The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-04-18
BATTING IMPORTANT
PART OF BALL GAME
Team viii Not Be Successful Un-
less Players Can Hit Well
and Speed on Bases.
tBy CARL LUNDGREN, Baseball Coach.
University of ~Illinois.)

(By CARL LUNDGREN, Baseball Coach,
University of Illinois.)
Batting is one Of the most impor-
tant parts of baseball. Unless a team
has men in its lineup who can hit,
they will not be successful, no matter
how good they may field or throw. A
team that can bat and run bases
strikes terror into the hearts of Its
opponents.
Unless you are commonly known as
a natural hitter and have the unusual
ability to connec with the ball with
out any difficulty, you must pay a
great deal of attention to form In bat
ting. The average ball player usually
has several faults in his form of bat
ting that If corrected would add
points to his batting average and value
TO his team.
A player is said to hit in good form
when he stands erect at the plates
swings with a stroke that Is well con-
trolled, and not so hard that he can
not follow the ball with his eyes. The
arms must be kept well away from
the body; the stride should be short,
and the batter should step directly
toward the pitcher. The back knee
should be rigid and not bent as the
swing is taken.
In starting the SWIM, the bat
should be carried we'll back over the
shoulder just before the pitcher is
ready to let loose of the ball. In max
ing the swing care should be taken
not to drop the right shoulder, as this
tends to make you hit under the III
If the ball is between the shoulder
and the waistline, the stroke Is mere
~ parallel to the ground; from the
waistline to the knee it approaches a
golfng stroke. The stroke should be
made with a moderate swing that Is
followed through with the weight of
the body behind it. Many a batter Is
ruined because he savings his head
off" The harder you swing the less
likely you are to connect with the bali.
Bearing these fundamental prin-
ciples in mind, the batter must also
take the correct position in the bat
ter's box and hold his bat right. With
an ordinary pitcher in the box, the
batter should stand from six to twelve
inches from the plate and directly OPP
posite 1t. Against a pitcher with ire
mendous speed and a poor curve,
stand as far away from the plate as
the rules permit. If you are close up
you will not have time to make your
stroke. If the pitcher uses many
curves and slow balls without much
speed, stand 1t the extreme front of
the batter's box. This will enable
you to crack that slow ball before 1t
curves-or at least before the curve
reaches its maximum.
The bat should be held firmly, but
with the muscles loose and relaxed
In order that a free and easy swing
may be obtained. Your hands on the
bat should be together; or at the
farthest not more than three inches
apart.
The batter should watch the ball
with an intense concentration which
does not for a second lose sight of the
pail. rrOIH tHe SeCoLC INC paii lodNCS
the pitchers hand until it Is right
over the plate the batter's gaze should
be intent upon it.
A good batter lever hits at a bad
bali, but should wait until the n to
his liking m over. Some of the
really great sluggers may occasionally
hit a bad ball sa<ely, but it Is safe
to say that nineteen out of twenty
hits are made off balls directly over
the plate.