Video

Video

Phase #1- The Stance

Phase #1- The Stance

1. General Instruction: In the Stance your feet should be slightly wider then your shoulders. Your weight should be distributed evenly and in the middle of your body. Your head should be rotated looking at the pitcher and your knees slightly flexed. Your hands should be gripping the bat with your middle knuckles aligned and brought up to ear height and held directly above your back shoulder.

2. Shoulder Girdle: While in the Stance the left shoulder girdle will Abduct (protract), while the right shoulder girdle Adducts (retracts) using the middle/lower fiber of the trapizius and rhomboids to support the bat and elevate it to the proper height.

3. Shoulder Joint: The left shoulder joint is slightly medially rotated (subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major, anterior fibers of deltoid)

 and slightly flexed. The right shoulder joint is slightly abducted (pectoralis minor, pectoralis major, subclavius, latissimus dorsi) and slightly externally rotated (Teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoid).

4.Elbow Joint: right elbow is flexed ( biceps brachii and brachialis) and slightly adducted toward the mid line of the body. Also the forearm in slightly pronated. (pronator teres) The left elbow is elevated and flexed.(Biceps brachii, brachialis, and shoulder joint). The biceps brachii, brachialis and brachio radialis are concentrically loaded and prepared to go to the next step.


5.Hip girdle: Pelvic girdle is slightly tilted anteriorly (Rectus Femoris & Psoas).


6. Knee Joint: Both the right and left knee are flexed.(Semitendinosus, Semi-membranosus and biceps femoris) The legs are concentrically loaded 3/4 into a squat. Both the Hamstrings (Semitendinosus, Semi-membranosus and biceps femoris) and the Quads group- (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris) are concentrically loaded.

Phase #2- The Stride

Phase #2- The Stride or Load Phase 

1.General Instruction: At this point the batter should lift and move the front foot about 3-6 inchs from starting positon and land on the ball of their foot with their heel slighlty off the ground. At this point the weight should be tranfered slighlty to the back foot in order to mantain balance and create a load. The stride is used for timing and to create balance.

2. Shoulder Girdle: While in the Stance the left shoulder girdle will Abduct (protract), while the right shoulder girdle Adducts (retracts) using the middle/lower fiber of the trapizius and rhomboids to support the bat and elevate it to the proper height. The Shoulder girdle is slightly elevated and retracted.

3. Shoulder Joint: The left shoulder joint is medially rotated (subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major, anterior fibers of deltoid) and slightly flexed. The right shoulder joint is  abducted to about 90 degrees (pectoralis minor, pectoralis major, subclavius, latissimus dorsi) and slightly externally rotated (Teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoid).

4.Elbow Joint: left elbow is still flexed but open more to an angle of 110degrees ( biceps brachii and brachialis) and slightly adducted toward the mid line of the body. Also the forearm in slightly pronated. (pronator teres) The Right elbow is elevated and flexed.(Biceps brachii, brachialis, and shoulder joint). The biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis are concentrically loaded and prepared to go to the next step.

5. Hip girdle: Pelvic girdle is slightly tilted anteriorly( Rectus Femoris & Psoas). The left hip laterally tilts. The right hip stays concetricllay loaded(Rectus Femoris) while the left hip is in a relaxed (eccentric) state.

6.Knee Joint: The Right knee stays flexed and is concentrically contracting (Semitendinosus, Semi-membranosus and biceps femoris). The left knee extends and moves eccentrically (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris). The knee stays slightly extended, yet once the foot makes contact with the ground it concentrically contracts.

Phase #3- The Hip Turn/ Pivot

Phase # 3- The Hip turn/Pivot- (Pre-Swing)

1. General Instruction: After you stride to create timing and balance you must roate your right or "back" hip to create power and to mantain balance during contact. From the ball of your right foot and the top of your right hip (Righty batter) rapidly turn your hips toward the ball, till your hips are facing the pitcher.


2. Shoulder Girdle: When initiating the Hip Turn the left shoulder girdle will Retract and elevate slightly. The right Shoulder will slightly depress and protract.

3. Shoulder Joint: The left shoulder joint begins to externally rotate ( Teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoid) and transversely abduct (posterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, infraspinatus, teres minor). The Right shoulder joint  transversely flexes (pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, coracobrachialis, biceps brachii) and medial rotates (subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major, anterior fibers of deltoid).

4.Elbow Joint: The left and right elbows are still flexed and concentrically contracted (biceps brachii, brachialis,and brachioradials). The left elbow begins to abduct while the right elbow Adducts. The left arm is pulled toward the ball and both triceps and the biceps brachii are concentrically contracted as well as the brachioradialis. 

5. Hip joint: Hip joint is slightly tilted anteriorly (Rectus Femoris & Psoas). The left hip begins to slightly rotate externally(Rectus Femoris, Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, & Psoas Major) and the right hip starts to rotate internally (Gluteus Minimus, Gluteus Medius, Adductor Longus, Adductor Brevis, Semimembranosus, & Semitendiosus).

