Posted by: The Hitting Guru () on Sat Jan 29 23:26:50 2005

How much weight is taken off the bat for every inch choked up? Do you recommend that I teach my young kids (11 year olds) to choke up with two strikes, or does that break down the swing fundamentals?
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> thanks,
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> Dave

Hitters who are consistently late on pitches may benefit from choking up an inch or two. Choking up gives the hitter greater bat control and additional time to judge the pitch. Some hitting distance is sacrificed in order to put the ball in play and or make more consistent contact. Barry Bonds chokes up every at bat, so there must be some benefit to choking up. Every hitter should experiment with various techniques in order to get a feel for what works best. Good luck.