Harold Reyold's Tip - May 2006

Harold Reynolds’ Tip of the Month:
See it and hit it!

You have often heard coaches tell you to, “Keep your eye on the ball.” Obviously, you can’t physically place your eye on the ball, so what does this phrase mean? It means that you have to watch the ball all the way from the time it leaves the pitcher’s hand until it makes contact with your bat. Hitting is the hardest thing to do in all of sports, and if you don’t watch the ball all the way, it becomes almost impossible. To hit the ball, you have to see that ball; and that means seeing it all the way to your bat. 

When I was in my first season in the big leagues, I went through a period where I was not hitting well. A good friend of mine told me, “Harold, just see it and hit it.” As simple as that sounds, it really is the key to hitting. When I put it into practice, I began to hit better. 

For most young players, making contact is difficult. Strikeouts are common at this age. I want to help you make more consistent contact at the plate. To do this, I have a simple drill that will help you “keep your eye on the ball.” It is simply about watching the ball all the way until it hits your bat. 

This drill can be used when your coach, parent, teammate, or sibling throws batting practice to you, or when you have someone working with you on soft-toss. It is very simple: Each time you swing the bat and hit the ball, stop, turn and identify the spot on the bat where the ball made contact by pointing to it. Do this with every swing in which you make contact. It helps is you have a coach or parent who can tell you if the spot you point to is correct. This will force you to watch the ball until it hits your bat. 

That’s all there is. Simplicity really is the key to hitting. Just see the ball and hit the ball. 

Doing this on every swing will train you to keep your head in and help you keep your “eye on the ball.” It will help train you to see the ball all the way until it makes contact with your bat, which will help you make contact more consistently. And consistent contact is what makes great hitters. 

So, see the ball and hit the ball. 

Remember, perfect practice makes perfect. 

Harold

Harold Reynolds, a former Major League All-Star, is an analyst for ESPN's Baseball Tonight as well as for the Little League Baseball World Series. His instructional DVD series Harold Reynolds Presents Baseball is now available through Little League International. To get information on how you can order, go to http://www.haroldreynolds.com  and select Harold Reynolds Presents Baseball-Little League Partnership Info button.