Friday, January 13, 2012

Things to Know About Good Baseball Bat Grip


Understanding how to grip a baseball bat means you have some kind of understanding of your offensive game. A player that lacks power and wants to get on base will grip the bat differently than a player that has the strength and bat speed to bash the ball over the fence with some regularity. Comfort is another key factor when it comes to gripping the bat. You want to feel that you have control over the implement and if you don't, you have to change your grip.
Step 1
Place your bottom hand about 1/2 inch above the top of the knob on the bottom of the bat. If you are right-handed, your bottom hand is your left hand. If you are left-handed, your bottom hand is your right hand. Wrap your fingers around the bat and then place your dominant hand over your bottom hand. This is the standard hand positioning on the bat and will work for contact hitters and power hitters.
Step 2
Grip the bat firmly, but do not choke it. You want to hold the bat with enough strength so that you will remain in control of it when you make contact with the ball. If the pitcher's fastball knocks the ball out of your hand, you are gripping it too loosely. If your fingers are starting to turn different shades, you are holding it too tightly. Grip it at a "7" on a scale of 1 to 10. That's the same as a strong hand shake. Hall of Famer Cal Ripken says that you need to have full range of motion when you swing and that if you think you are not getting the bat all the way around, you are gripping it too tightly.
Step 3
Choke up on the bat about 2 inches above the knob if you are a singles and doubles hitter. This will give you greater bat control. You will still be able to hit the ball hard and will be able to pull the ball. But if you come up in a situation where the defense is overplaying your in one direction or the other, choking up on the bat will allow you to have greater control of the direction the ball flies after you make contact.
Step 4
Wrap your small finger around the knob on the bottom of the bat if you are looking for power. If you want to take a big swing with maximum bat head speed, this is the way that many sluggers grip the bat. You will have a longer swing and you will likely have more swing-and-miss situations, but when you make solid contact you will get more distance and have a greater chance at hitting the long ball.

 
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