There are more theories on hitting than there are recipe's for sloppy joe's so people are easily confused. Just this past weekend I listened to an argument about how people were ruining their swings because they were trying to replicate the great hitters, who are only the top 1-5% of hitters on the planet, and how that isn't really the best option. If you aren't Pujols, how can you expect to use the same tools he uses to be a good hitter? Anyways, most arguments are logical enough to make a guy change his hitting approach every few weeks. You just have to find what works for you and stick with it. A wise man once told me that the best hitting coach is yourself.

There is a really good Tony Gwynn hitting book that I have as well that explains the importance and correct way to hit off a tee. Most people find hitting off a tee to be boring but I've found it to be the best hitting tool available (besides live arm bp) as you can get tons of reps and it helps you find a true swing. I actually took 100 swings off the tee last night while TLD worked on wedding invites.

I'd also like to talk about plate discipline a little bit here and it's importance in baseball/softball because sometimes people get confused into thinking that they are just supposed to take pitches. That is not the case at all.

Before you get into the batter's box, and this goes along with being your own hitting coach, you need to have a plan. For instance, when I played in college I looked middle-in, fastball until the pitcher threw me a strike. Being a leadoff hitter I was kind of supposed to take pitches but I still wanted to jump on something that I could drive if it was there. If the pitch wasn't middle-in, I wasn't swinging if there weren't any strikes. So, say the pitcher threw me a slider on the outside corner for strike one and I'm down 0-1. If this is past my first at-bat I know I've been paying attention to his tendencies. Maybe he throws away mostly, and we'll use that in this example. So, being down 0-1, I'll start looking at middle-out with an intent to drive the ball. I'm sitting on fastball, which will allow me to adapt to offspeed stuff, but anything middle-in is going to tie me up so I don't even bother with it. More than likely the dude is fiddling with the outside corner and soon enough I'm up 2-1. Now I'm back to hitting middle-in, only. I'm ahead in the count, he doesn't want to walk me because he knows I'm stealing second, so again, I'm really looking for something to drive. Maybe he hits that outside corner again and evens it up.....Now I'm really doing two things based on his tendencies, looking middle-out and preparing to foul off anything else. This is also what I'd do if I was down in the count (1-2, 0-2). At no point am I not looking for a specific pitch but I'm also prepared enough to foul off anything else. If I'm sitting 2-2 I know he's going to try at that outside corner one more time and if he hits the corner, I'm hitting the ball right in between the 1b and 2b. If he leaves it over the middle I'm either hitting it off RCF wall for a triple or trotting around the bases.

That's where plate discipline comes into play. Bonds and Pujols are/were amazing at only swinging at pitches that they can take advantage of. This is also where Boggs and Brett came into play. They weren't big time power hitters but they'd foul off 10 borderline pitches to get to that one they could lace for a sharp single/double.

I love this link for Teddy Ballgame and I encourage everyone to check it out. I used to have this on a poster:

http://www.tedwilliams.com/_data/hzone.htm

What you said in your first two comments are pretty much the second chapter of the book. He advises a person to hit to their strengths and be the kind of hitter they are, not the kind they think they should be. His portion on pitch selection and batters box selection discipline is pretty much the best part of the book.

I think the part of Williams' book that makes it better than others is that it gives room for style, does not date itself unnecessarily, and focuses as much on mental preparation as physical.

Unfortunately, a lot of people think they are different hitters than they actually are (see: Theriot, Ryan). That takes me to the point of mental preparation....it's not for everybody. With some people, thinking about it too much just tightens them up and they can't get the job done. They are much better off just going up there and hacking away like Vlad Guerrero. This is also why the mental preparation won't work on kids in the the same way in Little League....you are going to send your kid up there looking for something middle-in and the strike zone for little league is about the size of a fridge?? Doesn't make sense.

The most important mental aspect to me is confidence. Know that whatever the pitcher is going to throw, you can hit....but you don't necessarily have to. I would consider this high school level skill. When you have confidence then you can move to the next level, making a strategy. This is college level stuff here. Following through and having the discipline to follow the strategy is what pro's do but you can't get anywhere without the confidence.

I love to talk about hitting.

I think there should be a weekly instructional video on this site.

Whether it be Paine cleaning an assault rifle, Cobra showing a correct hitting form, or how to eat peeps and not throw up, it should happen...make it happen!

I was actually going to do that one time when I was aggravated with Ted Lilly being unable to bunt but I found videos on youtube and I didn't feel like doing all the work.

Jack- is what you are talking about the same or different from what Williams says about being "the kind of hitter you are"? It seems like you are both pointing the same kind of finger at players like Theriot or even

Gimmy - If I had A: a video camera, and B: the ability to edit clips for webpage application, I would do it. I have often thought a tutorial video about the way Reggie Wayne uses his body to shield off defenders would be and excellent post but the how is a big part of it. Wayne is not that big of a receiver, but his use of body makes him seem much bigger. It isn't rocket science, either, its just good fundamentals and an ability to make good plays on the ball. As an undersized under-speeded guy, being able to adjust toa throw when it is in the air or use my body to shield off a bigger or faster opponent has always been a big part of my game and somethign I appreciate Wayne for.

Remember kids, EVERY FIREARM IS LOADED UNTIL YOU CONFIRM OTHERWISE. Whenever you pick up a firearm drop the mage and jack the bolt/slide and look at the breach yourself to confirm that there is no round in the pipe, even if you just saw someone do the very same thing. Safety first, guns aren't for jackassery.

Yes, that's exactly what I mean.

So, where do you put Soriano? He is prone to breaking a few of Teddy's rules of thumb. He will swing at a pitch in his first at bat without seeing a fastball, he will take two fastballs for balls and then swing a curveball among others. According to Teddy, Soriano's psychology will prevent him from improving his average into the .300s. Even if Soriano is successful in his "style" he won't be a good leadoff guy. Is his spot in the lineup a problem with his head or managements?

This is the weirdest thing. I read this post this morning. I just sat down in my seats at Dodger Stadium, and the two guys next to me started talking to each other about how one of them had stopped at a bookstore and seen the Ted Williams hitting book. And then he started talking about the graphic you linked to, Cobra. So strange.

Pass the word, we see into the future.

Honestly, sometimes I look at that graphic and think to myself....teddy ballgame only thinks he hits .400 on balls down the middle. What a modest mo-fo.

Ted Williams was smiling when you shot that ball over the RCFers head last night. He chuckled though when you only got a triple despite Hot Tub scoring from first base on the play.

Bruce Paine would like to remind the Kelper of his recurring back problems and the overall effect they have had on his life. He would also like to comment that if Kelper hadn't been draggin ass rounding second Paine may never have pulled up to give him room.