Pictures of Phases of Hitting a Baseball

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Pro Hitting

Novice Hitting

Pictures of the Phases of Buntting a Baseball

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Pro Bunting

Novice Bunting

Pictures of the Phases of Fielding a Ground Ball

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Pro Fielding

Novice Fielding

Bunting a baseball

                                               1. Ready position phase
Expert                                                                       Novice

                                      
Your legs should be a little wider then shoulder width apart. Your hands should be level to your shoulders. Also you want your weight to be balanced and relaxed until the the load phase. Your head should be faced towards the pitcher. This will allow you to watch the baseball come out of the pitchers hands with both eyes. During a bunt you do not want to let the pitcher or fielders know you are bunting. This phase should be exactly like the first phase of hitting a baseball.

Bunting Cues- Absorb, Look, Run

Bunting a baseball

                                                            2. Hand position phase
              Expert                                                                           Novice
 

During this phase you will begin to move your hand on the baseball bat to bunt a baseball. Your top hand is the hand that will be moving. As the pitcher almost releases the baseball you should start to move your hand . Your top hand should slide across the back side of the baseball bat. You should be holding your top hand at about the middle of the baseball bat or where the baseball bat begins to widen. The top hand will be distal from your other hand.The hand should pinch the bat loosely with the thumb on the top and the fingers on the bottom of the bat. You have to make sure your hand is not exposed to the pitcher so it does not get hit. Your bottom hand stays in position from the start of the phase. Your top hand directs where you want the baseball to go. It is very important that this phase is done fast so you are ready for the baseball to come into your bunting zone.

Bunting a baseball

                                               3. Bunting position phase
                     Expert                                                                     Novice

During this phase you will be ready to make contact with the baseball. You want your back leg to pivot towards the pitcher. It should be bent at a 90 degree angle, it should look like the letter L. Your front leg should be flexed as well to give you control of the baseball bat. Your weight should be balanced from your front foot to your back foot. Your hands will be across the zone holding the baseball at a slight angle facing inferior towards the baselines. This will help you get the baseball on the ground toward the lines. Your chest and face should be facing the pitcher so you can control the baseball bat. This will also give you a better chance of seeing and bunting the baseball.
Cue- Absorb

Bunting a baseball

                                                                      4. Catching phase
                     Expert                                                                  Novice

During this phase you are about to make contact with the baseball. You want the baseball bat to start at the top part of the strike zone. This helps you place the bunted ball on the ground instead of a pop up. Now the most important thing about bunting is how you make contact with the baseball. You never want to poke the ball, your not hitting hit. You want to absorb the ball like catching it with a glove. Instead of a glove you have a baseball bat. Now you catch the ball with the bat and lightly push the ball on the ground towards the baselines.  If you poke at the baseball it will pop up due to the strong force placed upon the baseball.
Cue- Absorb

Bunting the baseball

5. Follow through phase

                             Expert                                                           Novice

This phase starts once you have made contact with the ball. You want to watch the ball hit the ground. Watching the ball come off your bat will make you try to keep the ball fair. After you see the ball is down on the ground you should drop the baseball bat in place. Now you can run towards first base. When bunting a baseball you should always remember the steps bunt, look, and run. These steps will make you a more successful bunter.
Cue- Look then run

Hitting a baseball

                                                        1. Ready position phase
Expert                                                               Novice

Your legs should be a little wider then shoulder width apart. Your hands should be level to your shoulders. Also you want your weight to be balanced and relaxed until the the load phase. Your axial should be faced towards the pitcher. This will allow you to watch the baseball come out of the pitchers hands with both eyes.

Hitting Cues- Eye on ball, keep weight back, and swing through the ball.

Hitting a baseball

                                               2. Load Phase
  Expert                                                                                        Novice

   Your weight should be 80 percent on your back leg during the start of this phase. As the ball is being released from the pitchers hand, you should start to take a short step abducting away from mid line of your body. The step should be in the direction of the pitcher. The hands should be elevated locked in place ready to hit the baseball. Your eyes should be looking at the ball. Your weight will shift onto your anterior side during the next phase.
Cue Keep Weight Back, Eye on the ball

Hitting a baseball

                                                                 3. Swing Phase
Expert   
                                                                                               Novice

During this phase your weight should be transferred from lateral side to your frontal side. This will allow you to hit the baseball with power. Your front foot should turn so it is facing the pitcher  Your back leg will rotate towards the pitcher too. Your back leg should be bent at a 90 degree angle, it should look like an L shape. Your hands should start to move from your set position directly to the traveling baseball. Your arms should be fully extended for maximum power. Your body will rotate as you turn your back and front leg to hit the ball. This twisting motion will give you all your power. Your body will rotate over the axis of rotation of the mid line of your body. Your eyes should follow the ball all the way until you hit the baseball. The point of contact should be the point where your eyes are directly seeing the bat touching the ball.
Cue- Watch ball hit the bat

Hitting a baseball

4. Contact and finish phase.
Expert                                                             Novice

This phase during the point of contact with the baseball. Your hands should rotate through the baseball. Your abdominal muscles give you the power in your swing from the rotation.Your bottom hand will go from pronation to supination. Your arms should be extended for the most power. You should swing all the way around until your hands end up around the front side of your head. Your legs are rotated pointing towards the pitchers mound. You can drop the baseball bat and you are ready to run to first base.
Cue- Swing through the baseball

Fielding a ground ball

                                              1. Ready position phase
Expert                                                                           Novice

This is the most important part of fielding a ground ball. You need to have a good starting position to fielding a ground ball.Your legs should be a little wider then shoulder width apart. Your arms should be close to your body so you can get you glove down if the ball is hit hard to you. You want your weight to be balanced. So if the ball is to your left, right, or straight towards you are ready to move in that direction. The better your ready position is the faster your reaction time will be.

Fielding Cues - Ready position, glove down, top hand over, and pop up.

Fielding a ground ball

2. Squatting phase

Expert                                                                                        Novice

 Take a few steps in to towards the ball. Start to squat down toward the ball when it comes closer to your body. Your head should always be up looking at the ball. Your knees should be flexed. If you flex or squat wrong you will take your head off the ball. This will cause the you to miss the ground ball. Your legs should be a little wider then shoulder distance apart. Your arms should be close to your body to get ready to put your glove to the ground.

Fielding a ground ball

3. Glove down phase

Expert                                                                                                            Novice

                       











Drop your glove to the ground. Keep your weight almost balanced with a little more weight threw your toes. This will give you a stable center of gravity. Watch the ball all the way in the glove. Watching the ball makes it easier to catch. Getting your glove down to the ground  fast gets your ready for the the ground ball. If the ball takes a bad hop, you are now ready to move your glove to the ball.
Cue- Glove Down

Fielding a ground ball

4. Top hand over phase

Expert                                                                             Novice

Place your throwing hand on top of the ball as it goes into your glove. This will make sure that the ball does not pop out of your glove. When the ball is completely into the glove bring both hands up into your pectoral muscles. This will in sure that you have control of the ball. You will now be ready to pop up and throw the baseball. Remember to keep your top hand on the ball so you can take it the baseball out to throw.
Cue- Top hand over 

Fielding a ground ball

5. Pop up Phase

Expert                                                                                Novice

Pop out of your position to throw to your target. You are squared up to the baseball, you now have to turn your body so it faces the throwing target. Your dominate leg will come lateral to your body and you point to your target with your opposite leg. Your throwing arm will elevate to throwing position. Your opposite shoulder should be pointing at your throwing target.