Q: A hitting instructor was saying to change where you step based on where the baseball was pitched? Is this even possible? You have so little time to even decide to swing, how can you step outside on an outside pitch and step straight on a pitch up the middle and step out on an inside pitch? Don't most if not all professional hitters step in the exact same spot regardless of where the baseball is pitched? Thanks, Vance M.
A: Absolutely, Vance. The great hitters do it consistently...same spot, same stride length on any type of pitch. Twenty-one years ago, I had the opportunity to see this while I was helping Paul Prinz of Bio-Kinetics with his filming for three series at the old Arlington Stadium in Arlington, TX. The video was then digitized for bio-mechanical analysis. Even though I didn't get to see the results of the analysis of those three series, I did get to see a sample of Don Mattingly and Wade Boggs' swings and then a few others that were the opposite...stepping to different spots and different stride lengths. The difference in how quick and consistent to the ball and contact point they were compared to the other hitters that lacked consistency of stride and landing spot was very noticeable in their swing analysis. There was a tangible reason via bio-mechanic breakdown as to why these "inconsistent" hitters led the league in broken bats.
For better hitting,
Del
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