Hitting Resources
Great hitting starts with how the body moves: a good hip hinge, a spine and pelvis that work together, balance, and getting started early so you’re ready when it’s time to decide. These are some of the coaches, articles, videos and podcasts I trust and enjoy, and they line up with what we work on in lessons. Take a look, try the ideas, and bring your questions to your next session.
Swing Mechanics
Spine as an Engine (Serge Gracovetsky)
Coiling Core (HitDr Academy)
Carlton Sanders: Demo of Hinging
Moving the Middle: Proper Pelvic Loading
Posterior Oblique Sling (AIF Education)
Thoracolumbar Fascia (AIF Education)
Anterior Oblique Sling (AIF Education)
Forward Bend to Side Bend & the importance of pelvic control & ability to hip hinge (Kyle Harris)
Optimal Posture for a Hitter (The Hitting Vault)
Good hip hinge at launch fixes many issues (The Hitting Vault)
Front knee adjustability and hip hinge (The Hitting Vault)
Doug Latta - Connecting Your Body and Swing
Forward Bend of the Spine (Coach Brett)
Coach Brett’s Favorite Hitting Drills
Carlos Correa - PVC Drill (Blast Motion)
Toe Touch - The Stride and Stop Drill (Rightview1)
Hook 'Em (Driveline)
3 Drills to Improve Timing and Load (Driveline)
Front Leg Adjustability (The Hitting Vault)
Trigger, Step-Up and Step-Fire-Kick Drills with Doug Latta
9-Ball Drill with Doug Latta
Stay Centered - Turn Around the Spine (Hitting Done Right)
Walk Through hitting drill (Driveline Baseball)
Pelvic Dissociations (Tread Athletics)
Pro Tips
Want to Hit More Home Runs? MLB Swing Tips To Unlock Your Hitting Abilities | A-Rod Academy (Alex Rodriguez)
This is hip hinge, and back knee inside of the foot.
Ted Williams: Hinge and Coil
Mookie Betts: Hip Hinge
What Makes Miguel Cabrera Great (Rightview1)
George Brett - Hitting Tips
Mike Trout - How He Approaches Hitting (MLB Network)
Albert Pujols - Favorite Tee Drill (MLB Network)
Freddie Freeman - Mindset and Swing in the Cage
Joey Votto - Talks Adjustments (MLB Network)
Barry Bonds - Fundamentals of Hitting
Articles
- Hip Hinge, Hip Shoulder Separation, and Maintaining Spine Angle, Driveline Baseball: how the hinge sets spine angle and how hitters keep it through the turn.
- Doug Latta Talks Hitting, FanGraphs: balance, adjustability and "less is more."
- Kneel to Hip Hinge Drill, The Hitting Vault: a drill for loading into the back hip while staying hinged.
- Pillar Turn Drill, The Hitting Vault: keep the hinge through the swing.
- The "Hip Hinge" Position Doesn't Exist, Baseball Flows: the hinge is a movement you flow through, not a pose to freeze in.
Coach Brett’s instructional X posts with videos
- The real biomechanics of hitting: contralateral means both sides and both halves, @bamahurin
- How to set up a good batting stance for beginners, @bamahurin
- Hitting for beginners: move the middle to a good hitting position, @bamahurin
- A great baseball hitting instructional video, @bamahurin
- Watch Aaron Judge’s hands mimic his spine, @bamahurin
Posts from other hitting coaches
- Inside pitch, tight turns, barrel working behind the ball, @TheHittingVault
- Hip hinge at launch is crucial, @TheHittingVault
- Adjusting to pitch location with the same sequence, @TheHittingVault
- Upper body and pelvis move through multiple planes, @flowsdoc
- 3 common hip hinge mistakes, @flowsdoc
- Most swing flaws are movement problems, @flowsdoc
- Hitting with intent: bow and arrow with no target, @GoGoGolson
Podcasts
- Why Most Hitters Fail: Movement Patterns, Not Mechanics (Doug Latta and Dr. Ismael Gallo), Patrick Jones Baseball
- Helping Hitters to Higher Ground with Doug Latta, Elite Baseball Development Podcast
- Talking Hitting and Going Deep with Doug Latta, Youth Baseball Edge
- The Elite Swing with Matt Lisle, Youth Baseball Edge
- Episode 49: The Science of Swing Decisions with LSU Softball's Bryce Neal and Zach Jermain, S2 Cognition
Further Reading
- More Flaws of Pelvis Loading, Coach Mike Lotief, Extra Inning Softball
- Pelvis Loading, Part 1, Coach Mike Lotief, Extra Inning Softball
- What Movements Matter for Swings to Have Adjustability, Coach Mike Lotief, The Sports Column
- GO Move: How Great Baseball Hitters Launch the Barrel, Coach Mike Lotief, The Sports Column
- A Deeper Look at Ted Williams' Swing, Sean Casey, MLB Network (video below)
- 3 Secrets to Great Hitters, Don Slaught, Rightview1 (video below)
A Deeper Look at Ted Williams' Swing (Sean Casey, MLB Network)
3 Secrets to Great Hitters by Don Slaught (Rightview1)
Links go to the original creators' pages. All content belongs to its owners.