The next time you watch a major league baseball game, observe how the players hold the bat. How the hitter holds the bat greatly impacts bat velocity, trajectory and impact point. As an example, pounding in a nail with a hammer most effectively requires the carpenter to hold the hammer out in his / her knuckles vs. gripping with the palm of the hand. It is no different when holding a baseball bat. Dusty like thinking of this as “Holding the bat in the fingers.”

As you observed the Major League Baseball players, did you notice how many sort of “wag” the bat around loosely in their knuckles vs. the ones that grip the bat tightly with the palm of their hands?

In our systematic approach to hitting, we recommend that you hold the bat out with your fingers in your knuckles to ensure exceptional impact. For more on this, check out Step 4 in the Systematic Approach to Hitting in Dusty Baker’s Hitting Handbook, p.31..