Posted by: Patrick (pmgeoeiiee@yahoo.com) on Fri Sep 17 14:36:27 2010

> Hi,
>
> I'm just getting back into the game after being away for about 10 years. I play in an adult league, and I was having trouble with my power. In college I used to absolutely crush the ball, but since returning to play, my power was non existent. The line drives were still there, but my best shots migh just barely clear the fence. I turned to the internet, read everything I could get my hands on, and hit about 1000 balls a week. I tried changing my stride, my grip, starting with weight further back, lighter bat, heavier bat, moving away from the plate, and all of it only made my swing worse. One day I stepped out, toward the 3rd base dugout on an inside pitch and absolutely crushed the ball. Not only did the ball go further, it felt WONDERFUL. My explosive mashing swing was back. See, as a kid, I always stepped out, and I hit balls from middle to inside half of the plate very well, but had trouble with the outside corner pitch. As an adult, I know that I should stride toward the pitcher. But when I step toward the pitcher, my hips don't come around as they should, and I end up lunging at the ball. If I step out a bit, my hips just naturally rotate right, and I hit the ball hard. I'm not talking about a huge step, I have a short stride, maybe 6-8 inches, but it pulls me away from the outside part of the plate enough to make those pitches a problem. Why does that short step out make such a huge difference in my mechanics? And how can I get the same rotation with a standard step? It's not a little different, it's as if two entirely different people were hitting. One guy who shouldn't even be holding a bat, and the other guy any team would want batting 3rd. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
I could tell you exactly why stepping out added to your power. It goes along what ted williams says in TSoH. "The more you open up the more you make yourself pull." Especailly when close to the plate. When you are hitting the ball well, he pulled ball is something you strive for. As for the stride, you don't want to open up more thatn ten degrees from a perpendiculat line toward the pitcher. There are exceptions to this of course but it is the rule.