Hitting For Excellence - Baseball Hitting Instruction, Batting Instruction!

COACH'S CORNER
(Q&A With Dave)

Balance

Extension

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Stride Archive

Question:	Does the statement "Step to hit, don't step and hit" mean there is a slight pause or hesitation between the stride foot landing and the swing? If not can you explain it better?

Dave Hudgens:	There is not a hesitation on the fastball. On an offspeed pitch there will be a slight hesitation, this hesitation allows the ball to come to the hitter. The term "step to hit" refers to the position of power. This allows the hitter's weight and his hands to stay back in a strong position from which to hit. When a hitter "steps and hits" at the same time, the weight will have a tendency to float or drift forward, and along with the weight, the hands will also come forward into a weak position. Good luck.

Question:	Our local LL had some instructors come in from a baseball school in FL. They were adament about using the no-stride technique with a trigger like Nomar. My son, 11, uses a knee-cock like Geoff Jenkins and Eric Chavez and has very good results. I was disappointed by the fact that the instructors made it a point to draw attention to this "flaw" in his swing. I told my son to consider their advice, and then use what feels best for him. What are your thoughts on the no-stride.

Dave Hudgens:	Anytime someone is trying to have every hitter hit the same way, there will be problems. Not all hitters are the same, if a no stride did work best for all hitters, you would see many more hitters, not only in the big leagues, but at all levels using the no stride. I have used this technique in some cases, ie. hitter has problem with timing, or could not keep weight back. In most all cases the hitter went back to the stride. It is always a red flag when I see these organization teaching every hitter the same thing. There are certain aspects of the swing that every hitter must do, but how the hitter gets there, in most cases vary. Good luck.

Question:	When watching professional hitters take their weight back, I have noticed that some seem to rotate slightly inward while in others it is strictly a straight back movement? Is one or the other preferable, or is it a matter of personal preference?

Dave Hudgens:	This will depend on the hitter, some hitters have more movement than others. The key with each hitters is getting into a good position to hit, at the correct time. A hitter with too much movement will have a difficult time getting into a good position to hit consistently. Professional hitters have been working for many years on their approach and have come up with movements that work for them. For example, Gary Sheffield's movement was developed to slow his bat down, he was getting into the hitting zone too soon, so he developed his movement to slow himself down. For young hitters, I advise to keep their movement to a minimum. This will help them to more easily get into a position of power. Good luck.

Question:	Is it possible to stride too early? What problems might this cause? In the past, I have had problems with rushing my swing or getting poor back foot turn because I was hesitant to begin the stride before the ball was released. In order to counteract this, I have been forcing myself to stride early, and sometimes it is quite early as my foot sometimes comes down before the ball is released. I know you recommend that it be down when it is about halfway to the plate, but it seems difficult to get the exact timing aspect of this consistently accurate. My local coach actually recommends getting the foot down just before the ball is released and I wondered if this might be a problem.

Dave Hudgens:	Getting your foot down too early can also cause problems. When your foot is down before the release of the ball your rhythm and timing will be off. It's better to be a little early than late but too early will cause the above problems. You might want to try widening out your stance some so that your stride is only a couple of inches, this way it wil be easier to time when to get your stride foot down. Good luck with the training.

Question:	My son is landing with front foot facing the pitcher, the knee of the same leg is completely open also when he lands. By doing this his hips are open by the time his foot lands, robbing him of bat speed and power. I have tried for the last 3 months tee work going the opposite field, soft toss where he strides and after landing I soft toss the ball and nothing works. As soon as he goes back to live pitching the same bad habit starts again. Is there anything left to do?

Dave Hudgens:	Start by eliminating the stride in his drills, have him keep his front foot closed through out the swing. In his stance, have him pigeon toe his front foot slightly. All of this may feel uncomfortable to him but getting that front side closed is important and will take some time. As he goes into his games, have him stay spread out, but now take a small stride, keeping that front foot closed. Also, keep his effort level down. Sometimes hitters will open that front foot because they are trying to generate with their body instead of getting their body in position and letting the hands do the work. Let us know how he is progressing.

