Reaction Time and Baseball

Making solid contact with a pitch is the most difficult skill to master in all of sports. First of all, what other sport allows you to fail 70% of the time and be in the hall of fame. I think that in itself speaks volumes about the talent and skill needed to be an accomplished hitter. In order to hit a baseball speeding faster than 90mph, a batter requires courage, outstanding hand-eye coordination, and not to mention excellent reflexes.

The greatest hitters in the game of baseball usually have a life-time average in and around the .300's. Although there is enough open-field to get base-hits between the defenders, there is no room for error when making solid contact with an object that is no bigger than the tool you are using to hit it with. Striking the ball a couple of millimeters to high or low will result in a fly-out or a weak ground-out. Miss by more than that and you will strike out.

It would be much easier if the pitch was pitched to exactly the same place at the same speed but it's not. Not only does a batter have to track the ball up and down but also has to decide when to make contact with the ball. If you hit the ball too early or are out in front, you will not hit the ball effectively and will most likely hit a foul-ball. If you are late on the pitch or make contact after the point of square, you will also be sacrificing the potential power of your swing and the direction of the ball that was hit. Bottom line is you must accurately track the speed of the pitch in order to hit the ball at the optimum point within the hitting or strike-zone. Now, considering the fact that the ball doesn't move in a straight line and can have all sorts of spins that will change the flight of travel hence curve balls, split-fingers, sliders, change-ups, and knuckle balls; it's a wonder that anybody can actually perform this feat.

Determining if a pitch is hittable and pin-pointing it while zooming through the air to then hit it, leaves a hitter no time at all. A pitch moving 90mph from 60 ft. away allows only .4 of a second to be exact. That's quite a process for your brain and body to complete in almost no time at all. In fact, that is the verge of human reaction time capabilities.

Obviously, being a great hitter requires a lot of God-given talent, but it also involves experience backed by a lot of hard practice, 'religious' drilling, and knowledge that will increase your skill over time. Having the correct swing mechanics and fundamentals will greatly increase your chances of becoming a better hitter. That is accomplished by doing the right drills to develop the fundamentals necessary to hit the ball consistently.

I maintain a few sites dedicated to teaching drills and fundamentals for enhancing your batting skills. I also have a site with detailed baseball bat reviews that can help when choosing a bat that is right for you. You must be confident and comfortable when you go to swing and I think having the right kind of bat plays a role in that. It's at that split second point of contact that everything has to perfectly come together.

Joe Rodgers teaches fundamentals to increase bat speed and reaction time at the plate and gives baseball bat reviews to help when selecting the right baseball bat for you.

- Joe Rodgers