Throwing a Baseball Hitting a Baseball

Checklist for Success Checklist for Success

Turn
† Turn shoulders and whole body perpendicular to target
with non-throwing shoulder fully in rear
† Begin raising throwing arm’s elbow
Step
† Slightly raise non-throwing foot (opposite leg), bending
the knee
† Bend knee of throwing leg, preparing to push-off
† Point non-throwing arm at target
† Push off rear foot
† Step toward target, planting foot in the ground, toes
pointing to target
Throw
† Throwing hand has ball raised near ear
† Elbow of throwing arm is raised higher than shoulder
† As shoulders begin to turn toward target, arm extends to
rear, away from body, creating a lever
† Throwing arm whips ball around and releases ball to
target
† Elbow, bent at a 90˚ angle, stays higher than shoulder
Follow-Thru
† Throwing arm follows-through by flowing down and
across the body, wrapping across the waist
† Rear leg raises off the ground to absorb energy of push
† Body is slightly bent at waist
† Eyes maintain contact with target throughout motion
Ready Position
† Stand perpendicular to pitcher, shoulders facing at 90˚
angle.
† Knees are slightly bent, feet shoulder-width, slight bend at
waist
† Bat is raised off rear shoulder, pointing straight to sky
† Hands grasping the bat are touching together, dominant
hand on top
Step
† Batter closely watches ball leave the hand of pitcher
† Slightly raise front foot (nearest to pitcher), bending the
knee
† Bend knee of rear leg, preparing to push-off
† Push off rear foot
† Step toward pitcher, planting foot in the ground, toes
pointing ahead
Swing
† Bat begins to swing forward, lead arm pulling
† Rear shoulder stays high throughout swing
† Begin transferring weight of body from rear to front leg
† Bat swings down and across body of batter in level
motion
Follow-Thru
† Bat is steered up, from waist to across leading shoulder,
and behind the back
† Body faces pitcher fully
† Body weight is balanced between legs
† Bat is purposefully placed on ground

Mr. Loftus Mr. Loftus