At Mike Epstein Hitting, we take pride in the development of all our students, their dedication to hitting their potentials, and their "coachability." From time to time we include some of them on this "Clips and Photos" page as a service for you, hoping that they may serve as a guide for your proper instruction of rotational hitters.

Every swing here isn't "perfect" because the hitters are making their singular adjustments to varying pitch locations. A "rule" that is wise to follow when analyzing swings is to remember that the ONLY time a hitter has a so-called "perfect swing" is (1) when he/she has anticipated the pitch he/she gets, (2) in the area he/she was looking, and (3) at the velocity he/she was expecting. This is normally seen when ALL three variables are met and the hitter is AHEAD in the count with less than two strikes. EVERY OTHER SWING IS AN ADJUSTMENT made by the hitter in response to a variance in one (or more) of these three variables. The hitters seen here are simply trying to master the "envelope/technique" used by 95% of baseball's Hall-of-Fame hitters, and not looking for location.

In order to teach hitting correctly, an instructor MUST separate a hitter's "style" from his "technique." At Mike Epstein Hitting we only teach "technique, i.e., the movements from swing launch to contact. EVERY productive hitter in the game has conformed to these movements! In essence, then, a hitter's technique is universal and should be replicated. Any pre-swing movements a hitter uses are a product of his own style and is therefore personal to that particular hitter. Pre-swing movements are utilized to break inertia and induce rhythm prior to swing launch. A hitter's style is developed by trial and error over many years. Personally, I don't care if a hitter's hands are high or low, feet are wide or narrow, or the back elbow is up or down. In fact, I wouldn't care if a hitter stood on his head to hit as long as he was successful - and COMFORTABLE doing it. The hitters you see here are learning the technique, and to facilitate this process, we have taken their personal styles out of the hitting equation. As they begin to master the technique, their individual styles begin to become prominent.

As a result, many of our hitters you see have their bats positioned AGAINST their rear shoulder in the stance. In addition, you also will see them practicing a no-stride procedure. Both are considered part of the hitter's style (so they are eliminated completely in the instructional process). This makes the teaching mission much simpler and far easier for the student. We ONLY utilize this position when teaching so we can separate the hitter's style from his technique. When teaching, we are ONLY concerned with the hitter's technique, i.e., what they do from launch-to-contact. Fitting correctly into this high performance "envelope" is the key. How they get to the proper launch position and their ability to arrive there ON TIME is personal to each hitter and normally a trial-and-error process (that may continue as long as the hitter plays). The technique, however, is universal, and once mastered, should not change. The greatest majority of hitters we teach ultimately adopt a comfortable style which works for THEM, and therefore all look different (until they enter the universal envelope).

Enjoy!

Good luck, continued success, and "get a good pitch to hit!"

- The Staff at Mike Epstein Hitting