How to Hit a Baseball Properly for Complete Beginners?

To hit a baseball, you need to do necessary emotional and physical preparations.

Are you having a hard time hitting a baseball? Do you feel pressured every time you are about to bat as if the whole team depends on you? You are not alone; several batters feel anxious when they are about to hit a baseball and thus fail to do the hit.

With our simple tips on how to hit a baseball, you no longer have to feel this way.

What You Will Need (Preparations)

You can’t expect to hit better in baseball without making these necessary preparations. These preparations eventually calm your nerves and narrow your focus on the ball. At the same time, they allow you to enjoy the whole gaming experience.

1. Physical warm-ups

Warm-up exercises stretch your muscles and condition them to process oxygen properly. These also relieve unnecessary tension off your body, easing anxiety in the process. Players claim that stretching/warm-ups enhance their hitting performance by 80%.

The warm-ups below require to be performed one at a time. In this way, you get to condition your body to progress from a mild to an intense state before eventually relaxing.

The warm-up exercises are as follows:

2. A bat

Holding a bat requires a firm and sure grip.

Here’s how you can improve your grip:

Pro Steps on How to Hit a Baseball

The aim to hit a baseball every time requires the above preparations. But intense focus and planning determine whether you will be able to hit the baseball or not. Read the steps below to go into the details.

Step 1. Set a game plan.

Come up with strategies before you even hit a baseball correctly. As you enter the plate, look into your surroundings and check for opportunities to score. In addition, make sure to include in your plan your responses after you hit the ball.

To do that, you must focus on signals and subtle movements.

Step 2. Do the proper stance.

The proper way to hit a baseball requires that you obtain an upright stance. To do that: give your bat a solid grip (as stated above). Next, bend your knees a bit to channel an accurate at-batting.

At this point, bring your bat to the back of your head. Once done, lose the tension off your elbows. Finally, get your body and feet to a forward motion using the home plate as a boundary line.

Step 3. Do some swing cycles with your bat.

Repeat 4-5 swing cycles to accustom your arms to the weight of the bat. In a way, this also provides you the opportunity to rehearse your swing techniques. The whole point of this tip is to get to know your bat batter.

As you are doing some swings, feel your grip responding to the bat. Consider how slippery the bat is or how much strength you must exert to support the bat from flipping over upon hitting the ball.

Step 4. Master the bat angles.

As you wait for the signal of the 3rd base coach, take the opportunity to practice and master your bat angles. The main angles include a straight up-down angle, a horizontal side-to-side angle, and an application of the two.

Doing this could also enhance your grip on the bat and distribute proper tension into your body.

Step 5. Analyze the situation.

Look into the situation as it can dictate how your batting should be. There could be a runner on either 1st or 2nd base as you’re walking into the plate. Once you are in place, look unto your 3rd base coach to get his signal. Then, prepare for the next act.

Step 6. Focus on the pitcher.

As much as possible, predict how the pitcher is going to throw. Get to predict his ability. Determine what he can or can’t do in terms of having to hit a baseball every time.

Simultaneously shift your eyes back to the surroundings. Focus on potential runs that you can score. Meanwhile, estimate how you can run around for possible less-than-two outs in the third base. Finally, look out for high ball travels that account for potential runs.

Step 7. Time the movement.

Time the movement of the fastball and all possible pitches to ready your adjustment strategy. As you are preparing for it, ease your arms once again by practicing your swing. At this point, set your eyes on the ball and brace your bat for contact.

With This in Place, You are All Set for the Hardest Hit Possible.

Step 8. Go in sync with the pitcher from the opposite side.

Prepare your body and focus on the pitcher’s every move. Make sure to go in sync with him. As much as possible, mirror his movement. If he swings to the right, swing to the right; if he tilts to the left, tilt to the left.

Finally, do not ever forget to condition your breathing. This should help relax your muscles.

Step 9. Be confident.

Asserting just the right confidence and trust in your instincts make that much difference. Note that even before it manifests as a physical act, accurate hitting goes through a mental state. Therefore, it directly follows what you think.

By all means, perfectly estimating the movement of the baseball vis a vis your bat should not be effective without first believing that you can do it. In other words, both the mind and body are to work hand-in-hand to perfect it.

Step 10. Follow the direction of the ball with your eyes.

As the pitcher makes his full swing, do not remove your eyes from the ball. Follow its direction from its release to its entrance into the plate. Continue looking at it until it meets your bat.

After batting the ball, continue to look in its direction to fulfill your game plan. As you are about to run, take a deep breath. Finally, set your eyes on the goal and get going.

Conclusion

Hitting a baseball, especially if you are a beginner, can be challenging. If you don’t train your body by doing warm-ups and enhancing your grip on the bat, you will find it difficult to bat and score a run successfully.

The pro steps on how to hit a baseball for beginners involve more than physical preparation. Mental strategy (through the game plan) occupies almost half of the efforts. Formulating a game plan before, during, and after hitting a baseball is key to scoring high.

Sean Hunter

Five years as a baseball player, my training approaches with this game give me the motivation to inspire and support young players more. Like all sports, we should start with the desire to have fun and maintain our resilience to strive better at any competition. But, of course, some of us want to have some fun and train for better health.  It does not matter what your initial purpose is; I believe that most people ever holding on to the baseball bat will fall in love with the games as I do.