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eye dominance: A term used to denote one eye having control over the other eye. To determine your eye dominance, extend your arms full length and place the palm of one hand on the back of the other. Slide the hands outward until a small hole appears between the two hands just inside the thumbs, just large enough you can see through. Focus on a small object a few feet away with both eyes. Shut your left eye. If you can still see the object, you are right-dominant. If you cannot, you are left-eye dominant. Approximately 80% of the population is right-eye dominant. This is important to know because it can relate to the stance and loading mechanism you select. For instance, a right-handed hitter who is right-eye dominant, must be careful that his stance, or the type of load he chooses, does not obscure the vision of his right eye with the bridge of his nose. In order to track the ball and have depth perception, it is necessary to see with both eyes. This is one reason that some hitters choose to begin with a slightly opened stance. Note- a small portion of the population are bi-polar, in which neither eye is dominant.
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finish: see follow through.

finish, high: A term used to describe the position of the hands at the end of the follow through. The position the hands finish is directly related to where contact was made. Example, a pitch down in the strike zone will normally result in a higher finish due to having to go down and drive it out. It would be more difficult to finish high on a pitch up in the strike zone since contact would be more perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body, causing the finish to be lower. Thinking high finish may help a kid who swings down sharply on the ball because it will cause the barrel to flatten out through contact.

five eyes on pitcher: A phrase used to describe a hitter closing the front side in the loaded or power base position, with imaginary eyes on the back of his front shoulder, his front hip pocket, and the pitcher’s side of his front knee. Along with his two actual eyes, he now has “five eyes on the pitcher”.
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follow-through: The completion of a swing in which the bat undergoes negative acceleration, avoiding an abrupt stop which could result in injury.

force: A push, pull, or tendency to distort. Force equals mass times acceleration. F=ma (Newton’s Second Law of Motion).

form an "A": A phrase that describes the position of the forearms and elbows in a down, relaxed position when preparing to hit.
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form an "L": A phrase that is used to describe the front elbow forming approximately a 90-degree angle when preparing to hit. From this position, while holding this angle constant, raise the hands to shoulder height. This moves the front elbow to the belly button placing the hands in a good starting position.
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front foot: Refers to the foot that is located nearer the pitcher while taking a stance in the batter’s box.

front shoulder down and in: A phrase used to describe the position of the front shoulder while taking a stance. Starting with the shoulder slightly down will cause the shoulder to "level out" as the swing progress. Hitter's need to force the shoulder to stay down and in, in order to remain "closed" as long as possible. Proper back side action will cause the shoulders to open at the right time.
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front side: Refers to the knee, hip, and shoulder nearer the pitcher.

front side collapse: A term that describes the position of the front knee as it breaks down upon receiving the weight transfer. Keeping the front toe closed is beneficial in preventing this problem. Since the knee is a hinge joint, closing the front toe positions the knee in such a way that it will not collapse as weight is transferred from back to front. Hitting against a firm front side is a must in order to properly integrate the lower body and hip action into the swing. This action blocks the forward movement of the weight shift, forcing the front hip backwards. A proper back foot pivot and back hip commitment causes a forceful, rotational action in the hips, which is used to generate bat speed.
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Click Red Dot for Drills to Develop a Firm Front Side

front side, firm: A phrase that describes the position of the front leg as the weight is transferred against it.
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front side, weight against: A phrase that describes the halting of the forward action of the weight transfer by the firming up of the front leg. This offers resistance and assists with the rotation action of the hips when combined with proper back side actions.
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front side, weight over: A phrase that describes a hitter’s weight being on top of , rather than against a firm, front side. This results in an inability to properly integrate hip action in the swing.
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grip: The grasping or holding of the bat. The part of the bat that a hitter holds, usually consisting of a non-slip material.

grip, choked: A term used to describe a hitter moving his hands slightly away from the knob. This moves the hands nearer to the center of gravity of the bat and allows a hitter more control. This is highly advised with younger hitters, especially if the bat may be to heavy. Example: Telling a kid to “choke up, or choke the bat” means to move the hands up the bat, away from the knob.
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grip in fingers: Holding the bat at a position where the fingers and palms meet. This position best facilitates proper wrist action and control of the bat head, allowing it to accelerate through contact.
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grip in palms: Holding the bat in the palms can inhibit wrist action and slow the bat head. This grip makes it it difficult to keep the barrel up approaching contact.
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hand path: A term that describes the route of the hands from launch position to contact.

hand, bottom: Refers to the hand in the grip that is located nearer the knob. The bottom hand controls the swing plane and radius. (arc size)
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hand dominance: The hand which one normally uses for writing, throwing, eating, etc., when one hand is favored over the other. The dominant hand is normally the stronger of the two hands.

hand, top: Refers to the hand that is located nearer to the barrel. The top hand controls the bat head, and is used to forcefully accelerate the bat head through contact.
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hand position: A term used to describe the hands in the starting position in relation to the body. Example, hands high, hands low, hands away, hands in.

hand-eye coordination: A term used to describe the process of receiving sensory information through the eyes and feeding it to the brain where it is processed. A motor nerve from the brain sends the information to the muscles in the hand, requiring a precise movement. This action between the sensory and musculoskeletal system is essential to becoming a successful hitter.
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