Great hitters are far and few between in baseball as well as in softball.
The reason for this is that hitting is one of the most challenging skills in sports to master. If you have played ball long enough, you know that there was maybe one or two hitters on all the teams you have ever played on or against, that can really hit.
The definition of a great hitter is someone who can hit for high average and for power while putting up good slugging numbers at the same time. There are a lot of hitters that do well at one or the other, but the great ones can do both, simultaneously.
For travel ball players, hitting near .500 and slugging over .500 is superior. High School hitters who hit over .400 and can slug over .500 are hitters that would fall in this category, and professional hitters who can hit over .320 and slug over .500 are top level hitters also. Hitters who can put up these types of numbers consistently at each of the levels have the qualities of a great hitter. Great hitters such as Ted Williams, set the bar for all others who want to become great in baseball or softball. In order to succeed, a hitter must possess 4 qualities.
The truth is that not all the qualities are attainable to most hitters, but most of them can be learned. One of the qualities that cannot be learned is the natural ability that it takes to be successful.
1 Born to Hit
Some people are just born with a naturally correct swing. For these people, swinging a bat is like an instinct. It is the strongest of these qualities that a great hitter can possess. Others watch the great hitter and proclaim that he or she has been blessed by the baseball Gods, born with a bat in hand or is a natural.
2 Strong and Quick
This person is a natural athlete and the ball bounces off their bat differently than it does for average hitters. The good news is, there are programs for players that can help with strength and speed. Improving strength and speed goes a long way to improving instincts and reflexes. Some people possess natural abilities that are not evident until awakened with the help of proper training.
3 Good Swing Mechanics
The bio-mechanics of the swing taught to hitters must be very good in order for a hitter to become great at hitting. Some hitters have flaws in their swings, but have enough desire and ability to overcome them in order to be successful. Many good hitters have become great by working tirelessly on the bio-mechanics of the swing.
Unfortunately, there have been many talented hitters who have had their natural ability stripped away by allowing misinformed coaches to mess with their swing. The great players worry less about their swing than most and this gives them the ability to focus more on results. So when learning the mechanics of the swing, it would behoove a hitter to find the right information. It is the right information that helps give a hitter more power and increases their chances for more hits at the same time. The mechanics must be simple and accurate, allowing the hitter to quickly perfect his or her swing so they can focus on results.
4 Super Confident
A great player typically has a confidence level so high that they rarely get in a slump, or if they do they can get out of a slump, they get out of it quicker than most other hitters. Great batters are totally focused and in the zone most of the time. Their level of mental toughness is so strong that negativity cannot penetrate their thoughts. Great hitters are so used to success that hitting is like breathing; done without thinking.
The key to making a good hitter into a great hitter is building confidence. With the use of confidence building tools, a good hitter will build momentum and the self confidence levels needed to become great. It usually takes a lot of mental work to keep putting positive thoughts in while kicking negative thoughts out. A strong mental game is paramount to getting in a zone. Many good hitters have become great because they realized their weakness was confidence and dedicated the time and effort necessary to overcome it.
On the other hand, many careers have ended because players have lost their confidence and fell so low and experienced too much difficulty that it caused him or her to give up. Sometimes, a lack of confidence results in a career-ending injury.
If you are wondering what it takes to be a great hitter, look deep within yourself and make sure it is what you want. Becoming a great hitter takes hard work and endless dedication. Results will not happen overnight. Starting on the road to achieving your goals now, means you can achieve them. You don't have to have all 4 qualities at the start but working towards these qualities and being aware of the pitfalls will put you in a better position than most.
The reason for this is that hitting is one of the most challenging skills in sports to master. If you have played ball long enough, you know that there was maybe one or two hitters on all the teams you have ever played on or against, that can really hit.
The definition of a great hitter is someone who can hit for high average and for power while putting up good slugging numbers at the same time. There are a lot of hitters that do well at one or the other, but the great ones can do both, simultaneously.
For travel ball players, hitting near .500 and slugging over .500 is superior. High School hitters who hit over .400 and can slug over .500 are hitters that would fall in this category, and professional hitters who can hit over .320 and slug over .500 are top level hitters also. Hitters who can put up these types of numbers consistently at each of the levels have the qualities of a great hitter. Great hitters such as Ted Williams, set the bar for all others who want to become great in baseball or softball. In order to succeed, a hitter must possess 4 qualities.
The truth is that not all the qualities are attainable to most hitters, but most of them can be learned. One of the qualities that cannot be learned is the natural ability that it takes to be successful.
1 Born to Hit
Some people are just born with a naturally correct swing. For these people, swinging a bat is like an instinct. It is the strongest of these qualities that a great hitter can possess. Others watch the great hitter and proclaim that he or she has been blessed by the baseball Gods, born with a bat in hand or is a natural.
2 Strong and Quick
This person is a natural athlete and the ball bounces off their bat differently than it does for average hitters. The good news is, there are programs for players that can help with strength and speed. Improving strength and speed goes a long way to improving instincts and reflexes. Some people possess natural abilities that are not evident until awakened with the help of proper training.
3 Good Swing Mechanics
The bio-mechanics of the swing taught to hitters must be very good in order for a hitter to become great at hitting. Some hitters have flaws in their swings, but have enough desire and ability to overcome them in order to be successful. Many good hitters have become great by working tirelessly on the bio-mechanics of the swing.
Unfortunately, there have been many talented hitters who have had their natural ability stripped away by allowing misinformed coaches to mess with their swing. The great players worry less about their swing than most and this gives them the ability to focus more on results. So when learning the mechanics of the swing, it would behoove a hitter to find the right information. It is the right information that helps give a hitter more power and increases their chances for more hits at the same time. The mechanics must be simple and accurate, allowing the hitter to quickly perfect his or her swing so they can focus on results.
4 Super Confident
A great player typically has a confidence level so high that they rarely get in a slump, or if they do they can get out of a slump, they get out of it quicker than most other hitters. Great batters are totally focused and in the zone most of the time. Their level of mental toughness is so strong that negativity cannot penetrate their thoughts. Great hitters are so used to success that hitting is like breathing; done without thinking.
The key to making a good hitter into a great hitter is building confidence. With the use of confidence building tools, a good hitter will build momentum and the self confidence levels needed to become great. It usually takes a lot of mental work to keep putting positive thoughts in while kicking negative thoughts out. A strong mental game is paramount to getting in a zone. Many good hitters have become great because they realized their weakness was confidence and dedicated the time and effort necessary to overcome it.
On the other hand, many careers have ended because players have lost their confidence and fell so low and experienced too much difficulty that it caused him or her to give up. Sometimes, a lack of confidence results in a career-ending injury.
If you are wondering what it takes to be a great hitter, look deep within yourself and make sure it is what you want. Becoming a great hitter takes hard work and endless dedication. Results will not happen overnight. Starting on the road to achieving your goals now, means you can achieve them. You don't have to have all 4 qualities at the start but working towards these qualities and being aware of the pitfalls will put you in a better position than most.
Learn more about the right swing mechanics, building confidence and the qualities of great hitters at http://hubiemagic.com Coach Hubie offers a complete training package that includes his popular confidence training course at http://aboutbaseball.co
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Huber
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