Batting Practice Tips for the Cages

Hitting in baseball is a delicate art—timing, power, and precision all are key elements of success for a hitter, and practice is essential to master the motion. To the uninitiated, it may seem difficult to grasp the keys to success at the plate. Here is a rundown of some tips for getting the most out of batting practice:

-Choking up is key for being able to control the bat better. Choking up refers to sliding your hands from the knob end of your bat to a couple inches farther up the neck. It is a great technique when batting with two strikes especially!

-Your legs matter more than you may think when you are trying to hit with power! Roll onto your back toe on contact to help yourself get the most out of the power in your legs and hit the ball farther on a consistent basis.

-Balance is critical! Try to keep your body weight focused on the balls of your feet. This will grant you better balance and stability; both of these factors also help you swing with more power.

-In a baseball game, you will not have time to fuss about your form—so get it right when you are in the cages! Make sure that everything you do while hitting is unconscious, except watching for the ball. If you only are focused on the ball and do everything else naturally, you will have an easier time making hard contact with the ball.

-Keep your head down at contact! You should hold your head at the same point at which you make contact with the pitch. To get this technique down pat, hold your head at contact in the batting cages.

-You should practice bunting every time you are at batting practice! You want to make sure your hand-eye coordination develops along with your bunting ability, as bunting comprises a rather different form of communication from your brain to your body than, say, power hitting does.

-Complement your hitting regiment with good strength and conditioning training. Workout out at the gym and going on runs are two great ways to supplement your batting practice.

-Keep your front foot at a forty-five degree angle with respect to the plate. If you open the front foot too early, you risk losing power and bat speed!

Remember to practice good form when in the batting cages. And find out what batting cage solutions Wheelhouse has to offer!