How to Hit A Baseball
How to Hit a Baseball for Children and Young Teens
Knowing how to hit a baseball for children and young teens is the first and hardest obstacle that has to be overcome when learning the game of baseball. The first step is understanding the basics. (This is a product we recommend. Howtohitabaseball.org will receive a small commission should you purchase this product.)
In tee ball, the ball rests on top of a stick so the batter can practice swinging and making contact with the ball. The ball does not go far since all the momentum from the ball is nonexistent. This type of practice is only for confidence building.
The next challenge is for the batter to get used to watching the ball travel at them and making contact with it by using a bat. Most of the time, young batters swing with their eyes closed since they cannot see the ball. Even professional ball players do not actually see the ball. They only get a glimpse as it is leaving the pitcher’s hand. With the ball traveling in excess of 100 mph, anticipating where the ball might be is the best approach in most cases.
With both eyes open, most batters’ eyes will see a glimpse of the ball. This is when the mind of the batter has to take over. With the ball taking less than one second from leaving the pitcher’s hand to crossing the plate, the swinging action has to occur nearly instantly with the release of the ball.
There is no substitute for practice with this baseball skill. Encouragement is also needed, especially at an early age. One of the best words of advice when it comes to hitting the baseball came from Ted Williams, “For those that fail seven out of ten attempts will be the greatest in the game”. This reference to only hitting .300 is still very accurate today.
Ted Williams did slightly better than that with an average of .344, but he sure was close. So if you want to know how to hit a baseball for children and young teens, practice and do not get discouraged. The best hitters of all time still fail 7 out of 10 times at the plate.