I was taught like many others out there to take my hands to the baseball, use my top hand, and chop down at the ball. This process would keep me “short to the ball” (a very common thing coaches talk about) and help me to be consistent more often.

There was only one problem, the best hitters in the game were not hitting that way. To make it more confusing, they often use the same terminology – but the way their swing came together it looked very different from mine. The first glaring difference was bat path.

Personally I know how difficult it is to be consistent in this game. I have had good seasons and very bad seasons statistically. I find it amazing how the same hitters year after year are tops in the league in slugging percentage, batting average, home runs, doubles, etc.

That led me to ask, “Why are the same great hitters consistently great, year after year?”

I had a very steep entry point into the hitting zone. I was taught if you “chop down” the baseball will go up. It was a similar thought to hitting a golf ball. But the more I talked to some great hitters and found a few coaches that devoted themselves to watching video and learning the baseball swing (Big thanks to Bobby Tewksbary and Mike Bard, who have been teaching “The Truth” for some time now), I was able to see how early the best hitters get their barrel of the bat into the hitting zone.

Their bat was in the hitting zone BEHIND their back leg… compared to myself, who wasn’t getting in the zone until my front leg at the earliest. That is a good 2-3 feet that I am missing out on!

This really hit home when I compared video of my swing against Albert Pujols. My bat was in the hitting zone for about a foot vs Albert Pujols who was in the hitting zone for almost 4 feet. Common sense tells you that if your bat is in the hitting zone longer your timing doesn’t have to be as perfect to hit the ball well.

Another part to bat path is the angle in which you are swinging the bat. Most people talk about having a level swing. I also hear swing down or swing up depending on what we have been taught or a deficiency in our swing we are trying to put a band aid on.

A point that was made to me that made so much sense was to swing level with the trajectory of the pitch. Again, common sense tells me that if the barrel of my bat gets into the hitting zone early, and my barrel is traveling on the same path as the ball is coming, that is a pretty good 1-2 punch.

Instead of thinking about swing level, up, or down, we want to swing angle at the trajectory of the pitch.