Texas Hardball

Texas Hardball
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     How important are the eyes in hitting? Why is it so hard for hitters to see the ball at the point of contact?  Well, you sure can't see what you are trying to hit unless you use them. I see players all the time take thier eyes for granted in the act of hitting. They hear it all the time, see it, track it, watch it, put your nose on it. Players hear it so much, they start not actually hearing it anymore.  I see hitters everyday that never really see the ball at the point of contact. There are actually two reasons why, we as hitters, don't see the ball at contact.
     First, hitting is an act of turning. When the body turns one direction, the head wants to go with it. It is a natural movement for the head to go where the body goes. Think about when you walk, most of the time your body and your head are moving in the same direction.
     Second, most hitters are 'outcome oriented', meaning they want to see where the ball is going before they actually hit it. The eyes follow the ball on it's path towards the field. We get so wrapped up in wanting to know where the ball goes, that we forget to watch it to the barrell.
     In the words of Pete Rose, "see the ball."  That is all Pete Rose thought about when he was in the box, facing a pitcher. Using the eyes in hitting is far more important than anything else you can do as a hitter.  You can take just about every other body part away and still hit, but the eyes are the one thing you can't take away and still hit. We have to see the ball all the way to the contact area and then actually keep your nose pointed at the spot where you made contact for just a split second to ensure seeing it and finishing in the correct way.
     By forcing the eyes back to the ball at contact and leaving them there for a split second after contact, we are actually changing the swing to be more balanced, compact, shorter, more on plane with more leverage and tourque.  By finishing with the eyes down in the zone, we are changing many mechanical things in the swing.  So basically it is two fold, we get to see it, and we get to have better mechanics.
     Don't take for granted we are seeing it, let's make sure!  Finish every swing with the nose pointed at where you made contact!  Just doing this will immediately make your swing better and let you see the ball better through the zone.

Coach



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