Hitting with Torque: For Baseball and Softball Hitters

By Paul F. Petricca

Paul Petricca draws on his experience as a coach, player, blogger, and student of baseball and softball to share what hes learned about hitting in this essential guide for players seeking dramatic results at the plate.

The author presents easy to understand hitting mechanics highlighting how the engineering concept of torque can be applied to hitting and is often the difference between a weak groundball or a long home run.

Topics covered include understanding where hitting power really comes from and the importance of increasing bat speed through the fundamentals of a repeatable and powerful rotational swing. Hitters of all ages who adopt his eight hitting keys will enjoy a dramatic increase in bat speed and power almost immediately.

Hitting with Torque is more than a set of hitting mechanics---its a mindset. Readers will be challenged to look past the worn-out hitting theories and myths that have been holding back hitters from reaching their full potential. With an open mind and practice, all hitters can unlock the power and consistency that is Hitting with Torque.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Nov 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781480853546

Paul F. Petricca

Paul Petricca is a college hitting coach and author of Hitting with Torque for Baseball and Softball Hitters. He has a passion for teaching the fundamentals of hitting in a way that players, parents, and coaches can easily understand. Paul’s simple and powerful hitting keys are proven to yield immediate and dramatic results for hitters at every level, even those from other planets! Special thanks to Chris Calvetti for his supernatural design skills.

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Pregame

Did you ever feel strongly that you had something to share with the world that would really make a difference? Solving some of the mysteries of hitting may not seem like a great contribution to society, but it’s my contribution. It is always rewarding for me to help youth baseball or softball players successfully learn the simple and repeatable fundamentals of hitting that often lead to a lifetime love for the game, or assist high school players learn where power really comes from and how to harness it consistently, which can lead to personal recognition and the opportunity to play in college. And refining the skills of college players, so they can finally crack the hitting code, resulting in the achievement of personal goals and dreams, which could include playing at the highest level in the sport.

I have always been obsessed with hitting. This obsession included tirelessly studying the hitting mechanics of the greatest baseball and softball players in history to determine the common elements of their swings that made them great. Many of the hitting keys I describe in this book were mysteriously revealed to me at times and in ways that convinced me that I had something special to share with hitters of all ages. I have written this book because I was called to write it!

What Is Hitting with Torque?

So, what does the engineering term torque have to do with hitting? Simply put, torque is defined as a turning or twisting force that causes rotation around an axis. I believe the key to hitting with power is to use the natural points of resistance in our body to collectively generate force and kinetic energy. Through the use of the rotational hitting mechanics I teach, this energy will ultimately translate into high bat speed and crazy power. When hitters transform the concept of torque from a noun into a verb, that’s when the fun begins.

Even though I have no way of documenting my assertion that I was the first to use the word torque to describe the key source of power in the baseball and softball swings, I made a hitting video in 1991 and published an article focusing on the benefits of incorporating the concept of torque in basic hitting mechanics in 1996. Today, it seems like everyone is crediting the scientific benefits of torque with powerful baseball and softball swings. I have included the original article I wrote on torque as a Breakthrough in Hitting in this book. You can be the judge whether it was unique and groundbreaking.

Much of the material in this book has been compiled from my popular hitting blog for baseball and softball players. Each year, thousands of readers from over a hundred countries visit my site. The feedback I receive often includes stories of immediate and dramatic results for players and coaches who tried and adopted the hitting mechanics I teach. Hitters who are open to considering my unique and cutting-edge hitting mechanics and theories that fall outside the foul lines of conventional hitting wisdom will be rewarded with increased power and a higher batting average, which is the goal of all hitters.

I have also devoted an entire section of the book to the mental game of baseball and softball, which can be as important as the physical components of the swing. I credit Tim Gallwey, a well-known author and speaker who developed a revolutionary concept called the Inner Game for many of the effective mental concepts and techniques in this book. His unique approach to mastering the mental challenges that face athletes resonated with me many years ago and formed the way I teach and coach hitting. I have taken many of the Inner Game concepts and applied them to hitting for both baseball and softball players. I believe this section of the book will be transformational for readers.

Baseball and Softball Swings Should Be the Same!

It is important for me to divulge that I do not believe baseball and softball swings should be different. I understand the arguments from those who believe baseball and softball mechanics have to be different because the pitching motions and pitch trajectories are so different. However, the recent trend of more power and home runs in the women’s game is due primarily to the adoption of baseball-like hitting mechanics.