6. Knee Joint: The Left Knee is Extended (vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris) and slightly externally rotated. The Right Knee is flexed, concentrically contracted, and is also rotated medially (popliteus, semimembranosus,semitedendinosus,satorius,gracilis).

Phase #4- The Swing

Phase #4- The Swing

1. General Instruction: This is the phase in where the hands, hips, and shoulders drive the bat through the hitting zone in order to make contact with the ball. Bring your hands from starting postion directly to the baseball with a level bat plane, by pulling your bottom hand to the ball. Focus your eyes and fix your head on the ball. Turn hips at ball for power and to matain balance.

2. Shoulder Girdle: While in the swing phase the left shoulder rapidly Adducts (retracts) while the right should smoothly Abbucts (protracts) to support the bat as it drives thru the hitting zone.

3. Shoulder Joint: At the intial part the swing the left shoulder joint begins to externally rotate (teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoid) and transversely abduct (posterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, infraspinatus, teres minor). The right shoulder joint transversely flexes (pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, coracobrachialis, biceps brachii) and medial rotates (subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major, anterior fibers of deltoid). During contact both right and left shoulder joints are flexed and concentrically contracted. The left shoulder joint will continue through transverse abduction and the  right shoulder joint will continue transversely flex.

4. Elbow Joint:The left elbow is flexed (biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradials)and concentrically contracted as well as being pronated (pronator teres) during contact of the ball. Right after contact the left elbow begins to eccentrically contract and extended (Triceps brachii, anconeus). The right elbow is flexed (Biceps brachii, brachialis, brachio radials) and concentrically contracted and is supinated (supinator, biceps brachi) during contact with the ball. 

5. Hip Joint: Hip joint is slightly tilted anteriorly (Rectus Femoris & Psoas). The left hip is concentrically contracted and slightly internally rotated. The right hip is concentrically contracted and fully rotates internally during contact (Gluteus Minimus, Gluteus Medius, Adductor Longus, Adductor Brevis, Semimembranosus, & Semitendiosus). The hip contractions go from concentric, to eccentric, to concentric.

6. Knee Joint: The Left Knee is Extended (vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris) and slightly medially rotated (popliteus, semimembranosus,semitedendinosus,satorius,gracilis). The Right Knee is flexed and is rotating internally. The right knee is also concentrically contracted and adducted (adductor longus, and adductor brevis).

Phase #5- The Follow through and 3 skills

Phase 5- The Follow Through

1. Gerneral Instruction: Let the bat finish through the hitting zone. Let your hands and arms continue their path to the same height as you started. Let your shoulders completly roatate, and finish with your hips facing the target. Keep you head focuased on the ball and let your chin finish on the right shoulder.

2. Shoulder Girdle: While in the follow through phase the left shoulder girdle rapidly retracts and elevates and the right shoulder girdle fully protracts and elevates.

3. Shoulder Joint: during the follow through the left shoulder joint will continue through transverse abduction (posterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, infraspinatus, teres minor) and externally rotated (teres minor, infraspinatus, posterior deltoid). The right shoulder joint will continue to transversely flex and rotate medially (subscapularis, latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major, anterior fibers of deltoid).

4.Elbow Joint: After contact the left and right elbows eccentrically contract and fully extends (triceps brachii, anconeus). During the end of the follow through the left elbow flexes (biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradials) and concentrically contracts. The right elbow stays extended (triceps brachii, anconeus)and eccentrically contracts.

5. Hip Joint: Hip Joint is Posteriorly tilted. The left hip is concentrically contracted and slightly internally rotated. The right hip is concentrically contracted and fully rotated internally. (Gluteus Minimus, Gluteus Medius, Adductor Longus, Adductor Brevis, Semimembranosus, & Semitendiosus).


6. Knee Joint: The Left Knee is Extended (vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris)  and slightly internally rotated (popliteus, semimembranosus,semitedendinosus,satorius,gracilis). The Right Knee is flexed (semi-tendinosis, semi-membranosis, biceps femoris ) and is rotated internally. The right knee is also concentrically contracted.

3 Drills to imporve Skills-

#1 Squats:

Much of the baseball swing is done using the large muscle groups in the legs and hip. Squats will help strengthen the leg muscles to add power and stability. The width of your feet during the exercise is very close to the stance in the baseball swing, so will incorporate the same muscles. 

#2 Cord workout-  A wide variety of cord workouts will target the same muscles used in the elbow and shoulder, that are used during the baseball swing. The cords workouts should focus on the chest, back, and arms. In order to strengthen and balance the muscles used to strike the baseball.
























#3 Knee and hip Strengthening exercises
- a wide variety of knee development exercises can add strength and balance to the player while in the batter box. These workouts can help strengthen the individual muscles explained above, to develop added power and speed.