Baseball Hitting Techniques – Trigger Mechanism

There are lots of baseball hitting techniques, but the one I want to talk about today is adjusting your swing on an off-speed pitch. This technique begins right before the pitch is thrown and it’s called the trigger mechanism. It is the transfer of weight from the front leg to the back and then to the front again as you hit the ball.

To see just how this technique looks, I viewed a highlight of Milton Bradley from the Seattle Mariners. The replay camera was zeroed in on him so it was the perfect video.

Here’s what I saw in the video. Bradley recognizes the pitch, waits for the ball and gets an important base hit that scores a run. I noticed that his head was down upon contact, which is essential.

Being good at this hitting technique means that your hands, shoulders and hips are closed until your weight has fully transferred. If you fully commit one of those and let your weight fully transfer then it will be much harder to actually hit the ball.

If there happens to be an off-speed pitch or a pitch that changes direction or height, you can adjust your swing and slow the process down enough to wait on the ball and still hit it. Just because you start the transfer of weight to the front doesn’t mean there still isn’t enough weight back to get a good hit.

The same is true if the pitch begins to change directions like a curve ball or goes from a high to low plane like a splitter. You will still have time to adjust. The pitcher may have some tricky pitches but you can counter those tricks by remaining patient and adjusting your swing. Bradley does just this in the video.

You too can practice this each time you take batting practice. Have your coach or teammate throw you a few curve balls or splitters near the end. This will help you recognize it better during games.

The trigger mechanism is just one of many baseball hitting techniques that will help you get more hits. Your goal should be to outsmart the pitcher with every pitch. And, of course, in doing so you will help your team and possibly be the cause of some wins.

Baseball Hitting Techniques – Trigger Mechanism

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