I acknowledge the historical arguments that the baseball and softball swing should be different, but I disagree. An ESPN Sport Science study compared the reaction times between baseball and softball hitters. They found the reaction time of a softball player is 20 percent shorter than a baseball player because the better softball pitchers throw with great velocity from a shorter distance. This would lead most to believe that softball players need shorter swings to catch up with the ball.

Another argument for teaching different swings to men and women is the angle of the ball coming toward home plate is also different between softball and baseball pitches. The angle of the ball thrown by a baseball pitcher is on a slightly downward plane, compared to the flat or slightly upward path of the ball thrown by softball pitchers. Finally, many believe that just because the anatomies and strength of baseball and softball players differ, their hitting mechanics should naturally be different.

Let me first address the issue of the two different trajectories of baseball and softball pitches. The majority of softball and baseball pitches approach the hitting zone in a relatively flat path. In softball, a rise ball has an upward path, but good hitters are taught to avoid swinging at this pitch, unless there are two strikes on the hitter. However, if softball hitters make contact with a rise ball before it leaves the hitting zone using my power hitting mechanics, the result will be a very long home run. Baseball and softball pitchers also both throw a ball that drops and curves on nearly identical paths. In this book, I will describe a hitting sequence that is effective for pitches with upward, flat, or downward trajectories, from a baseball pitching mound or a softball pitching circle.

I believe strongly that the mechanics of baseball and softball swings should be similar because it’s all about bat speed! In order for a baseball player to hit a 90 mph fastball or a softball hitter to catch up to a 65 mph pitch, both need to employ hitting mechanics that will generate the necessary bat speed to hit these pitches on time, powerfully, and consistently.

When I began teaching a baseball swing to fast-pitch softball players, I received comments that ranged from skepticism to criticism. The only way I have found to respond to my critics is through the performance of my hitters. The average bat speed of good high school softball players before I begin working with them typically ranges between 55 and 60 mph. By incorporating more traditional baseball-like hitting mechanics, softball hitters begin to enjoy greater bat speed almost immediately. It is not uncommon for softball hitters to increase their bat speed 5 to 10 mph after the first one-hour workout using the mechanics I will describe in this book.

Finally, the assertion by many that the differences in the physical makeup and strength of baseball and softball players requires different swings actually gives fuel to my hitting theory. The hitting mechanics I teach will force both baseball and softball players to use their entire bodies to generate power to all fields. Most amateur baseball players often rely primarily on their upper-bodies for power because men enjoy more upper-body strength than women. They fail to complement this strength with the untapped power that could be generated from their legs and hips. Even though softball players lack the same upper-body strength as men, they still are wrongfully taught to rely on their arms to hit the ball because of the flawed logic of trying to be quick to the ball. When I teach baseball and softball players the rotational hitting mechanics in this book that incorporate both their lower and upper bodies, the positive results are shocking to them, but not to me.

Hitting mechanics that result in optimal power and consistency require the kinetic connection between the lower body and the upper body. This book is devoted to articulating these hitting mechanics that should be common to both baseball and softball players. My goal is for all hitters to enjoy high bat speed, power to all fields, and a high average.

I have organized this book in a logical order, so it can be read from the front cover to the last page. It can also be used as a reference book, for access to information on specific hitting topics. I have attempted to make very technical hitting concepts simple and understandable by players of all ages, parents, and coaches. I have also included some fun observations and advice from my long career as a hitting coach and a student of the game.

I would ask readers to pay special attention to my Eight Hitting Keys that are highlighted in the table of Contents and are revealed in the proper sequence. Even though hitters all have individual styles, I have isolated eight keys to a powerful and consistent swing. I believe strongly that each of these hitting keys is critical to the success of the collective swing. Eliminating one will negatively impact the entire swing sequence.

Hitting with torque is more than a set of hitting mechanics—it is a mind-set. After reading this book, I hope readers will look at the art and science of hitting differently. I will challenge readers to look past some of the worn-out hitting theories and crazy myths that have been holding back hitters from reaching their full potential. With an open mind and a lot of practice, all hitters can unlock the power and consistency that is hitting with torque.

Section 1: Where Does Power Really Come From?

Chapter 1: Hitting from the Ground Up

I10GroundUpPower.jpg

When my daughter was first learning how to pitch a twelve-inch fastpitch softball, I came across the magazine FastPitch USA, edited by Bill Redmer. The pitching technique promoted in the magazine was effective and simple because it identified the one and only true power source in sports—the ground. In baseball and softball, players use the power of the ground without ever realizing what an untapped energy supply they have right under their feet. When a player jumps for a line drive, stretches for a ball, throws a pitch, or swings the bat, power is generated from the ground up.

