Three Ways to Perfect Hitting Mechanics From an MLB Icon

• By Grant Young

Learning to produce solid, consistent hitting mechanics in baseball might be one of the toughest things to do in any sport. 

Not only does a successful swing demand perfect timing, hand-eye coordination, and body mechanics but the hitter must synthesize a complex series of movements in a split second to make solid contact with the ball. Not to mention how factors such as pitch speed, movement, and location further complicate the task. Additionally, hitters must constantly adjust their mechanics to adapt to different pitchers and pitch types. 

And because there is so much nuance to a swing that many coaches who haven’t played the game at a high level can struggle to comprehend, it's easy to develop bad habits with a swing without adequate baseball hitting instruction. 

Without proper guidance and attention to detail, hitters can easily fall into patterns that hinder their performance such as lunging, casting the hands, or an inconsistent stride. Plus, given how predicated modern baseball is on hitting home runs, the natural desire to overpower the ball can lead to a breakdown in mechanics, resulting in poor habits for youth baseball players. Over time, these bad habits can become deeply ingrained, making them difficult to correct. 

It's crucial for players to receive regular coaching and feedback to prevent the development of detrimental swing habits. And who better for these lessons to come from than a former MLB player? 

Gary Joseph Gaetti, is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins, California Angels, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox. He won the 1987 MLB World Series with the Minnesota Twins and was the 1987 ALCS (American League Championship Series) MVP. Across his career, Coach Gaetti won the 1995 Silver Slugger Award, was a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, and was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame when his career ended. 

Coach Gaetti’s ‘MLB`s Gary Gaetti Hitting Course’ shows the secrets to how he became one of baseball’s elite hitters during his playing days. He lays out a comprehensive, easy-to-follow hitting success blueprint that will help any player or coach learn the correct mechanics at the plate and unlock their team’s batting average. 

Bat Toss Drill

One of Coach Gaetti’s most effective drills that he used throughout his professional baseball career is what he calls the Bat Toss Drill. 

This drill has two purposes:

1. Teaches hitters the predominant feel they need to have, in regard to their bat’s barrel. 

2. Helps hitters to reach where their true, natural launch position will be when swinging.

For this drill, a player will grab a bat and come up to a net (ideally one that’s in a batting cage). They’ll stand about a foot away from the net and mirror the start of their swing, simulating making contact. When reaching this point, the player should be making sure their bat stays flat, parallel with the net. 

From there, the hitter will return to their batting stance and remove their bottom hand from the bat. They will then simulate their swing and let go of the bat (essentially throwing it) at the point where they would be making contact. 

This drill is great for coaches because it highlights common mechanical issues for players, such as realizing they can’t throw the bat properly if their elbow is too raised or their hands too close to their head because it’s such an unnatural movement. And to do so, they’ll fly their front shoulder open, which is a common mechanical mistake. 

They also might move their hands back in their stance to generate more force for their push. If either of these things occurs during this drill, it’s a signal that a stance adjustment may be necessary. 

Soft Toss

Every coach knows that soft toss is an integral aspect of developing a smooth, consistent hitting swing. But Coach Gaetti conveys what a coach should be looking for when doing these drills to ensure that players are getting the most out of them. 

“Most soft toss, I like [the tosser] at a 45-degree angle, not too close, and a nice firm toss near the front side [of the hip],” Coach Gaetti said. 

He then explains that the more realistic you can make the pitch, the more effective it’s going to be for a hitter’s development. That’s why he stresses a nice firm toss without a lot of arc because that doesn’t resemble something a hitter will see in a game. 

And a hitter will never see the ball coming at them from the other batter’s box. So soft toss should either be done directly in front of the hitter (with a net or L-screen) or off to the side, at a 45-degree angle. 

The Tomahawk Drill

Coach Gaetti loves using the Tomahawk Drill when hitters aren’t using their top hands, their hands look sluggish, or their barrel isn’t getting to the ball on time. 

In doing this drill, Coach Gaetti wants his hitters to feel like they’re hitting a line drive to the third baseman. But the pitch (this is a front toss drill) is going to be high and outside, which is not ideal for pulling the ball. While this isn’t a good strategy in a game, this is going to force quick and decisive hand action from the hitter in order to pull this type of pitch. 

To be clear, this isn’t a hitting strategy that should be used in a game. But it’s a great mechanical adjustment when a hitter’s hands have been slow to react.