Learn How to Hit a Baseball

Anyone can learn how to hit a baseball. Swinging a bat, whether it be baseball, softball or even tee-ball, may seem like an easy thing to do. Watching professional athletes or your teammate makes it appear it's as simple as picking up the baseball bat, holding it by the handle and swinging it toward a moving ball. Although that is the basic idea, batting tips includesfactors such as hand placement and stance can make a major difference in hitting a soft grounder to the pitcher and hitting a homer out of the park. 

Stance
Your stance is important when you learn how to hit a baseball. The right stance can have the bat and your body properly lined up, meaning you'll get a better hit. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips, with your toes pointing at home plate. If you were to draw a line across your toes, it would go straight to the pitcher. Keep your legs loose and your knees bent. Distribute your weight evenly on both legs, even though you will shift it slightly onto your back leg just before you take a step into the pitch. Keep your front arm close to your body, with your elbow just above your belly button. You should be bent slightly forward from the waist. Focus your eyes toward the pitcher, with your chin above your front shoulder.

When the pitcher releases the ball (and if you decide it's worthy of hitting), take a step toward the pitcher with your front foot, making sure you keep most of your weight on your back foot. Swing the bat, connecting with the ball. The best way to make sure your bat connects with the ball is to keep your eye on the ball until you've hit it. Try to keep your swing as level as possible. If you swing with an uppercut, you're likely to hit a pop-up. Swing downward and you're likely to hit a ground ball. Follow through with your swing; your rear foot will be on its ball by the end of your swing rather than its heel. After you've hit the ball, drop the bat (don't throw it or release it at the end of your swing) and run to first base.

Grips
There are a couple of grips that you may choose from when you learn how to hit a baseball. However you decide to hold the bat, make sure that you don't grip it too tightly. Use a firm hold that doesn't allow any space between the bat and your hands, but isn't too tense. Your knuckles should be lined up, one hand on top of the other. If you are holding the bat too tightly, you will limit your flexibility and reduce your bat speed, so your hits won't be as powerful. Right-handers should hold the bat with their right hand on top; the opposite is true for left-handers.

One popular grip is called the choke grip. The choke grip is beneficial when you're down in the count or when you need to put the ball into play. To execute this grip, the top knuckles of one hand are lined up with the middle (knocking) knuckles of the other hand, roughly four to six inches from the bottom of the bat. It gives you more control over where you hit the ball, but because you are swinging with less of the bat, it can result in less power. 

The standard grip is the one most commonly used among Major League Baseball players. This grip involves lining your middle knuckles up in a straight row. Hold the bat where your fingers meet your palms, gripping with your fingers as opposed to your palms. This gives your wrists the freedom to move, which produces a quicker bat speed.

Bunting
Bunting is an offensive maneuver used in baseball, generally to advance runners. The object of bunting is to put the ball into play in the infield as far from the opposing players as possible. This will hopefully give runners the chance to advance to the next base. There are three types of bunts that are used, depending on the situation.

Sacrifice: The intention of the sacrifice bunt is to advance the runners. Your goal as the batter is not to reach first, although that would be an added bonus). To execute the sacrifice bunt, as soon as the pitcher begins the windup, square your body so your shoulders are both facing the pitcher, with your bat in front of you and the plate. Slide your upper hand up the bat and move your fingers back so that you're almost pinching the bat, to prevent your fingers from being hit by the ball. 

Drag: When you want to reach first base, opt for a drag bunt. This is similar to a sacrifice bunt, except for the timing of your execution. When drag bunting, don't square your body until just after the pitcher has released the ball. It doesn't matter which direction you bunt toward in this situation; just run fast.

Squeeze: The goal of the squeeze bunt is to score a runner on third. Whether you get to first is not important in the squeeze bunt. This is a rare move because of the difficulty in successfully pulling it off. As with a drag bunt, don't square your body until the ball has nearly left the pitcher's hand. If you square too soon, a smart pitcher will aim directly at your body, which will leave the ball dead and the runner on third. For this same reason, it is also important that the runner on third doesn't leave the base too soon. It is vital that you put the ball into play on a squeeze bunt, or at a minimum foul tip it off to avoid the runner on third being thrown or tagged out. 

The direction that you bunt is as important as your form. If you are trying to advance a runner from first to second, bunt toward first base. If you are bunting a runner from second to third, you'd want to bunt toward third. Never bunt in the direction of the pitcher, as this will almost always be an easy out. To aim, simply point the bat in the direction that you wish to bunt. Once you learn how to hit a baseball, get a few friends together for a game.