THE STANCE AND BALANCE

Now that you have decided which position you want your feet in, let’s get you in a good hitting position with your stance. Your feet should be slightly more than shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and your weight evenly distributed between both feet You should feel a little more weight toward the balls of your feet and to the inside of your feet. You should feel springy and ready for action, like a quarterback under center. This is a well balanced, athletic stance that will allow you to hit with power and grace.

The best way I have found to teach young hitters how to get into a well balanced, athletic position, is to have you stand still with your feet about shoulder width apart. Now jump as high as you can, straight up in the air. When you land, you will usually land in a very balanced and athletic position.

When you look down at your feet, your knees should be bent just enough to prevent you from seeing your ankles and the in-steps of your feet. Standing too straight, or squatting too far, can lead to poor mechanics of the swing. There are exceptions, obviously, if you look around at the Major Leagues, where players have had success from one extreme to the other. Some players crouch down, others stand straight up, that is a matter of "style," and that’s something we don’t want to discuss just yet. For now, balance and efficiency are what we want to concentrate on.

Mechanically, what a good balanced stance does for you is it allows you to freely stride with the front foot and rotate the back foot while maintaining enough balance to swing the bat through with leverage and power. Good balance is imperative throughout the swing.