Posted by: grc () on Fri Jun 21 18:51:36 2002

I have trouble in hitting the ball out in front. What are some tips that can make me hit the ball out in front better. Also, do you think its good to hit it out i front?
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> Just an opinion but I think the cue "hit the ball out front is one of the most destructive cues used. Most hits are right off the front knee but to tell someone to hit the ball out front leads to lunging and hip sway and many other problems.
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> Picture where the T would sit if you had one there while up to bat. That is where the ball should be struck. If you only let yourself swing at the T when the ball gets there (and only if the ball gets there) then you'll be set up to strike the ball properly. I have had many kids suffer on the "hit the ball out front" cue. I'd much rather have them hit the ball deeper in the zone than farther out front.

JD.....the following is grc's Theory of Bat Angles for Various Contact Points.....

for sake of discussion i will make some arbitrary assumptions, all of which could obviously vary from hitter to hitter, depending on the hitter's placement in the batter's box, length of stride, etc.....it's important to accept these assumptions so as to at least have some reference points in mind for the discussion....assumption # 1.....before stride, the stride foot will be about 8 inches behind the front edge of home plate......assumption # 2.....the stride foot will land about even with the front edge of home plate.....assumption # 3....the hitter's feet will be aprox. 14 inches from the side of the plate....one other assumption: i will discuss a left-handed hitter......

on an inside pitch the optimum bat angle is about +30 degrees in relation to the front edge of home plate....if you contact the ball with the bat at +30 degrees, you will contact the ball on the "outside" part of the ball, perhaps 1 1/4 inches to the left of center......the bat will contact the ball aprox. 18 inches in front of the front edge of home plate.....

you could contact the inside pitch with the bat at an angle of let's say, -15 degrees....if you did, you would be contacting the ball on the INSIDE part of the ball (perhaps about 1/2 inch or so to the RIGHT of center....this would result in the ball being contacted very close to the front edge of home plate, and the bat would make contact "later" rather than "sooner"....

in my opinion ( and with no science to back it up, it's just that, my opinion), contacting the ball with the bat at +30 degrees is the "natural" path of the bathead and will impart the greatest amount of force.....contacting the ball at, for example, -15 degrees is NOT the natural path of the hands, bathead, etc....to contact the ball this way means doing things such as drawing in of the hands, excessive bend of the front elbow, etc....the result is sort of an inside-out, fence-drill type of a swing, and the bat will not impart as much force.....(ever get "jambed"?)....


to hit the outside pitch, you can not contact the ball 18 inches in front of the plate & hit it effectively....in my opinion it's simply a matter of anatomy....take a swing on an inside pitch, freeze at contact point....now, move the bathead to the outside part of the plate.....if you have the bathead 18 inches in front your wrists will surely be rolled...the only way for them not to be rolled would be to "back" the bathead towards the front edge of home plate....and you should also readily observe that not only is the contact point closer to the front edge of home plate, but also the ball will be contacted on the inside part of the ball & with a bat angle of about -15 degress....

in summary: on an inside pitch, hip & shoulder rotation is more than just adding power to the swing.....hip & shoulder rotation assists POSITIONING of the bathead towards it's target......

whereas, on the outside pitch, full hip & shoulder rotation would have the bathead want to move AWAY from the target, resulting in (1) the bathead moving AWAY from the path of the ball and (2) the wrists being rolled at contact....but with less than full hip & shoulder rotation, and contacting the ball closer to the front edge of home plate the bat will have a much easier time striking the target....