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Tag: torque hitting

Hitting with Torque for Power and Bat Control

There’s a ton of emphasis at the major league level on hitting for power today.  Interestingly, we have seen a fair amount of that moving into the high school and youth levels, as well.  One college coach that I’m following argues that the “little things” are getting overlooked. 

Many high school coaches (including myself) will argue that it’s costing their teams runs and wins. 

When you think about it, there aren’t that many 16 year-old players that can consistently hit the ball out of the ballpark!

Paul Petricca is a great collegiate hitting coach in the Midwest and is a good friend of mine.  He is an astute observer of all things hitting – both baseball and softball….and you can find out more about him here at his blog-site, Torque-Hitting.  He really understands where power comes from and how to convert the power source into bat speed.

His book, Hitting with Torque, would be a great stocking stuffer and you can find it here…

Paul argues that one of the most effective offensive strategies throughout the history of baseball has been all but lost—choking up on the bat!

Greater Bat Control

An excerpt: “Choking up on the bat makes the bat shorter, which enables hitters to control it better. It is also easier for hitters to find the sweet spot of the bat. This improved bat control is especially effective with two strikes or in pressure situations. In 2016, Anthony Rizzo almost always choked up on his bat when he found himself in a two strike count”.

“By choking up, he increased his chances of putting the ball in play, instead of striking out. His sole objective was to force the defense to make a play or to find a hole in-between the fielders.” 

Source: Paul Petricca’s Hitting with Torque

As a high school coach, more often than not, all we are looking for is solid contact from our hitter.

Think about this situation that is all-too common in our game at the lower level: less than two outs and a runner on 3rd base.  There are essentially two things that won’t allow us to score the run if the infielders are at normal depth – the strike out and the pop-up.

By gaining better bat control and choking-up a bit on the bat, the hitter really does have a better chance to hit that ground ball up the middle that enables the run to score.

Increased Bat Speed and Power

Petricca argues that swinging a shorter and lighter bat increases bat speed, which translates directly into more power. He states that “Barry Bonds was able to hit with consistent power, even though he choked up on the bat, because he was able to generate enough home run bat speed with a shorter bat. I believe if Anthony Rizzo continues his two strike strategy, he will begin to hit more home runs with his hands choked up on the bat.”

Paul is often asked by his hitters whether they should swing a slightly larger or smaller bat.  His answer:

“If baseball and softball hitters can swing a larger bat without sacrificing bat speed, then the change would be appropriate” 

More importantly, he states that:

“If hitters begin using a slightly smaller bat, then their bat speed should naturally increase to allow them to hit with the same power as using a larger bat. Choking up on the bat to make it smaller and lighter has the same positive effect.”

Defense Against Getting Jammed

In addition to more bat speed and bat control, hitters can choke up on the bat as a way to get a bigger part of the bat on the ball to eliminate getting jammed inside. Instead of hitting the ball near the handle, the hitter can now hit inside pitchers on a bigger part of the bat.  Even if you don’t find the “sweet spot” of the bat, that extra inch or two can often be the difference between an infield pop-up and a soft line drive to the outfield.

Petricca finishes his piece by stating “hitters should welcome any technique or strategy to gain more bat control without sacrificing power, especially in pressure situations. It is time for choking up on the bat a few inches to make a comeback in baseball and softball.”

I say “Amen”.

Hitters: Never Be Satisfied – Torque Hitting and 4 Key Things

I’ve linked to Paul Petricca’s Torque Hitting before (his blog is here and I highly recommend his book which can be found here).

Paul is back as the hitting coach at Wheaton College in Chicago, and I know him pretty well. He works with both softball and baseball players to maximize their power from the ground up.

I‘m a believer of what he teaches. I love his passion for hitting…and the commitment he has to his players.

Here are a few excerpts from one of his torque hitting blog post, entitled “Hitters Should Never Be Satisfied”:

“As a hitting coach, it is difficult for me to observe the “real” swings of my hitters until they are in the batter’s box in live games. The goal of every hitter should be to use the same hitting mechanics in games as they do in the batting cage. Unfortunately, many hitters struggle with this.”

Hitters…

  • Don’t be content, even if you are leading your team in hitting.
  • Continue to search for small ways to generate extra power by using your body more effectively.
  • Strive for more consistency by continually working on perfecting every hitting key, which will lead to a repeatable swing.
  • Transfer your batting practice swing to games.
  • Never be satisfied!

Here are 4 of his torque hitting hitting keys….

Hands Back

Even though I can objectively prove to my hitters with a swing speed radar that by merely moving the hands back toward the catcher a few inches, bat speed will increase dramatically, some don’t trust this advice in games.

They move their hands in towards their body in an effort to be “quicker to the ball”. This only leads to a slower bat and less power. I’m convinced that most hitters don’t want to accept this very simple fix to their swing, because they want to look “cool”. They see professional hitters with their hands and bats in all kinds of crazy positions before the pitch is thrown.

What they don’t see is how all professional hitters move their hands back toward the catcher at some point before the pitch is thrown. They can get away with some pre-swing bat movement, but amateur hitters cannot!

Powerful Load

Hitters who adopt a leg lift that is slow and powerful will enjoy both increased power and consistency. Hitters who decide not to lift the front leg at all will be at the mercy of pitchers who are able to effectively pitch on the corners of home plate. They will have to reach for outside pitches and will be forced to swing earlier than necessary for inside pitches.

I tell my hitters that hitting success begins with a slow and powerful leg lift (load). Without this important hitting key, the entire swing sequence is negatively affected. In my book, Hitting With Torque: For Baseball and Softball Hitters, I detail why lifting the front leg is imperative to be a complete hitter.

Back Elbow Rotation

The most common cause of inconsistency in hitters, especially fastpitch softball players, is the collapsing of the back elbow as the swing sequence is initiated. When hitters move the back elbow close to their bodies as the swing begins, the bat quickly loses the important 45-degree power angle.

This angle is critical for consistent hard contact with the ball. The back elbow should be totally still as it rotates around the body. This rotation without lowering the back elbow will ensure the angle of the bat is maintained until the arms move toward full extension at impact with the ball.

High Finish

In practice, I encourage my hitters to let the bat finish where “it” wants to finish, which is high and away from the body. Average hitters will often manually change the path of the bat (higher or lower) before the swing is fully completed. Not only does this affect the flight of the ball, it also decreases bat speed and power.

Some coaches and hitters erroneously believe that where the bat finishes is not important. They contend the ball is already gone, so it doesn’t matter where the bat finishes. I believe the velocity and trajectory of the ball off the bat has everything to do with the path and finish of the swing.

Ask any professional golfer the key to a successful swing. They will always point to a balanced, powerful, and high finish to the swing. When hitters focus on the end of the swing and trust the rest of the swing sequence, the results are typically very good!

Both baseball and softball players alike can take a ton away from what Coach Petricca is saying here….and best of luck to Paul and his Wheaton team this upcoming season!

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