Question:	You'r tapes are awesome and i dont really have any problems except transfer in my swing. When I take a swing my weight goes back and I lift up my front leg and bring my front knee in cocked a little bit, but when i put it back down my weight comes back to the center. When it hits isnt my weight supposed to be back? How can I correct this maybe in my stance or with a different stride. I was thinking about lowering my leg kick so i can stay back better with transfer from back to center. What do you think?

Dave Hudgens:	Lowering your knee cock will help you stay back, as well as slowing this movement down. Your stride should be more of a reach than a stride. Some weight will come forward with your stride, but this should be minimal. When your stride foot comes down your weight should be at least 60% back. Good luck.

Question:	I like to use the 60/40 rule, that is 60% of your weight should be on your back foot with 40% on the front. For a no stride, the front toe should be touching the ground as if you were "testing the water," for a dip in the pool. As the ball is released by the pitcher, your front heel comes down enough to stay in the athletic position, i.e on the balls of your feet, just as if you took a a stride. For me, the positon of power is not a "lean back" but comes when you take a slight turn at the waist without shifting your 60/40. This turn should be slight enough not to wrap your bat. I hope this helps. It would be easier just to show you then to write it.

Dave Hudgens:	The no stride is something that usually is a natural part of the swing. Many times when hitters are taught to use the no stride it can cause many problems. The stride helps the hitter to get into a good position of power, where a no stride makes it more difficult. When a stride is done correctly it helps all of the swing to work in unison. The no stride should only be used when nothing else works.

Question:	Thanks for your program. You're a great inspiration and role model. Now, I've heard from various sources that once a hitter has taken their stride, the distance between the feet should be no greater than the length of the bat they are using. We've worked under this assumption with my son and he has much better success getting back to center with a short stride, and ends up leading the swing with his arms when he over-strides. I sometimes wonder if he isn't getting too far out on his front foot with a short stride.

Dave Hudgens:	That's great that the bat length ratio to feet works for him. The only way that he would be getting ttoo far on his front foot woth his stride is if he is pushin with his front foot instead of reaching with it. As long as he is nice and easy with the stride then ther weight distribution should be fine.

Question:	Are there any drills you can recommend that help create an early, soft, stride? My son is having trouble this season because he seems to only stride AFTER he has made up his mind to swing. That causes him to rush and results in a fast, hard ineffective stride. I have verbally spoken to him about always taking his stride and beginning the motion BEFORE he decides to actually swing. Sometimes with 11 yr olds the "verbal" suggestion is not as effective as a drill.

Dave Hudgens:	If you feel like his stride is too late, the best way to correct it is for him to see a lot of live pitching. The stride starting early and easy has to become a habit, and the only way that can happen is a ton of repetition. You could also show him major league hitters on video, and the time that they start their swings. Good luck with the training

Question:	My son just developed a habit of landing after he strides with his front knee open and and also both knees are not at the same level when he lands, one knee is higher thant the other. His lead foot is not completely open. What drill can I use to eliminate this problem?

Dave Hudgens:	The best way to correct this problem is for him to focus on driving the ball to the opposite field. This will keep his front side closed until the time when it is suppose to open. Good luck with the training.

Question:	We have been using HFE with my 12 year old from May. Great results. He is a mid July birthday like your son, smaller in stature, so always youngest and smallest. Plays in highest competive leage in Houston. We completely changed his swing and added the Knee cock. He does great on the pre stride drill from the tee, fence drill but he is not getting the stride foot down quick enough (opens up a little bit) on live pitching. Any suggestions?

Dave Hudgens:	One of the most important keys to having success with the knee cock is to make sure the stride is down early and easy. The faster the pitcher is throwing, the sooner he will have to start. The problem that some people have with the knee cock is inconsistent timing. Just make sure that he starts early, and keeps his weight back. Good luck in the future.

