By: Michael Ryan, (Baseball USA Training Center)
Purpose:
Prevent rolling the wrist over too soon.
Promote flat hands (we call it "serving the tray").
Promote proper extension.
Promotes a shorter swing: If the ball does not go toward the middle, or the hitter has trouble stopping the bat when it is pointed at the pitcher, this tells us the swing is too long.
Equipment Needed:
Batting Tee, Regular or 7-ounce baseballs
The Drill:
The hitter will stand closer to the tee than normal. The tee is placed just in front of home plate (down the middle). The hitter will take their short stride, and then take a 75 - 80 percent speed swing, finishing with the bat pointed at the pitcher. I call it the "Half-Swing" Drill.
The hitter will freeze once the bat is pointed back at the pitcher with arms extended. We check to make sure the top hand is still underneath with the palm up. When this drill is done correctly, nobody hits the ball into the ground because of rolling the wrist. Remind the hitter to approach with a downward swing. Set your target up about 20 - 30 feet away to see the results.
Continue to do this drill for about five swings. Then finish with 3 - 5 normal swings with the same extension and force. You will notice an immediate difference in backspin and line drive flight on the ball. Once the hitter becomes better at the Half-Swing Tee Drill, we mix it in during soft-toss and batting practice. Off the tee and soft-toss you can use 7-ounce baseballs to provide more resistance, making it even more challenging to extend properly while building strength.
Conclusion:
Often we see better results with the Half-Swing, as opposed to their full swings. The main reason is the force of the swing is going forward instead of around. Also, the hands are in the proper position. I believe hitters across the world should be using this drill as a part of a daily routine.
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