience

– VariableVariable

– Knowing Your Knowing Your StrengthStrength

– Picking a pitchPicking a pitch

• Knowing the Knowing the count statscount stats– In round numbers, the

first pitch shifts the K:BB ratio from 2:1 to either 1:1 (ball one) or 5:1 (strike one).

ANALYSIS

Batters who reached 1-0 had a Batters who reached 1-0 had a batting average batting average 5151 points points higher than batters who higher than batters who started with strike one, with started with strike one, with even larger gains in slugging.even larger gains in slugging.

ANALYSIS

• Hitting with 2 strikesHitting with 2 strikes– Choke upChoke up– Split the gripSplit the grip– No strideNo stride– Inside out swingInside out swing– Reduce the zoneReduce the zone

• The On Deck CircleThe On Deck Circle– Notice umpire zoneNotice umpire zone– Establish timingEstablish timing– Recognize type of Recognize type of

pitcherpitcher• Fast starterFast starter• Slow starterSlow starter

ANALYSIS

• Ocular trainingOcular training– Training the eye to Training the eye to

decrease reaction timedecrease reaction time– ProgressiveProgressive– Light variationsLight variations

• Ocular drillsOcular drills– Following fan bladesFollowing fan blades– Tennis ball machineTennis ball machine

• Progress up to seeds Progress up to seeds faster than in normal faster than in normal conditionsconditions

• Colored ballsColored balls

ANALYSIS

• Leadoff– Get on base– Set the tone– Anyone on the lineup

could be come leadoff– Not limited to first

inning

• Awareness– Know where fielders

are playing.– Know who is slower on

the corners.– Know the pitchers

tendencies on certain counts.

ANTICIPATE

• Runner In Scoring Position– Hit behind the runner– Outs can determine

pitch to hit– Notice where fielders

are playing– Pick a pitch and stick

to it.

ANTICIPATE

• A great hitter will be A great hitter will be able to do the little able to do the little things while in the things while in the moment. moment. – See a mistakeSee a mistake– Hear a cue from the Hear a cue from the

coachcoach– FIX IT IMMEDIATELYFIX IT IMMEDIATELY

• In the boxIn the box– Not a place to thinkNot a place to think– ReactReact– AdjustAdjust– ReactReact– AdjustAdjust

SYNTHESIS

• Common mistakesCommon mistakes– Pulling ball foulPulling ball foul– Foul off awayFoul off away– Foul straight backFoul straight back– Off balanceOff balance– Popping UpPopping Up– Chopping DownChopping Down

• How to fixHow to fix– Let ball get in deeperLet ball get in deeper– Swing earlier Swing earlier – Throw hands on topThrow hands on top– Check stance widthCheck stance width– Throw top hand harderThrow top hand harder– Throw front elbow to Throw front elbow to

up and in.up and in.

SYNTHESIS