Question:	When you stride, does your foot tilt up or does it stay flat on the ground?

Dave Hudgens:	You should stride to the big toe(and or) the ball of the front foot. The front heel will land shortly after, you do not want to land on a flat front foot. The back knee will start to turn inward toward home. Hope that answers your question.

Question:	I played against a guy the other day that was a switch hitter that is going to a low level D1 school. He was a very good hitter but had an unorthodox stride. He reminded me of Carl Everett alittle. he started w/ his stride foot rolled over on the inner part of his ankle and then used kind of kicked his foot out very softly w/ a straight front leg like Everett does w/ his right handed stance. Is this a new technique (the rolled foot) to achieve a softer stride or did he just come up w/ it?I never got to ask him about it.

Dave Hudgens:	That type of stride or knee kick is something these hitters have tried and found that it keeps them back. It's also a timing mechanism. I worked with Everett in winter ball a few years ago and he didn't have that type of knee cock. It' something he has developed over the years.

Question:	I have noticed that my normal stride is about 5 inches forward and maybe another 4 inches inward towards the plate (so my stride is actually straight back towards the pitcher). I havent noticed any problems with this approach but should my stride be more parallel to the plate or is going in a few inches not a problem? : I noticed in doing the walk up drill and the step back drill that I really hit the ball hard, however, I end up with a stride that is maybe a foot or slightly more instead of my normal 5 inches. Should I consider lengthening my stride when I hit normally or should I be doing these drills with my normal 5 inch stride? (I am not sure how I would keep the short stride with the step back drill since you are stepping back first and then striding forward).

Dave Hudgens:	Your stride in the game sounds like it is in the correct position. If you stride in some I assume you start with a slightly open stance. No matter how your stance is, I like a hitter to end up even after the stride is completed. I would not be too concerned that the stride is a little different in these two drills, because you are moving in these two drills, the stride will be a little different.

Question:	I have a 12 year old son who strides early and soft during the pitchers windup, however, during his swing he strides again. To date, he makes good contact but is this a flaw that eventually needs to be corrected.

Dave Hudgens:	If your sons’ stride is negative such as Sammy Sosa, where the negative stride takes the weight back, this can and does work for many hitters. If your sons first stride is back toward the pitcher, it's too early, his stride foot should be down by the time the ball is about half way to home. The stride is generally started before the release of the ball, that being said, the stride should not start too soon to where the foot is down before the release of the ball.

Question:	I have a 9 year old who has been using the HFE program. Has made great progress and is putting the ball in play 9 out of 10 times at bat. When we are working with the tee, dry swings, and soft toss, he picks his stride foot up 6 to 8 inches. When he is actually batting off a pitcher, including when Im pitching he does a more traditional stride, not picking his foot up high. He seems to have a little more pop with the higher pick up. My question is when looking at the longer term, should we try to change his swing at the plate to incorporate the high stride or change how he practices?

Dave Hudgens:	I would strive for consistency. Stay with whichever way your son makes consistent hard contact. I have had kids at a young age incorporate the front knee cock because they had a difficult time getting their weight back into the proper position of power. If you find that he is not getting his weight back, the knee cock may serve that purpose. If his weight is getting back off of game pitching, than I would keep his approach as simple as possible and stay away from the knee cock.

Question:	I videotaped myself recently using the swing away and in reviewing the tape I was very surprised to notice that my stride foot was landing heel to toe, almost as if I was walking (although foot was turned inward at 45% instead of facing straight out). What kind of problem(s) is this likely to create. Obviously I should be landing softly on the front toe as discussed but I have been hitting the ball extremely well so I wanted to ask why a heel first landing could be a problem.

Dave Hudgens:	Are these only off the swing away, or are you landing on your heel on game swings also? Landing on your heel first is going to effect the sequence of your swing, and your balance. I would also be surprised if you will be able to stay soft with your stride.

