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Definitions Page 5


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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

 

 

 

hands away: A hand position in which the hands are located away from the body. Starting with the hands in this position results an outside-in hand path and swing unless a hitter loads by bringing his hands back toward the body. Hitters who keep their hands away from their bodies normally handle the inside pitches well, pulling the ball. They have difficulty on pitches away and offspeed pitches. A hand position too far away from the body makes it impossible to stay inside the ball.
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hands, hide the: A term that describes the hand position upon loading. When the striding foot lands and front shoulder is closed, the hands would be difficult to be seen by the pitcher, thus the term “hide the hands”.
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hands, high: A hand position that is above the back shoulder. The higher the hands start, the further they are from contact. Starting with extremely high hands requires them to drop before they load. An excessive dropping of the hands is referred to as a “hitch”.
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hands, low: A hand position that is considerably below armpit height, with the forearm of the bottom hand below parallel to the ground. Starting with the hands in this position requires a load that moves the hands upward considerably. Failure to do so results in the hands are being considerably lower than the front shoulder, guaranteeing a lifting or uppercut swing plane.
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hands, barrel above: See barrel above hands.

hands, dead: Refers to a state of “no movement” or cocking action of the hands.

hands inside the ball: This phrase describes a hand path that moves inside-out to the ball. On an inside pitch, it may require a hitter to delay extending the front arm in order to get the hands through, staying inside the ball. This maneuver shortens the swing arc and allows the hitter to get to the inside pitch faster. Thinking hands inside also helps square the bat head and keep the ball fair.
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Click Red Dot for Drills to Develop an Inside-Out Swing

hands, noisy: This phrase refers to excessive hand movement while preparing to swing. Excessive movement can put the hands out of position when it is time for them to go forward, resulting in “not being ready”. This can also cause “poor timing”.

hands, quiet: This phrase refers to hands with a minimal amount of movement when preparing to swing.

hands outside the ball: A phrase to describe the position of the hands as they approach contact in relation to the flight of a pitched ball. The hands would be on the opposite side of the path, away from the body, or outside the ball. This normally results in a round swing with a tendency to pull the ball.
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Click Red Dot for Drills to Correct an Outside-In Swing

happy zone: A term that describes the location of a pitch in which a hitter consistently drives the ball. This varies among hitters. When the count is a hitter’s count, a hitter should narrow the strike zone and look for a pitch in his happy zone to drive. Think hit, hit, hit, and take if it is not in your happy zone. Look for a pitch you can drive, if it’s not there, take it. There’s no need to just make contact and hit a weak ground ball when you can get your pitch and drive it! You are ahead in the count, sit on your pitch!
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hard inside, soft away: A phrase that describes a pitching philosophy of attacking hitters. Throw the hard stuff inside, perhaps even off the plate inside to keep the hitter honest ( from leaning out over the plate, or looking away). After moving a hitter back, throw soft stuff (breaking balls, and changeups) down and away. Unless a hitter is disciplined and able to keep his hands back, this style of pitching will result in weak contact.

head position: A term that describes the position of the head at various stages of the swing. In the stance, the head position should be such that allows vision with both eyes. As the swing begins, the head should stay relatively still, however, it may move slightly forward depending on the amount of weight transfer. Regardless, the head should not lower. This adversely affects vision and tracking ability. At contact, the head should be at approximately the same position. When viewing from the open side (belly button side), it would remain just behind the centerline of the body. Many speak of the head starting just inside the front shoulder, and finishing just inside the back shoulder (shoulder to shoulder), remaining relatively unchanged.
Click for Drills to Develop a Quiet Head

head still: See head position.

head flies out: A term used to describe the movement of the head during the swing away from the path of the pitch, resulting in inability to properly visualize the pitch.
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head movement: A term that loosely describes excessive head movement during the swing. See head position.

hips under you: See back hip commitment.

hips rotate: A term used to describe hip action in a rotational type hitter. Hip rotation is used to increase the angular velocity of the bat head during the swing. See back hip commitment for a more detailed explanation.
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hit and run: A offensive play in which a the base runner is stealing, regardless of the type jump he gets. The hitter must swing the bat to protect the runner stealing. Ideal contact would be a ground ball, behind the runner into the hole vacated by the fielder covering for the steal. This could result in the baserunner moving to third on the play. Normally a hit and run play is used on a fast ball count with one out. Sometimes this play is effective with a hitter who is struggling at the plate because it forces him to swing and not think.

hit the inside of ball: A phrase that creates a mental picture to a hitter regarding an inside bat path to contact. It’s hard to hit the inside of the ball, but thinking this will help stay inside, resulting in square contact. During tee drills, place the ball on the tee with the small seams (two seams closest together) perpendicular to the ground, facing the catcher. Instruct a hitter to hit the inside seam (one nearest him). This will focus his attention on hitting the inside of the ball.
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hitch: A dropping and lifting action of the hitter’s hands as a pitched ball approaches the plate. This can be the result of high hands, or could be used as a trigger mechanism. A hitch can cause problems if the hands are not in position to move directly to the ball when they must go forward.
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hitch position: A term that refers to the position the hands move to as the striding foot touches the ground, also referred to by some as the launch position.

hitter, dead stop: A term that describes a hitter who has no rhythm or movement in his stance. This type of hitter has no loading mechanism which results in the front side flying open as their first move forward.
Click Red Dot for Drills to Develop Rhythm

home plate: The base at which a hitters takes a stance. The plate is 17” wide and is 17” from the middle of the front to the back tip next to the catcher. The plate measures 8 1/2 inches down the side parallel to the batters box (middle corner), where it turns 45 degrees running to the back point. The middle corner is the midpoint of the batters box.
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