| One of the toughest things in the world to do | | | | pitcher. In other words his body is exposed, |
| is to hit a round baseball coming at you at | | | | or open to the pitcher. A closed stance is |
| 95 miles per hour with a round bat, squarely | | | | when the batter stands at the plate and his |
| enough so that you can send it off into the | | | | body is at a 90 degree or even smaller angle |
| field ahead of you in such a manner that it | | | | to the opposing pitcher. The advantage of an |
| goes far enough that you can get on base. | | | | open stance is that you can swing the bat |
| Some of the greatest sports players from | | | | quicker after the ball is released since you |
| other mediums have said that they'd rather do | | | | are almost in a swing position to start with. |
| anything else than try to hit a baseball. | | | | The disadvantage of an open stance is that |
| Some of these people are some of the | | | | on inside pitches you are more likely to pull |
| strongest and most powerful players in their | | | | the ball foul. The advantage of a closed |
| respective sports, including football tackles | | | | stance is that you can generate more power |
| who have to deal with 300 pound bodies day in | | | | when hitting the ball because the bat is |
| and day out.So why is it that hitting is so | | | | being swung farther. Also, a closed stance |
| difficult and what exactly is a professional | | | | makes you wait on the ball more and keeps you |
| ball player's approach to hitting? To | | | | from committing too soon. Depending on the |
| understand the difficult part, just try it | | | | player's individual strengths and weaknesses, |
| yourself. To understand the approach, keep | | | | a particular stance will be chosen.Aside from |
| reading.A professional baseball player, at | | | | the approach, there's how far up the bat a |
| least if he is one of the better ones, | | | | batter will hold it. Some batters who prefer |
| develops what is called an approach to | | | | to make contact over hitting home runs will |
| hitting. Not everyone's approach is the | | | | choke up on the bat. This gives them more |
| same, for if it was everyone would hit the | | | | control. The stronger men in the game will |
| same. But what is constant is that every | | | | hold the bat almost all the way down at the |
| player who develops an approach, sticks to it | | | | end of it by the knob. This allows them to |
| religiously. That is how he develops | | | | generate more power when they swing. Your |
| consistency.The first part of the approach is | | | | typical power hitter will hold the bat this |
| the stance that the player takes when he is | | | | way.In the next installment of our approach |
| up at the plate. There are basically two | | | | to hitting two part series we'll focus on how |
| stances, open and closed. An open stance is | | | | a batter adjusts during an at bat depending |
| when the batter stands up to the plate with | | | | on the count, the situation and the pitcher |
| the front of his body almost facing the | | | | he is up against. |