Bat Path

One of the hottest hitting topics in 2017 has been bat path. MLB network loves to talk about exit velocity, launch angle, and getting behind the ball, but what does it all mean? Lets look at the current philosophies of hitting.

1) Hands straight to the ball

This is probably the most common approach to hitting and has been for a long time. The approach is to throw your hands directly at the ball in order to keep the swing short and compact. This approach can work for a lot of hitters and there are many positive aspects of this approach. However, in my experience this approach isn't for everyone. Hands straight to the ball can create a very choppy and short bat path in the zone, thus making the hitters margin for error shorter. Think about it, if your barrel isn't in the strike zone for very long then it doesn't have a good chance of hitting the baseball hard with any sort of consistency. This was how I swung and as pitching got better, I got worse because my margin for error was very small. A lot of coaches who teach this tell their players to chop down on the ball to try and create backspin. This approach might work for younger players, but no major leaguer chops down on the baseball.

2) Turn the barrel early and swing with an upward plane

This hitting philosophy makes sure the barrel is in the strike zone for a very long time. Coaches tell their players to turn the barrel as their first movement with their hands in order to get the barrel on plane with the baseball. What I love about this is that the barrel is in the zone for a long time, thus giving the hitter a great margin for error.

What I do not like about this approach is that players can easily fall into a trap of only hitting the ball in the air. Hitting the ball in the air and trying to hit home runs is a positive thing for players who have the body type and bat speed to do it. Unfortunately, not everyone has that luxury. For example, I would never recommend this type of swing to a speedster who thrives as a ball player because he of his speed. This type of approach also forces the barrel into a lag position and can drop the barrel behind the body which we do not want because it makes the swing disconnected. As I will explain in the last paragraph, I believe this lag needs to happen naturally in order to have success.

3) Get in the Slot

My favorite hitting philosophy is getting in the slot. This meshes the two previous philosophy's together. In this swing, you take your hands to the baseball but you keep your bottom elbow tucked in to your side. If the bottom elbow is tucked into your side, that helps keep your barrel in the zone longer and gives you a better chance of barreling a baseball. Here's an example of Nelson Cruz keeping his bottom elbow tucked in, hands to the ball, and the barrel falling naturally into the hitting zone.

You do not see Cruz force the barrel into a lag position, he brings his hands to the ball and lets the barrel do the rest. There is no significant turn of the hands and the barrel never falls behind him. This philosophy will work for any type of hitter. Line drives are good no matter what and the slot position gives you the best chance of hitting consistent live drives.