What Should Hitters Do With Their Hands

Does it matter where a hitter starts their hands? 

I’ve heard some hitters talk about their hands, others say they don’t think about it at all. 

Some coaches say it doesn’t matter where the hands start it only matters the position they’re at when the hitter starts to swing.

I agree to some extent. 

One of the things I’ve noticed lately is some hitter's hands tend to climb a little bit too high or end up moving too far back away from the pitcher.  

They end up having timing issues, bat path cuts across the zone, and they are not able to consistently square up the ball. 

I think visuals are the best way to learn. 

Here’s what I did. 

I took 9 top hitters in the MLB and focused on their hands. 

I’m going to show them below and then give you 2 drills you can use with your hitters to keep them from having their hands going too far back or climbing up. 

One of the reasons I do this is to show the different options you can give hitters.

Anything in particular you noticed? 

For hitters who struggle with timing and bat path, I like to have them go to the Yandy Diaz or Ronald Acuna stance. 

It’s simple and repeatable. 

Some hitters like Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts start their hands high but move them down as part of their gather.

This still end up swinging from a similar position as the others.

Now let’s talk about some ways to help hitters whose hands tend to drift in different directions and don’t hit from a consistent position. 

This is something that even MLB hitters have to work on. 

Here are two drills that Alex Bregman does to make sure his hands don’t go too far back. 

Bottom Hand Delay

1. Start with the top hand on the bat.
2. Choke up so there’s room for bottom-hand 
3. Right before the hitter strides, have them put their bottom hand on the bat.

Not allowing the bottom hand to be on the bat until they stride toward the pitcher, doesn’t give them time to move their hands farther back.

Front Arm Band 

1. Have the hitter wrap the band around the tricep and bat. 
2. Grip the bat over the band 
3. Take swing 

The resistance of the band will force the hitter to keep their hands from moving too far back 

That’s it for this week!

If you enjoy The Hitting Chronicle, could you do me a favor?

Click here to leave a review! Thank you for your support!

See you next week!

Whenever you are ready, there is 1 way I can help you:

1. In-Person Hitting: Work with me in Cincinnati, Ohio. A individualized hitting program to help you build confidence at the plate.