We Must Stay Back to Hit for Power!

        So many young baseball players want to "jump" at the ball.  What I mean by this is hitting off of the front foot.  All of your weight goes on the front foot as you swing.  This allows young kids to hit okay............until pitchers start throwing more than 1 pitch and fielders can routinely field ground ball and fly balls.  In tee ball, coaches pitch and most of the time in the younger years of organized baseball, it is quite possible to "jump" at the ball and still get on base plenty. You will notice this "jumping" at the ball by your front leg not being firm when you go to swing.  You will have bend in your leg as opposed to having a stiff front leg.  

        However, once pitchers become more advanced and start throwing more than 1 pitch, these kids routinely fall behind.  In order to hit good pitching, we must learn to let the ball come to us.  When we make the jump to bigger fields and more advanced fielders, no longer will just anything you put in play become a way to get on base.  You will have to hit balls hard to get on base and we must stay back to hit for power.

      When we swing, we want to be in a "reverse line position".  This is easily seen in the pictures below with a "/" or a "\" as  these hitters swing.  Big league hitters (below) hit in this "reverse line" and this is what we want to strive for.  Certainly there are times, when they hit off of their front foot, but this happens to them when they get fooled, not when they are taking a normal swing.

            

                          "Jumping at the ball"

                           Notice the front leg bend and the head

                     in front of the belly button.

                            This is a common thing with young kids. 

                             The quicker we get this fixed, the better.

Firm front side
Notice his front leg and how his head is back as he swings

Firm front side
Notice how similar these last two swings are.  The only difference is
in the first picture, Pujols is at the point of contact and in this one,
Chipper has already made contact but still remains in this position.