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Hitting Q & A

07/01/2010, 1:29am (EDT)

By Joe Francisco

Although not a good idea to copy, what current MLB player has the ideal swing?

Before I answer who has the ideal swing in MLB, I would like to comment on it “not being a good idea to copy a MLB swing.” I completely disagree with that comment. If you have read my articles in the past, I have explained how there are only two ways to swing: 1. the right way and 2. the wrong way. Now we are talking about the swing, not stance or finish (the two individual elements in the swing). From load to extension you can basically overlay every Major League hitter and have an almost identical swing (within reason). So I feel you should copy what MLB hitters do in the middle of their swing. As far as who has the ideal swing; from the right side you have Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez; from the left side Joe Mauer, Ichiro Suzuki and although he’s not playing, Barry Bonds, who arguably has greatest swing of all time.

How fast is the average baseball swing?

It’s tough to say because there are so many conflicting numbers out there. What I do know is that there was a study done by Washington University in St. Louis that tested Albert Pujols’ bat speed. Swinging a 31.5 ounce bat, Pujols bat speed was 86.99 mph. Babe Ruth, who used a 54 ounce bat, swung at an estimated speed of 75 mph. Years ago on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, they would track bat speeds and the top two players at the time, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds, who both swung between 95-100 mph. To give an estimated average number I would say between 84-87 mph.

How can a hitter add power to their swing?

This is a tough question to answer because each hitter can individually add certain elements to their swing to increase their power production. The easy answer; get stronger and your power will increase (this is true to an extent). The real answer is a simple equation: Speed + Strength = Power. If we increase our hand speed, as well as the speed in which our hands move past our body, we will increase bat head speed. Add in a strength program focusing in on our explosiveness and overall body strength, our stability and ability to transfer force will increase. Couple these together with a swing that gets our body properly aligned, and puts our bat on the correct six to nine degree slight upward plane as it gets through the strike zone, and we have a dangerous combination of elements. Like I said, tough question to answer. To keep it simple, get evaluated by a professional, find out where the deficiency in your swing is and work to improve upon it.

What are three important tips for an effective swing?

1. Visual: Look to find the release point of the ball (where the pitcher lets go of the ball). If you can consistently see the arm slot and release point of the pitch, it will help you to see the rotation of the ball and figure out what pitch is coming earlier. The earlier we know the pitch the easier it is to hit.

2. Physical: We want to match the plane of the ball with the bat as long as possible. Remember the ball travels to home plate on a slight downward angle so we want to match that plane with a slight upward angle and strike the ball dead center. Absolutely, positively DO NOT SWING DOWN ON THE BALL unless your goal is to hit ground balls every at bat!

3. Approach: Look to drive the ball back through the pitcher and use the middle of the field. To become a successful hitter at a higher level, we need to be able to drive the ball to the opposite field gap with authority. If not, breaking balls and pitches on the outer half will be difficult to handle and give us a serious hole in our swing.

What can a hitter do to prevent their back shoulder from dropping?

Dropping the back shoulder is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed problems in the swing today. Any time a ball, goes in the air coaches and instructors alike tell you that you dropped your back shoulder. The truth is that dropping the back shoulder is a byproduct of the hips prematurely rotating and misaligning the body. Typically the cause of this problem is hitters being taught “squash the bug” (probably the worst thing to tell a hitter) and turning open way too early. To prevent this from happening work really hard to keep your front side and hips in longer, and get the bat head out front. Rotation should happen more towards the middle to the front side of your swing and works to clear your hips through the ball.

Is hitting off a tee an effective way to develop a swing?

Hitting off a tee is one of the best ways to develop a quality swing. It becomes tough at times to find someone to hit with, but when you have a tee, that’s never a problem. The tee can be so effective, it gives you immediate feedback on what is going on in the swing. If you hate or struggle hitting off the tee (like many young hitters do) you are ignoring the signs that there is a serious problem in your swing. It may not be now but eventually these flaws will catch up to you and possibly end your career.

How do you find the correct weight and length of a bat?

The chart below is a sizing chart used by Louisville Slugger (www.slugger.com) that can give you a good idea of what bat you should use. I would use this chart as a guideline to help you to get started. In no way is this absolute. I played at 5'9'', weighed between 190-210 lbs and used a 33” bat. If I used this chart I should have used a 34” bat. The most important thing is to find a bat that is both comfortable and controllable.

What advice can you give a ball player to increase their bat speed?

A great way to start to improve your bat speed is to increase the strength in your hands, wrists and forearm. Our elbows to fingers tips are considered our hitting muscles and increasing our strength in them will directly affect the bat speed. I have a three minute double bat circuit (www.YouTube.com/TeamFrancisco) that is sure give a great workout whether you are a novice or advanced player. I also would recommend the Power Bag, a product by Muhl Tech (www.MuhlTech.com), that helps hitters learn to drive through the ball and become more explosive. Bottom line the main ingredients to increase bat speed is hard work, time and effort.

What does it mean when your coach tells you to “swing through the ball”?

“Swing through the ball” means to get the bat to contact, and then continue driving it forward until you reach extension. Many players hit the ball and immediately begin to start to finish their swings. In any striking sport the goal isn't to just hit the object, but to continue driving through that object for as long as possible. The next time you are hitting visualize five consecutive balls and then as you swing drive the barrel through all five of them before your bat begins the finish. This should help give you a visual idea of what the coach is looking for you to do.

Is it possible to hurt your swing if you are pitched a poor BP session?

A poorly pitched BP (batting practice) session can definitely be detrimental to your swing. When taking batting practice you should swing at quality pitches and look to drive the ball consistently (when I say quality I mean good pitches in or around the strike zone). If the person throwing to you is telling you to swing at everything, then he is more worried about getting BP done, then your swing and development as a hitter. Good habits as a hitter are forged in practice so try hard to make every swing a great one.

How often should I take BP, or be in the cages during the season?

The answer to this question really depends how far you are looking to go in this game. If you have plans on going far you should be hitting every day. Major League hitters are swinging, doing drills and working on their swing every day in pregame. The more you hit the better hitter you become. Be careful that you are not just in the cage hacking away though. Have an approach and maintain technique-Remember its quality not quantity.

Is it better for a high school player to practice with a wood bat or an aluminum bat?

I would say as a player of any age it would be a great idea to train with wood. A wood bat forces you to become a better hitter and exposes holes in the swing that aluminum bats can cover up and compensate for. Even though you train with wood you still should end all of your sessions using your aluminum to get the feel of the bat you will be using in the game.

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