507 PRINCIPLES OF BATTING

Purposeful Hitting:
The bunt, hit and run, hitting behind the runner, hitting to the opposite field represents purposeful hitting. This type of hitting requires the swing to be made with less than full power.

The mechanics of the swing and trying to hit with a purpose requires practice.
What happens when the bat makes contact with the ball is a direct consequences of hands creating the motion of controlling the velocity of the bat. This effects the trajectory of the bat. When full impact of the bat on the ball is not required, this is best achieved by knowing that the hitters bodies' centre of mass (just above the belly button) can be controlled by less sudden forward thrust of the hips. This will eliminate the power generated by the thighs and legs, without altering the style of the hitter.

Pull Hitter (Power):
The swing of a pull hitter is generally considered that of a power hitter. To pull the ball down the line a pull hitter will have more time to apply force to the bat. This happens by maximising the the bat speed a little later in the swing. The hitter considered strictly a "dead pull hitter" will have difficulty with the pitcher who has good velocity and can throw the "high and tight one."

Contact Hitter:
The player who tries to put the ball in play with less than a full power swing is known as a contact hitter. His main concern is for a higher batting average and on base percentage than that of a power hitter.

The Bat and Ball on Contact:
The part of the bat that makes contact with the ball is known as the sweet part. The sweet part is the area that gives the best results when contact is made with the ball. The main difference between wood and aluminium bats is the sweet part is larger in area on the aluminium made bats. It is this property (sweet part) of the bat that allows the energy from the body to the bat to be maximised on contact.

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