Swing the Bat!

The Pre-Swing

After the stance (position 1), the next two positions (2 and 3) occur in the pre-swing phase. It’s called the pre-swing because you are moving and changing positions but nothing is actually swinging or rotating yet. The pre-swing positions are important for two reasons. First, they put you in an athletic “ready to hit” position, much like the ready position that a fielder gets in as the pitcher delivers the pitch. Second, the pre-swing controls the timing of your swing, so it’s important to get into these positions on-time or slightly early. If you’re late, you won’t be able to execute the swing positions correctly.

There’s a third reason why these two positions are important – they are the ones you can think about and control on every swing. Once you get to position 3, the rest of the swing happens too fast to think about – your body will just react with whatever’s in your muscle memory. If you start in the proper pre-swing positions, it will make your swing easier and, hopefully, trigger the muscle memories for the correct swing positions.

The pre-swing is where my thinking has evolved the most. There is a weight shift from back to front that must take place in the pre-swing. Previously, I taught my students to come to center in position 2 (the launch position), then shift to the front foot (60-70%) in position 3 – and that remains a legitimate way to do it. Most kids, however, have trouble getting past center and many never even make it to center. And without a proper weight shift to the front foot, you can’t freely open your hips in the swing. So I started teaching kids to come forward onto the front foot (60%) in position 2, then shift a little more forward (70%) in position 3. This change seemed to work and my student started getting a more consistent weight shift.

The pre-swing phase has the following two positions: the Launch Position and the Trigger Position. The Launch Position is presented twice, once for hitter's who use a step, and once for hitters who don't (no-step).

POSITION 2: THE LAUNCH POSITION (WITH STEP)

Position 2, the Launch Position, is the position you’re in at the end of your step. It’s important because it controls the timing of your swing and puts you in an athletic ready-to-hit position. Many swings in youth baseball go bad right here - failing to get into a good launch position or getting into it late.

From your stance, step forward directly at the pitcher until your feet are about one bat-length or bit wider apart. To step, of course, you must first shift weight off your front foot, an action called loading. The simplest load is the “inward turn” – turn the front knee toward the back knee to shift the weight back, close the front shoulder a bit more, and roll the front foot onto the big toe, heel up slightly. There are many ways to do it, but I recommend keeping the load simple, and avoiding high or dramatic leg kicks. I’ve found that you don’t have to teach hitters to load; they have to do it to step. I only mention it if their load is excessively dramatic or awkward. Hence I have not included the load as a key position.

As you step, “fall forward” with the back shoulder slightly higher than the front and shift 60% of your weight onto the front foot. Slightly open the front foot as you step. When you land, you should be in the following position:

The feet are one-bat length apart, front foot is flat and slightly open (less than 45 degrees)
The front knee is flexed forward, 60% of your weight on the front foot
The hips are square or slightly open
The front shoulder is closed (turned away from the pitcher), the back shoulder is slightly higher than the front shoulder
The upper body is vertically aligned over your belly button and not tilted
The head is level, both eyes are on the pitcher
The hands are shoulder high and back. Push the hands back a bit as you step to create separation between the hands and the body; that is, “Step away from your hands”
The bat should be over or behind your back shoulder at a 45 degree angle. Do not wrap that bat behind your head or drop the barrel below your hands

So, when should you start your step? Nominally, you should start to step forward as the pitcher is striding toward you to release the pitch – “step toward the pitcher as the pitcher steps toward you.” Your front foot should land when the ball is no further than 1/3 of the way to the plate. But timing is personal and depends on the speed of the pitch and your swing. Each hitter has to work it out for himself. But remember, don’t rush the step. Step calmly and deliberately. However, it’s imperative that you not be late or you’ll be unable to fire your hips correctly.

Here are some tips for controlling the timing of your swing with your step:

Don’t rush your step. Load early, then step calmly and deliberately forward
Be sure you get completely into the launch position before you start your swing
Timing-wise, step for the fastball; if it’s an off-speed pitch (or you’re just early), wait a moment in the launch position before initiating the swing. Keep the front knee flexed, the muscles loose, and the hands back!
You don’t want to step too early, because you will sit too long in the launch position and your muscles will tend to tighten up and slow your reaction time. But it’s better to be early than late. If you’re late, there’s no hope for your swing

POSITION 2: THE LAUNCH POSITION (WITH NO-STEP)
If you opt for the no-step approach, you still have to move through position 2 but how you get there is a bit different. From your no-step stance, shift your weight slightly (60-70%) back using the “inward turn” method described above; that is, turn the front knee in toward the back knee, shift weight onto the back foot, roll the front foot onto the big toe, heel up slightly, and close the front shoulder a bit. From this loaded position, shift your weight forward into the launch position (position 2) as described above. You want to be in the launch position when the ball is no further than 1/3 of the way to home plate.

The no-step approach is simpler and a bit quicker to the ball than taking a step, thus making it easier to control the timing of your swing. However, the hitter has to assume a wider stance, which many players may not find comfortable, and still must load back then shift the weight forward to swing. So which approach is best: the step or the no step? At the youth level of play (8-12), the step may be simpler for the hitters to remember and execute. At more advanced levels, the no step approach is quicker. But while some may be comfortable with a no step approach, others may not. Go with what the hitter finds most natural and comfortable for him/her.

From this point onward, the no-step swing is identical to the normal swing, including the move into position 3 as described below.

POSITION 3: THE TRIGGER POSITION
Position 3 occurs as you make your initial (but not final) decision to swing and puts you into position to explode open and get the bat on the plane of the pitch. If your timing is perfect, you will move immediately from position 2, the Launch Position, into position 3. If you’re a bit early into position 2, you can hold it momentarily until you decide to swing, then transition to position 3. The key checkpoints of position 3 are:

The back elbow drops to the back hip and the back lower arm moves to a more vertical position
The bat barrel drops to a flatter position to get on the plane of the pitch, but stays back pointed behind the hitter’s back
Flex the front knee forward a little more, shifting a bit more weight to the front foot (from 60% to 70%) to allow the back hip to turn freely
Adjust your upper-body lean toward the plate depending on the height of the pitch: lean out from the waist more for lower pitches, less for higher ones (you can adjust in later positions as well)
The back knee starts to turn toward the front knee in preparation to firing the hips, and the back heel starts to come up slightly

You are now ready to SWING at the pitch.

THE 2-3-SWING DRILL
Here’s a drill you can practice with a coach, parent, or friend using a tee to work on your pre-swing positions and timing. I call it the 2-3-Swing drill:

Place a ball on the tee
Get into your stance (position 1)
The coach calls out “2”
Step (calmly and deliberately) into position 2, your launch position. If using the no-step approach, shift back then forward into the launch position
The coach then calls out “3”, and the hitter moves into position 3. Call out “3” sometimes as soon as the hitter’s front foot lands. At other times, delay ½ to 1 second before saying “3”. The hitter holds position 2 (launch position) – hands back, weight slightly (60%) forward, front knee flexed, muscles loose - until the coach calls out “3”
Once the hitter is in position 3, the coach calls out “swing” and the hitter completes his swing (half speed at first)

This drill will get you used to getting into the launch position before swinging, keeping the hands back, and initiating the swing at different times. Do the drill in stop-motion at first (stopping in each position to be sure it’s correct), then try it in slow notion without stopping and speed it up until you can do it at full speed. Don’t worry too much about how well the hitter executes the swing; the point of the drill is to get the pre-swing right.