Pouring the Foundation

Now that we know where the source of power resides, it is up to the hitter to take full advantage of this alternative energy source. The first step is to set up in a stance that will serve as a solid platform for the eventual swing. A solid stance with feet firmly planted on the ground is the hitter’s foundation that will ultimately be the power source for bat speed. Hitters who can harness the power of the ground enjoy a power surge that is all natural. To accomplish this, they must learn to deploy the built-in, natural springs they all possess.

Foot Springs

Every hitter is blessed with the internal springs that are key to power generation. The most important set of springs hitters all have at their disposal are the ones closest to the ground. Every athlete knows that the balls of the feet contain the springs necessary to run, leap, dive, and change direction.

An effective hitter sets up in a solid stance in the batter’s box on the balls of the feet. Both feet should be pressed firmly into the ground to tap into Mother Nature’s power plant. The heels should be slightly off the ground, with weight evenly distributed over both feet.

With the springs in the feet set, the hitter is better able to react to a pitched ball with authority. When the pitcher releases the ball, the springs in the feet allow the hitter to a make the fine adjustments to pitches at the edges of the strike zone. Try standing on your heels while attempting to hit an outside pitch to the opposite field. You will quickly realize the importance of foot springs.

Setting the Foot Springs

Soon after the ball leaves the hand of the pitcher, the hitter should simply lift the front foot a few inches off the ground. When the front foot leaves the ground, weight is automatically shifted to the back foot. The weight on the back-foot spring will now serve as the primary connection to the ground for the eventual swing. It is important to note that the hitter should not lean back when the front foot is raised. Leaning the body toward the catcher will cause the hitter to lose balance and break a portion of the power connection with the ground. When lifting the front foot, the hitter’s head should remain perfectly still, horizontally and vertically.

As the ball nears home plate (and immediately after the front foot is lifted), the hitter should press the front foot back in place, re-establishing contact with the ground. Now, both foot springs are fully loaded!

Knee Springs

It is critical to keep the foot springs pressed into the ground and loaded as long as possible. The only way to do this is to use the springs in the knees. Athletic success in all sports is highly dependent on strong knees. Countless athletic careers, including those of the best baseball and softball players in history, have ended due to knees that lost their spring.

A mistake many hitters make is to use the springs in the knees to lunge toward the pitcher during the swing. Stepping toward the pitcher will break the connection with the ground, which will reduce power significantly. Instead, the knee springs should press downward into the ground in order to keep as much pressure as possible on the foot springs, to capture as much power as the hitter’s body will allow. This downward pressure should remain constant until the body powerfully rotates and the swing is fully completed.

Hip Springs

Another important set of springs all hitters have at their disposal are the large, powerful hip springs. The amazing thing about any spring is that it can be compressed (foot and knee springs) or rotated (hip springs) to generate power. The hip springs in the hitter’s body are the triggering mechanisms that ultimately cause the upper body to rotate forcefully into the ball.

As the ball approaches the hitting zone, the back hip of the hitter should begin to rotate toward the pitcher. As the hips rotate, the back foot spring will powerfully and naturally pivot toward the pitcher, with the toes pointing toward the pitcher. It is important that the hips rotate independently of the upper body. When the hips rotate while the upper body remains still, the hip springs will quickly wind tight. Ultimately, the hip springs will generate so much resistance (torque) that the upper body will ultimately uncoil under high pressure to rotate forcefully.

Only at this point does the hitter finally enjoy the total power supplied by the ground. The foot, knee, and hip springs are acting in perfect harmony. When executed correctly, the hitter should feel like the bat is merely an extension of the body. The power generated initially from the ground ultimately flows kinetically through the entire body of the hitter.

What About Wrist Springs?

Many hitting instructors believe that bat speed and power come from the wrists. I will concede that a hitter can generate marginal power through wrist rotation, but wrist action alone should not be relied upon as the primary source of bat speed. Hitters who use the ground to generate power from their feet, knees, hips, and upper body will come to realize that the wrists merely act more like a hinge than a spring.

Immediately before the pressure of the hip springs forces the upper body to rotate, hitters will also feel pressure naturally build in the hands and wrists. As the upper body rotates, the hitter should use this pressure in the hands and wrists to delay the swing as long as possible. At some point, the pressure will build to a point that the wrists and the bat violently release into the hitting zone and through the ball. As I describe later in the book, the wrists actually stop breaking at impact with the