Is how you watch the ball important in batting? How your gaze affects your hitting.
How you watch the ball in batting is one factor that influences the outcome of your hit. Many of you may want to know "how to watch the ball when batting" or "are there any practice methods to master the correct way of watching the ball."
This article explains why watching the ball is important, how you should watch it, and effective practice methods. If you are struggling with how to watch the ball, please read on to the end.
【Author Information for This Blog】
Minoru Hironaka, CEO of Amazing Co., Ltd., commonly known as Minoruman.
Played for the Hirakata Boys, Osaka Toin High School, Asia University, and the strong JR Tokai team.
Won the Giants Cup and served as captain during his time at Osaka Toin. Experienced winning the Meiji Jingu Tournament.
As a pioneer in baseball coaching, he boasts over 200,000 followers on Youtube and Instagram.
Three Reasons Why Watching the Ball is Important in Batting
There are three reasons why watching the ball is important in batting:
・Easier to identify balls outside the strike zone
・Higher ball contact rate
・Influences batting form
Mastering the correct way to watch the ball is necessary to improve your batting. Each point will be explained in detail below.
Reason 1: Easier to identify balls outside the strike zone
If you master the correct way to watch the ball, it becomes easier to judge strikes and balls. This is because the batter only has about 0.47 seconds to select a pitch if the pitcher throws a ball at 140 km/h.
Within this short period, you need to decide whether to swing. The same applies when hitting breaking balls that escape into the ball zone.
By maintaining a consistent way of watching the ball, you will be able to calmly identify these pitches outside the strike zone.
Reason 2: Higher ball contact rate
When your ball-watching is stable, your contact rate with the ball improves.
For college-level players, it's known that they can see the ball until approximately 2.3 meters in front of home plate. This means that when batting, they are predicting the ball's trajectory based on past experience to make contact.
By stabilizing your ball-watching, you can match your swing with the imagined ball trajectory, leading to a higher contact rate.
Reason 3: Influences batting form
How you watch the ball affects your batting form. For example, the angle from which you view the ball can change your batting form and swing trajectory.
If you watch the ball incorrectly, it can cause your swing path to become outside-in (bat comes out from the outside) or disrupt the relationship between the knob of the bat and the barrel.
To swing with a stable batting form, it's important to be conscious of how you watch the ball, not just repetitive practice swings.
Two Types of Ball-Watching in Batting
There are roughly two types of ball-watching in batting:
・Watching the ball from behind
・Watching the ball from above
Which way of watching the ball suits you depends on your type and feel as a player.
Also, various situations can be expected depending on the game, such as aiming for an extra-base hit or needing a ground ball. Prepare by increasing your repertoire so you can fulfill your role at the plate.
Watching the ball from behind
When you have the awareness to watch the ball from behind, your shoulder drops, making an inside-out swing (bat comes out from the inside) easier.
By being conscious of watching the ball from behind, you can engage your back side and create space for your elbow to come in.
At this time, the key is to tilt your head slightly instead of keeping it straight (parallel to the ground). Aim for a level swing where your shoulder line and bat line are parallel.
Watching the ball from above
It's also good to have an image of looking down on the ball from above as a way of watching it. By imagining looking down on the ball, your chin and armpit close, allowing for a powerful swing.
In situations where you want to hit a ground ball, looking down on the ball makes it easier to hit a grounder.
Also, when aiming for an extra-base hit, you can add angle to the batted ball by swinging as if to crush the ball and putting backspin on it (for hardballs). However, be careful not to swing with parallel shoulders, as this can cause an outside-in swing (bat comes out from the outside).
Two Practice Methods to Master the Correct Way of Watching the Ball in Batting
Mastering the correct way to watch the ball requires daily practice. Below, we introduce effective practice methods to help you find the ball-watching technique that suits you.
Through these practices, you can develop your sense of watching the ball and aim to improve your batting.
Practice Method 1: Bunting with the bat tucked under the armpit
As a practice method to master the correct way of watching the ball, bunting with the bat tucked under your armpit is recommended. The specific method is introduced in the video below.
In this practice, keep your weight on your back leg and aim to hit the ball in front of your back foot. If you don't watch the ball carefully until the end, you won't hit it squarely, which sharpens your sense of watching the ball.
Practice Method 2: Catching the ball with your trailing hand
Practicing catching the ball with your trailing hand can also yield significant results. Before stepping into the batter's box, right-handed batters should put on a glove on their right hand, and left-handed batters on their left hand. Then, try to catch the pitched ball within the batter's box.
Aim to peek at the ball from behind and time your catch to hit your sweet spot. This practice not only helps with watching the ball but also with timing and the sensation of keeping your body back while extending the bat.
Key Points to Focus on in the Batter's Box
Finally, I will introduce key points to be aware of in the batter's box to maintain a consistent way of watching the ball. Refer to the content below and establish rules for consistent ball-watching, such as where to stand in the batter's box and where to look at the pitcher.
Always stand in the same position
To stabilize your ball-watching, decide on your "stance" in the batter's box.
If your stance in the batter's box varies each time, it becomes difficult to distinguish between strikes and balls, and your sense of watching the ball can be impaired.
Generally, the ideal position is to stand at the furthest back part of the batter's box, where your bat can reach the outside corner when you step forward. On the other hand, if you stand too close to home plate, it becomes difficult to deal with inside pitches.
Once you've decided on your stance, try not to change it easily and develop your sense of watching the ball.
Watch the entire pitcher with both eyes
In the batter's box, make an effort to watch the entire pitcher with both eyes. If you try to watch the ball too intently, you tend to stare at the pitcher's release point.
However, if you only stare at the release point, you won't be able to see the pitcher's body movements, which could make it difficult to time your swing.
Therefore, instead of just staring at the release point, try to view the pitcher with an awareness of seeing their entire body in your field of vision.
When you wait for the ball with an awareness of watching the pitcher's entire body, it becomes easier to notice differences in their arm motion. If you struggle with timing, please try this.
Summary
How you watch the ball in batting is an essential element for improving your hitting power. Try incorporating the practice methods and mindset introduced in this article into your daily training.
However, just because you adopt advice from an excellent coach doesn't mean it will all suit you. Experiment daily in practice and at the plate to find the ball-watching technique that works best for you.
Also, when watching the ball, your head position and batting form are also important. If you are looking to achieve a stable batting form, "TSUMADACHI" is recommended.
This item can correct "heel-heavy" balance, which negatively affects batting, in just 10 seconds before you step into the batter's box. It's an item that will be highly useful in everything from daily practice to games, so if you're struggling with your batting, please give it a try.