Question:	What are some keys to help teach my son a consistent stride?

Dave Hudgens:	The stride should be a positive movement back towards the pitcher. The stride should be early, easy and soft. The stride will act as a timing device, if the hitter is trying to generate power with the stride his feet will be to quick. Some keys of the stride would be: Your feet should be parallel when your stride foot comes down. You need to land on the big toe of your front foot. Your stride should be easy; as if stepping on an egg. Keep the front toe closed, or at a 45 degree angle to home plate. You stride should be small. As your stride foot lands at least 60% of your weight should be back. Step to hit, do not step and hit at the same time. Your front knee must stay behind your front foot.

Question:	I read somewhere that 80 percent of your height is about right for your feets width after stride. When i do this i am almost in a split, this just doesn't seem right to me, what do you guys recomend for a stride percent?

Dave Hudgens:	The stride depends on the hitter, some hitters can stay under control with a longer stride, some hitter need to keep it short, some hitter perfer a no stride. Ideally the stride should be no more than 6 inches or so. The more controlled the strided is, the easier the hitter will be with his body and the better his vision will be (less head movement). With a shorter stride it is easier for the hitter to keep his weight back in a strong position.

Question:	I'm having problems with my stride. I am lunging at the ball and stepping in the bucket. I also have a tendency to open up too soon, is there any way to fix this? I'm about 6'4", and I was wondering if it would be better if i kept my feet farther apart before I swing, or just to keep them where I feel comfortable?

Dave Hudgens:	It sounds like you should make an adjustment in you stance. Your stance should be comfortable, it has to take you into the proper hitting position. I would try a couple different adjustments. First, try opening your stance some to see if when you stride you go back to even. If your still open, adjust to a closed stance and allow your stride to open back to even. If your stride opens some make sure you keep your front toe closed, this will help keep the front side closed. If neither of these adjustments seem to work, widen your stance so that your stride is very small, If you keep your stride to a minimum you should be able to control the problem.

Question:	My son, 12, seems to be, on occasion, lifting up his back foot. I believe he should be smoothly pivoting on this back foot, then showing laces to the pitcher. What drills are available to reinforce this so he does it all the time? He has a very closed stance and has a fairly large step to the pitcher. He sometimes opens up. How can we correct this and what drills are good? I am trying to get his stance more even and not closed (good idea?), wider (about shoulder with or more), and his step smaller. He always goes back to his old ways.

Dave Hudgens:	I would correct his leg position. If his stride is too quick or long, I would slow him down and keep his stride short. Go ahead and even him up, widen his feet just past his shoulders. I would do the three step drill to break down the swing and really work on building a good foundation with his legs.

Question:	My son is 11. He strides toward third base instead of toward the pitcher - causing him to hit the ball to the right side of the infield. He hits it right off the end of the bat. What can I do to help?

Dave Hudgens:	The first question I would ask, is your son afraid of the ball? If the answer is yes or maybe, teach him the proper way to avoid getting hit. Most kids fear the ball at some point. If fear is not the problem, spread out his stance to cut his stride down to an inch or two. Make sure his feet and legs are in the correct position. Try closing his stance, have him hit balls to the opposite field on the ground.

Question:	My front foot opens too soon, bringing my whole front side with it. I guess it's kind of a trigger mechanism. At any rate, if you're having trouble staying square, you may want to check out what your stride foot is doing. When it lands, is it still closed, or is it pointed out towards the field?

Dave Hudgens:	Many hitters front foot will open as they complete their swing. This is not something they are trying to do as you know. The reason this happens is a tightness in the hitters hip flexor, and a weakness in their groin. The force that is being put to this area is great and some hitters will open the front foot. Where hitters run into a problem is when the foot opens too soon.

Question:	Could you clarify the statement "stay square to the plate longer"? Do you mean that as the back heel comes up and the front heel comes down the upper half stays square the the plate as long as possible to create torque in the swing and keep the hands back as the lower half starts to open up?

