Four Parts of a Good Baseball Swing

This is a Microsoft Word file (~1 Mb) that describes the four parts of the baseball swing: the stance, the step, the swing-to-contact, and the follow-through.  It's basically a printer-friendly version of the information on this web site.  Click on the link below to view or download the file.

Swing Evaluation Checklist   

The Swing Evaluation Checklist is organized into the four phases of the swing: the stance, step, swing-to-contact, and follow-through.  Each phase lists a number of checkpoints to look for.  Next to each checkpoint there are two columns, one to mark a check or an X, and a Notes column.  Place a check in the first column if the hitter does the checkpoint correctly.  Place an X there if he/she does the checkpoint incorrectly.  The Notes column is there for you to note what the hitter did wrong.

 

The checklist is a good tool to help you evaluate a player's swing.  Simply have the player hit from a tee or soft toss and go down the list, evaluating the swing checkpoint by checkpoint.  When you're done, you can go over the checklist with the hitter and explain what he does well and what he needs to work on.

 

 

Baseball Skills and Drills

To download my list of baseball skills and drills, click on the link below.  I first made this list some years ago, as an aid in planning practices.  I've been adding to it since then, though it's still not complete (and probably never will be).  I also have to admit that I've never succeeded in teaching all of these skills in a single season.  Still, it's nice to have a comprehensive list of skills and drills to choose from when planning practices.  Got a skill or drill to add?  Contact me!

Hitting Stats Spreadsheet    updated on 4/7/07

If you like to keep stats and have Microsoft Excel, click on the link below to download a Hitting Statistics spreadsheet.  After each game, you will have to manually enter the stats from your scorebook for each of your players.  The spreadsheet will automatically sum all of the game stats together and compute each player's batting average, slugging average, on-base percentage, "OPS" (on-base % plus slugging average), and run production average for the season.  It will also sum the data for the entire team and compute team averages.  You can use the data sorting feature in Excel to sort the players in any order, such as highest to lowest batting average. 

 

The version below is for up to 14 players and 30 games.  I have other versions for 18 players and 30 games, and 14 players and 100 games.  If you're interested in either of these, please contact me. 

 

 

Common Hitting Problems, Causes, and Cures 

This Microsoft Word file lists common hitting problems along with their causes and some suggested cures in each of the four phases of the swing: the stance, the step, the swing-to-contact, and the follow-through.  Click on the link below to view or download the file.

 

 

Six Positions of the Swing

This Microsoft Word file explains six key positions that a hitter must pass through during the swing.  Photos are provided for each position.