Stance at the Plate

You will get the best results by standing about a foot from the inside corner of the plate with a stance fourteen inches wide (Fig. 4). Figure 5 shows you how Joe DiMaggio finds his right stance. Ho leans over, drops his bat two or three inches beyond the farthest corner of the plate (Fig. 5), and then straightens up to his natural hitting position. This is the method recommended.



During the season you will often have difficulty finding your stance at the plate because of the holes dug by other batters. If that should happen, don’t hesitate to call time. The umpire will stop the game until you have worked out a comfortable area.
Now you are ready for the pitch. Check Figure 6 for the proper foot position. Ty Cobb said several years ago, “Hit with your feet! If you have improper foot action, you can’t hit. I don’t care how much power you have or how sharp your eyes are you most step properly if you’re going to hit the ball!” Figure 6 shows the proper stance for right- handed hitters. The right or back foot is at a ninety-degree angle. The left or front foot is at a forty-five-degree angle.
Spider Jorgensen, star infielder with the Dodgers, has one of the most unusual stances in baseball (Fig. 7). He is a left hander hitter, but his stance is so open that he is actually facing the pitcher. His right or front foot is drawn back along the first base line while his right hip, instead of facing the pitcher, is pointed at the first baseman. However, Jorgensen’s stance is unorthodox and for the present we suggest you limit yourself to the standard methods.
Keep the toes of both feet on a straight line as shown in Figure 4. If you are a lefty, take the stance in Figure 8. The right or front foot is at a forty-five-degree angle while the left or back loot is at a ninety-degree angle to the plate with the toes of both feet kept on a straight line.
The Step. The step brings you into position to hit a pitched ball. You’ve heard fans at a ball game scream at their favorite player to “Step into the ball!” Perhaps your own teammate or coach has told you to “Step into the next pitch and bang it out!”

After the pitcher delivers, lake a six inch step straight toward the pitcher and Swing at the ball in a single movement. Use on easy motion so that you can shift your weight from the back foot to the front without losing your balance, never try to meet the ball before or after the stop has been token, but at the same moment the weight of the body is equal on both feet. The stop should be merely a slide of the front foot forward, just high enough so that the spikes clear the ground, and got your front hip out of the way! If you don’t, you will never be able to hit inside pitches effectively.