Baseballance

BOTH SETS OF ROCKERS ARE USED FOR HITTING TO WORK DYNAMIC BALANCE

BALANCED and ATHLETIC STANCE

With the vertical (LONG) rockers installed, the hitter takes his/her place on the BASEBALLANCE with their feet spread at or just wider than shoulder width apart. Once position is established and he/she raises their hands to the starting point, the hitter should feel the constant, involuntary adjustments to keep the weight distributed at the bodies midline. At this point, the hitter should have voluntarily or involuntarily flexed his/her knees to establish a more athletic base, making the act of maintaining balance less difficult. The hitter will feel slightly more weight over the balls of their feet rather than the heels. The movement of the BASEBALLANCE will isolate this positon and assist in allowing them to feel and establish a balanced stance from the start.

The guide lines indicating the center of the platform and the rectangular boxes can be used to steer the hitter toward a starting position that accentuates dynamic balance.


THE LOAD: Negative Movement

Loading and hitting are acts of timing and rhythm. From the balanced position, the hitter should shift or allow his body weight to move from the midline to a point inside of the back knee. To exaggerate and isolate the act of loading, the rockers allow the backside of the BASEBALLANCE to rest on the ground. The hitter basically feels weightless on the front side and appreciates the negative movement or energy he/she has stored in the backside, ready to use such stored energy in his/her movement toward the ball. To emphasize the fluidity of this load and the eventual subtleness of the act, another time the BASEBALLANCE is used to quiet the hitter, he or she is encouraged to balance and load, balance and load, balance and load, to establish rhythm and encourage muscle memory. Quietly, the hitter feels him or herself glide rather than jump into the load postion.


MOVEMENT TOWARD CONTACT: Explosive Back Side

Key Point: The hitter will recognize that simply "squishing a bug" will not allow them to get movement toward the ball. The hitter will recognize that the power at transfer comes from an explosive movement out of the hip, driving the knee, forcing the foot to rotate. Simply "squishing the bug" does not engage the hip or generate positve movement to the ball!

From the loaded position, with the backside of the BASEBALLANCE on or near the ground, the hitter works to move toward contact and hitting off of a firm front leg. The BASEBALLANCE, which will flow freely toward the ground on the front side, is designed in a manner through which the hitter recognizes that if it contacts or nears the ground prior to contact with the ball, he/she has not effectively maximized the use of the stored energy or negative movement. The hitter should be instructed to move the weight from the back toward contact with rotation of the hips, essentially showing his/her belt buckle to the pitcher and rotating the back foot in a manner that eventually has his/her back heel toward the catcher and off the ground, while the toe contacts the ground. This act should move the BASEBALLANCE back to a balanced position in preparation for contact and a transfer of the stored energy to/through the baseball by way of the bat. Performed effectively and efficiently, the rotation of the hips with the emphasis on a firm front leg can bring the BASEBALLANCE back to balanced. IT EMPHASIZES A POWERFUL BACK SIDE AND SUCH IMPROVEMENT WILL IMMEDIATELY BE RECOGNIZED WHEN HE OR SHE RETURNS TO FLAT GROUND. The BASEBALLANCE is effective in helping the hitter "stay back."

Straight Line Hitting

While using the cross rockers with the platform, the hitter works to transfer his/her weight toward contact in the manner described above, without allowing their front or lead side to move down the line or be pushed too aggressively or out of control over the plate. The acts frequently referred to as "stepping in the bucket" or "diving over the plate" are accented and highlighted. In additon, subtle acts of balance as the hitter tries to stay in the middle of the BASEBALLANCE through contact and the finish. Extremely effective tool when working "OPPO" or hitting the outside pitch. Does not allow the hitter to "cheat" over th plate and forces them to allow the ball to get deep in the strike zone. This is also where we concentrate on quieting the hitter, keeping them under control through the swing and finish.


FORCED HITTING OVER THE BALLS OF THE FEET

The hitter uses the innerside of the BASEBALLANCE with the cross rockers installed. This act forces the hitter off the heels and promotes hitting from the balls of his/her feet. It enables the hitter to feel the act of pivoting on the proper, most productive part of their foot to maximize hip rotation and get through the ball with absolute dynamic balance.