BASEBALL and
FASTPITCH SOFTBALL
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A to C Pathway
acceleration
angular velocity
athletic position
back foot
back hip commitment
backside
backside collapse
backside hitting
backside under you
balance
balance, dynamic
balance, static
barred arm
barrel
barrel above hands
barrel up
bat
bat angle
bat, flat
bat, horizontal
bat mass (weight)
bat path
bat selection
bat speed
bat, vertical
batters box
bisect the head
bottom hand
bottom hand pulls
bunt
bunt, drag
bunt, push
bunt, sacrifice
bunt, suicide squeeze
casting
center of gravity
centering, fine
centering, soft
chicken wing
cocking
cocking the barrel
contact
contact hitter
contact point
count
count, hitters
count, neutral
count, pitchers
delaying action
drag backfoot
dropping the barrel
elbow to belly button
elbow, high back
elbow, high front
elbow, lift back
elbows down
extension
eye dominance
finish
finish, high
five eyes on pitcher
follow-through
force
form an “A”
form an "L"
front foot
front shoulder down & in
front side
front side collapse
front side, firm
front side, weight against
front side, weight over
grip
grip, choked
grip in fingers
grip in palms
hand path
hand, bottom
hand dominance
hand, top
hand position
hand-eye coordination
hands away
hands, hide the
hands, high
hands, low
hands, barrel above
hands, dead
hands inside the ball
hands, noisy
hands, quiet
hands outside the ball
happy zone
hard inside, soft away
head position
head still
head flies out
head movement
hips under you
hips rotate
hit and run
hit the inside of ball
hitch
hitch position
hitter, dead stop
home plate
hook
inertia
jammed
kinetic energy
knob to the ball
launch position
lever
line drive
linear
linear transfer method
load
load, bat
load, inward turn
load the knob
load, no
load, preloaded
load, reverse C
load, tiny circles
long-short-long
longitudinal axis
lunge
maintain angle
mash the bug
mechanical couple
motion
muscle memory
off-speed pitch
number knuckles
on your heels
opposite field
palm-up, palm down
pivot
pivot on back foot
plate coverage
power base
premature extension
pull
quiet eyes
reach
release point
rotational
rotational method
rhythm
separation
short front arm
shoulder to shoulder
shoulder, high front
stance
stance, close your
stance, closed
stance, open your
stance, opened
stance, parallel
stance, pigeon-toed
stance, square
stance, widen your
step in the bucket
stepping on ice
stride
stride closed
stride, developing a
stride, direction
stride, length
stride, no-stride
stride, opened
stride, overstride
stride, toe closed
stride, toe open
swing
swing compact
swing length
swing long
swing short
swing, looping
swing, inside-out
swing, outside-in
swing, sweeping
swing, round
swing, uppercut
swing, wood chopper
take
take a strike
time, movement
time, reaction
time, response
timing
top hand
top hand, hanging
top hand push
top hand release
top hand too early
top hand, too little
torque
trigger
under the hands
up the middle
visualization
weight
weight shift
weight transfer
weight forward
weight on front side
weight on heels
weight distribution
wrapping the barrel
wrist roller
wrists cocked
wrists flat
wrists, roll

 


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Definitions Page 1
 


A to C Pathway: A model used to illustrate the hand path to the ball while using a short, compact swing. Imagine a right triangle, with one vertex at the launch or hitch position called “A”. A second vertex, position “C”, would be at contact. The hands should travel down the hypotenuse of the triangle, straight to the ball, or “A to C”. Should the hands venture out to the “B” area, they are not taking a path straight to the inside of the ball and are said to be “casting”, which adds length to the swing.
Click for Illustration

acceleration: The rate of change of velocity. In layman’s terms, the bat head would be “speeding up” through contact.

angular velocity: A term used to describe the velocity of an object that is rotating around an axis. In hitting, we are primarily concerned with the angular velocity developed by the bat head caused by both linear and rotary body actions.

athletic position: A term used to describe the “ready position” of any number of sports. The feet are outside the width of the shoulders, knees flexed, weight forward on the balls of the feet, chest up. The athlete is balanced and is now ready to make an athletic move.
Click for Illustration

back foot: The foot away from the pitcher, while taking a stance in the batter’s box.

back hip commitment: A term used to describe the back hip action as it forcibly rotates toward the pitcher to a position under the torso during the swing. The linear action of the weight transfer is halted by the firming up of the front side. Pivoting on the back foot and forcibly driving the back hip under you causes rapid rotation of the trunk. This transfers force from the ground up, out through the chest, arms, hands, resulting in increased bat speed.
Click for Illustration
Click Red Dot for Drills to Develop Back Hip Action

backside: A term used to describe the side of the hitter that is away from the pitcher while taking a stance.

backside collapse: A phrase used to describe a hitter who fails to pivot on the back foot properly, resulting in lack of back hip commitment, and poor weight transfer. Normally, this results in a high front shoulder, producing an uppercut type swing plane.
Click for Illustration
Click Red Dot for Drills to Correct Backside Collapse

backside hitting: A term used to describe the direction of a batted ball in which the hitter drives an outside pitch to the opposite field. i.e. right-handed hitter hits the ball to right field.

backside under you: see back hip commitment.

balance: A term to describe a state of equilibrium of all parts of an object about it’s center of gravity.
Click Red Dot for Drills to Develop balance

balance, dynamic: A term to describe an object in balance while in motion.

balance, static: A term to describe a stationary, or non-moving balance.

barred arm: A term used to describe the front arm extending, or “locking out” too early in the swing. This generally results in the hands being forced away from the body, or casting. This causes the front shoulder to fly open to early. Consequently, the hands lag behind, and the barrel takes a long, sweeping and/or looping path to the ball.
Click for Illustration
Click Red Dot for Drills to Correct a Barred Arm

barrel: The large end of the bat where contact should be made.

barrel above hands: A term used in teaching that describes the position of the barrel in relation to the hands as it approaches the ball. i.e. keep the barrel above your hands.
Click for Illustration
Click Red Dot for Drills to Develop a Barrel Up Approach

barrel up: A phrase to instruct a hitter to move the bat to a more vertical position. The term could also have a similar meaning as barrel above the ball.

bat: A long rigid simple machine that is used to apply a force to a ball when struck. A bat is considered a third class lever which is favored for developing speed at the barrel end of the lever. By proper use of body actions, in coordination with proper hand action, the bat can develop tremendous velocity. An example of a first class lever would be a long pole and block used to lift your car out of a ditch which is favored for developing power at the end lifting end. A bat consists of 5 major parts: (1) knob, (2) handle, (3) grip, (4) barrel, (5) end cap.
Click for Illustration

bat angle: A term that is used to describe the angle formed by the bat and a horizontal line.
Click for Illustration

bat, flat: see bat, horizontal.

bat, horizontal: A term used to describe a bat position that has no bat angle and is parallel with the ground. Starting with a horizontal or flat bat can lead to problems in the swing. A horizontal bat places the center of gravity well outside of the hands. In younger hitters who are weak physically in their hands, wrists, and forearms, gravity pulls on the heavy barrel end creating a torquing effect, causing the knob to lift, and the barrel to drop. Consequently, as the swing begins, it’s difficult to get the knob going downward toward the ball. The hands move away from the body in a casting action, beginning a long, sweeping swing.
Click for Illustration
Click Red Dot for Drills to Correct a Flat Bat

Bat Mass (weight): A term used to describe the weight of a bat, usually measured in ounces.

bat path: A term used to describe the path that the bat takes during the approach, through contact, and follow-through. Normally the bat path is described as “inside-out”, or “outside-in”.

 

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