When working with hitters, the cueing or the coaching points we give to hitters are incredibly important. Every hitter is different and will interpret certain cues differently. Figuring out what works best for each individual hitter is a huge component of getting hitters to improve. While every hitter is different, there are some very common coaching cues that we never use at Elite Diamond Performance. Also, check out the YouTube video below!
Swing Down
Anyone who has followed Elite Diamond Performance knows how much we prioritize bat path. In my opinion, having a good bat path, one that moves slightly uphill to meet the plane of the incoming pitch, is the most important piece of good hitting mechanics. Many coaches will tell hitters to swing down or stay level with their swing path, which can have terrible consequences for a hitter's consistency.
Short to the Ball
Probably the number one thing that you will hear hitting coaches say is "short swing." This is something that I have never told a hitter. Why? Most hitters, outside of very young players, have swings that are too short. What do I mean? Many hitters try and take the shortest possible path to the ball. This leads them to limit both bat speed and their ability to get on plane with pitches.
Keep your weight back
This one I actually understand. When a hitter is getting too far on the front side or lunging, I get why a coach might tell a hitter to stay back. However, since we have utilized the Swing Catalyst Force Plates, we have noticed a stark difference between our higher-level hitter and those who struggle. Powerful, consistent hitters put a lot of force on the front side when the stride foot lands in the ground. this is a huge driver of power and also sets the body posture for a good, consistent bat path. Hitters who are taught to keep the weight back often struggle with power generation and consistency. Check more out here in this article: Stride soft? Not so fast.
Don't Drop your Back Shoulder
One of the first articles I ever wrote was "The Worst Advice to Hitters: Don't Drop Your Back Shoulder." Essentially, the cue of not dropping the back shoulder forces a hitter to overuse the hands and underutilize the body. This creates an obvious lack of power but most importantly, it completely hinders a hitter's ability to create the good bat path we mentioned earlier. Good hitters get the bat below the ball and work up through the zone. The posture, namely getting hinged and keeping the back shoulder tilted or down throughout the swing is what sets the path of the swing. If the shoulder doesn't drop, the hands will work down to get to the ball. A lack of shoulder tilt is what creates weak pop ups and rollover ground balls.
Knob to the Ball
One of the biggest flaws that we see with hitters is overusing the hands and neglecting using the bigger, stronger parts of the body. In a powerful, consistent swing, a hitter will sequence their body parts correctly. This means that the hips begin rotating first, followed by the upper body which pulls the arms and hands through. Telling hitters to bring the knob of the bat to the ball can cause hitters to fire their body out of order, thus limiting power capabilities. In addition, telling a hitter a pushy cue such as this can cause their swing path to be very short which can lead to bat path issues.
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