The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-19

step and your swing. the way you stand amounts to nothing.
 Nobody Ever Taught Him.
 Nobody ever taught me how how to stand at the bat. They used to don't know whether I did or not. Whats more l never did care. didn't even think about 1t. I went ur there to hit the ball and l hit 1t the best way I could.
 McGraw was good hitter and he stood up straight, chopping into the ball with a short, sharp swing. the other hand, Delehanty used to take healthy barn door swing and he would knock the ball out of the lot. Take Heinie Groh, for instance What would you have thought of Heinie as hitter if you had been sent out as scout to look him over That peculiar way he stands, facing the pitcher with the bat held nign over his head, would have queered him with any scout. Still, Groh is il corking good hitter.
 The good batter is the ore who bats just like Webster wrote the English language his own way The main thing, the whole thing, is to be natural. If it feels better to 
 Indian, why, do it. If you don't get any hits that way. you'll soon change your mind.
 An important thing is never to be in hurry. Above all, don't try to press. If you are over-anxious, the pitcher will get on to it in a minute You'll have a fat chance of getting q good one to hit at!
 Always look the pitcher over care IT h, that you are not worrying about the matter. It's a cinch he's worrying 2 as much as you are.
 I am often asked if think 1t ad- visable to change the batting style of youngster when he comes into the big league. I do not. Many a good ball player has been spoiled by making him change his style of swing or the way he grips the bat. + makes him awkward, unnatural.
 O O O
 The Cobb Wagner Grip.
 As I write this I have just picked up a little pamphlet illustrating the different grips. The accompanying 7 photograph is the one the author of the book calls the Wagner Cobb grip. He advises against it's use, explain ing that it is not a good style. That's odd enough to make ne smile. Cobb and myself. according ieaguCS more than any other batters. Still, the fellow might be right. | You will notice that Cobb and n.y. self bat with our hands some dis tance apart, about four inches. Most | other batters keep their hands to- gether very much like golfers do. Now. that is all right for those who like it. have tried all the other grips and never could use any of MNr han Hg f,,d horses. pulling one at time. l. With the hands apart-the Cobb Wagner style-I have better control of the bat. I can bunt or swing hard; can swing quick, medium or slow. That grip enables me to hit high, low, inside or outside-in fact. I can take a better and more natural cut at any Kind of ball.
 The divided hand grip is good for carrying out what I have said about the step and timing. Arms, shoul- ders and legs work as one.
 Babe Ruth has an entirely differ- ent grip. He catches the bat well on the little end with both hands lock ed together His grip is very much the same as that of Frank Schulte. Both are very long hitters. It must be all right for Ruth. He brings hone the bacon. Still, fell sure that those long swingers do not have as good a Cobb and myself would have with the divided grip.
 I guess there will always T., a lot of argument about the differeN kinds of grips, the weight of tEts, the swing and so on.
 It only goes to show that the proper notion Is to go up there and hit the ball in the most natural way that you know how.
 When a slump gets you it won't make any difference what you do. But I will take up slumps later.
 Tomorrow-The Bug Enters Base : ball-at a. m.