Successful Slugging
Baseball, the American pastime, is one of if not the most difficult sports to play successfully. In contrast, playing basketball involves shooting a ball into a stationary opening its size. Further, golf takes enough skill to hit a small ball from the ground at point A to the hole in the green at point B, also stationary. Baseball, on the other hand, requires the batter to swing a narrow bat at precisely the correct speed to contact a ball traveling at speeds up to ninety miles per hour. After many years of playing the sport, I still find hitting to be difficult and discouraging. There are many processes involved in successful batting. The first step starts in the dugout or in the on-deck circle. It is here that the batter studies the pitcher. While watching the pitcher, you should analyze the delivery of the pitch and the different types of pitches that are thrown. Take note of pitching patterns for specific situations (pitch counts, number of outs, men on base, and left or right-handed hitters). Secondly, you need to know how to grip the bat. Place the dominant hand above the off-hand near the base of the bat. The traditional method is to align the first knuckle of one hand with the second line of knuckles of the
other. But your comfort is the key element in how to hold the bat. Gripping the bat at the knob will give you more power but less control. Choke gripping, moving your hands up the barrel of the bat, will result in less power but more bat control during the swing. The last portion of the swing is the follow-through. Your head stays down and your arms are fully extended as your bat swings through the ball. Now your bat has made a full circle around your body and your top hand releases from it as you complete the follow-through and prepare to run. Indeed batting a baseball successfully is quite a challenge. Hitting a fast moving sphere with a round bat into fair territory is difficult, but in its own right. Furthermore, attempting to avoid any of the eight players trying to field it complicates the process. Although it takes great effort, if considered and followed these steps can make hitting become easier. Good luck to you and enjoy. The physical part of the swing now begins. Like a gun, the swing has a starter mechanism or trigger. This is where you shift your weight to your back foot and then stride with your front foot toward the pitcher. When you take your step back, you are generating power to swing the bat. You start your stride by turni
Some common words found in the essay are:
Baseball American, swing begins, upper body, hit ball, bat front, home plate, stride front, front foot,
Approximate Word count = 855
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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