The Most Typical Batting Stance

The general batting stance is your feet are just past shoulder width apart. That allows for an about 6-inch or less stride.

The exaggerated batting stances you see on TV are usually developed after a player has established mastery of the hitting sequence but is trying to do something special.

For example, an open stance might be used by a hitter who wants to see the ball better (with both eyes) out of the pitcher’s hand. However, I would never ask a kid to start out that way, nor would I encourage them if they had such an exaggerated stance and struggled to hit.

The key to hitting is following the sequence of taking a normal step (stride) forward, rotating the hips so that they are facing the pitcher, and pulling the hands through the strike zone.

With a starting point of your feet just past shoulder width apart, your stride should enable your bat to maintain a horizontal plane that allows it the best chance to hit the ball directly (or squarely, in coachspeak).

So, from that general stance, if you will work on taking a short stride toward the pitcher, opening up your hips, then swinging you’ll be in a good position to succeed.