10 Most Common Hitting Mistakes

In this article, learn the 10 most common hitting mistakes for baseball and softball players of all ages.

These 10 common hitting mistakes negatively impact hitters of all skill levels. Keep in mind, these 10 things hitters do wrong are in random order. Most importantly, my revolutionary hitting system solves each one of these issues – learn more at the end of this post.

Video Guide

There are several things which are difficult to fully explain with words and images, so be sure to check out the video guide below!
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So, let’s get to the 10 things hitters do wrong.

Over Swinging

One of the most common problems I see with hitters is over swinging.
First and foremost, you must get under control before you treat anything.

Bad Stance, Balance and Rhythm

Starting off with a bad stance causes you to be out of balance with no rhythm.
These are indicators because if you can’t keep balance and rhythm, you are not connected during the swing.

Swinging Up

Many players swing up in order to get the ball in the air.
They attempt to launch the ball, their hands roll, and their swing is fighting gravity, which is never a good idea.

Keep Head Down

The head has to be your main focus.
In fact, the hitting golden rule is to keep your head down.

Incorrect Head Position - Common Hitting Mistake

If I had to choose to do 1 thing correct to give me a real chance to be successful at the plate, the head is it.
If your head is really good, it’s impossible for everything else to be bad.

Walt Hriniak, former MLB player and Hitting Coach, always said to me, “You got one bullet in your gun, kid. When you got no rhythm and you got no timing, you got one bullet in your gun. You better be great with your head.”

When you are lost and lonely at the plate, your head will get you through.
When Mr. Nasty is up there throwing darts, your head will get you through.

common hitting mistake against good pitcher

Btw, I hit a homerun off of Randy Johnson.

If your head is crappy, just go sit back in the dugout b/c it’s over – cancel Christmas.

bad head position - common hitting mistake

Hitting Plan

Most hitters simply step up to the plate with no plan of attack.
They don’t visualize and don’t have a consistent swing for many reasons such as swinging at bad pitches in batting practice.
The list goes on and on.
How do you improve? It all starts with the next thing hitters do wrong.

Hitting Load

A proper load provides access to the strike zone in the right direction.
Oftentimes, hitters overload which causes them to pull their front side to get to the strike zone
Or, the front side is down so far it causes the backside to collapse.

Bat Casting

First, casting originates from a variety of things – including a poor load.
When players hit the gas to start their swing, the barrel gets outside of the hands.
The hands get pulled into the strike zone.
Consequently, hitters to get jammed easily or hook the ball.

Learn how to stop casting hands and improve your baseball swing mechanics.

Improper Hip Movement

Often times, hitters misuse their hips.
They allow their hips to fly open, fly up, spin out, or leave early.
Ultimately, the key to proper hip movement is staying connected.

Grip

The grip needs to be worked on constantly.
Most players grab the bat too firmly or have the incorrect grip.
I encourage players to hold a bat in their hands as often as possible and carry it around with them.

Keep 2 Hands on the Bat

Players pull their front side so hard it literally causes the bat to get pulled out of their top hand.
This makes the backside useless and it causes the barrel to drop or go down.

Solution for Common Hitting Mistakes

So, how do you take care of these common hitting mistakes?
Take care of the little things and the big things take care of themselves, which is exactly what my fundamental hitting course does.

Scott Hemond - Take Care of the Little Things

By isolating key movements with a barrier (heavy bag), my hitting system allows you to work on them individually – over and over.

Online Hitting Course

My comprehensive hitting course provides you with a hitting foundation to build upon and teaches you to analyze your own swing with simple checklists.