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Creating a Compact Swing is an Essential Baseball Skill
One of the most important skills any baseball player can have while they're up to bat is a compact swing. That type of swing can help you hit the ball harder, and you'll hit the ball longer, too. You'll need to create not only bat speed, but bat quickness as well, because your bat quickness will determine how long you can wait to swing at a pitch.
Every hitter who's ever reached the major leagues was able to get to that level because of their compact swing. Major leaguers might strike out quite a bit, but it's not because of the compactness of their swing - it's because of their quick bats and the pitcher's skill. Remember, though, that you won't necessarily have bat quickness just because your swing is nice and compact.
Every young baseball player should try to develop a compact swing. In fact, learning how to build a compact swing is one of the most important things any aspiring baseball player can learn.
A compact swing is made within a fairly small area. The bat should be brought from the batter's shoulder, which is the starting position, into impact with the ball inside the strike zone. The bat should always be near the batter's head while it's on its way to the ball. The batter should not try to extend the bat out too far or let it take an indirect path toward the ball. The more compact a batter's swing is, the faster he will be able to get to the ball. That means he'll be able to wait longer for the ball to arrive before needs to decide whether to swing.
Developing a compact swing requires practice. There are several drills you can use to help. If you can't use a batting tee, coaches can stand in front of the hitter and off to the side. The coaches then drop a baseball into the strike zone. Until the hitter is able to shorten his swing and speed it up, he'll always be late with his swing and miss the ball the dropped ball.
Baseball coaches can also have their hitters stand in front of a barrier such as a wall or fence with the end of the bat against the wall or fence, and the bat handle against their chest. Have them swing after taking their regular batting stance. If their swing is nicely compact, they won't hit the wall or fence. This particular drill teaches batters to use their hands more than their arms when they're going after the ball.
A third drill that's effective for teaching a compact swing can be done by a hitter by himself. Have him place a pillow or pad under his lead arm and then take full swings, but not let the pillow or pad fall out until he's completed his swing and followed through. This drill eliminates long arm swings and develops the hands and forearms.
If you are looking to develop a good strong compact swing, these are a few tips that will help you. Remember that all major league baseball players have compact swing and this is one of the reasons that they are major league players. If you plan on playing on a higher level, a compact swing is very important.
About the author:
Bob Patterson has been the baseball coach for many high schools. He spends his time teaching hitting to young players and has authored many articles on the topic. Bob works for a batting cage store called Slugger's Dugout.