Dave Hudgens:	That is exactly what I am talking about. This should be more noticeably on an off speed pitch. When a hitter reacts to a fastball the back side and hands will appear to come together, even though the lower half will lead. On an off speed pitch the upper body and hands must stay back and square to the plate. This keeps you in a good position to hit.

Question:	After you land on the big toe when you stride, how soon thereafter does the whole foot come down? My 10 year old son is starting his swing before the whole foot is on the ground and is losing some balance and power. Any drills/swingkeys to correct this? By not having his front leg braced properly his hips and rear foot are overturning and he is pulling his head off the ball.

Dave Hudgens:	The heel will land shortly after the toe lands. As soon as the front heel lands the rear heel should lift, at this time the back knee will start turning in, this action will start the rotation of the hips.

Question:	My 8 year old son wants to step away during his swing. This obviously leads to him not covering the plate and when he does make contact he tends to hit to the right side of the infield. Do you have any drills or anything else I can try? I have tried a very open stance and a very closed stance, with the same result. A side note, the first pitch of a game last year he was hit by the pitch. Same thing this year. I understand his fear, but we need to over come this. Help please!!

Dave Hudgens:	Understanding that your son is very young, and knowing that there is some fear involved. All kids go through this at one time or another. Teach him the correct drill to get out of the way of the inside pitch. Once he understands how to get out of the way, some of the fear will leave. When he is ready, teach him to adjusts his attitude toward the pitcher. Have him start attacking the ball, driving the ball to the opposite field.

Question:	I am a die hard Red Sox fan, and I have noticed that Nomar has stopped striding. He is just picking up his fromt foot, not even off the ground, then putting it down. I have also noticed that he isn't the power hitter he used to be. Are these two things related in any way, or is it just him focusing on power. I am considering switching to Nomar's method (good person 2 emmulate) but i reallly want to have a good power year.

Dave Hudgens:	You have to find out what works for you. Because it works for Nomar does not mean it will work for you. I remember Ted Williams once saying, when he saw a player doing something that looked good, he would try it. He most always went back to what he was doing before, but you never know when something might work. Nomar has probably developed this approach throughout the years. Experiment but develop your own style based on sound mechanics.

Question:	I coach little league (coach pitch) and seem to have problems with hitting. Practices most everyone hits however in the games most step out toward 3rd missing the ball. Also they seem to forget there form and swing. Any suggestions on fundamentals of stance, swing and position of arms along with drills to help proper step and swing?

Dave Hudgens:	When kids step in the bucket it deals with one of two areas. Wanting to pull the ball too much. A fear of the ball. With the first area, pulling too much, start the kids in practice, have them hit the ball to the opposite field. This will help them to keep their front side in. Emphasize to them the importance of staying square to the plate as long as possible. If their stride is too long(more than 4-5 inches)have them widen their stance some. Keep their stride easy and short. If some of the kids have a fear of the ball, first teach them how to react the proper way. When they know how to get out of the way, they will have more confidence to stand in. Teach the kids to have an aggressive approach by hitting the ball right back up the middle. If your the pitcher and your over 40, you better get a glove, it can be dangerous!!!

Question:	I use the click back in my approach to hitting. My weight shifts back as the pitcher reaches his leg kick, as he releases in coming forward. I try to firm up my front leg and do so but my front foot opens up too much. What should I do?

Dave Hudgens:	How long is your stride? How fast or hard is your stride? Are you wanting to pull the ball too much? Cut down your stride to an inch or two, make sure that your stride foot is down by the time the ball is about half way to home plate. The stride should be early and easy. If you have a tendency to pull the ball too much then work on hitting the ball to the opposite field. When doing front toss drills keep your front toe pointing towards home plate. Your front toe may not stay this way during your game, but it should stay about 45 degrees after you get the feel.