How do I improve Body Rotation?

All players should understand what their typical Body Rotation ratio is for a middle-middle (mid-height and middle of plate) pitch. The best way to accomplish this is with tee work with the tee setup in the middle of the plate at an approximate height near the hitter's belt line. In this use case, the hitter should focus on achieving an average efficient Body Rotation ratio of 45%, with consistent Body Rotation ratios between 40%-50%.

Once the hitter is able to achieve consistency with this constrained task, they should then focus on adjustability in the swing by hitting different tee locations, such as high and outside and low and inside. Monitoring of the Body Rotation ratio for these tasks will demonstrate how well they maintain connection in their swing for these different pitch locations.

Using the Body Rotation ratio metric in batting cage practice and live pitch practice is a further extension of training which demonstrates the level of consistency in the hitter's rotational movement patterns on a pitch to pitch basis.

If the hitter is consistently achieving Body Rotation ratios that are < 40%, this typically indicates that they have a disconnection in their swing as there is not enough Body Rotation and they are too hand dependent as they are unhinging their wrists and committing to the swing too early. Connection drills should be used to achieve a more effective Body Rotation ratio.

If the hitter is consistently achieving Body Rotation ratios that are > 50%, this typically indicates that they have a disconnection in their swing as there is not enough bat rotation during the latter half of the swing as they are not fully unhinging their wrists into impact. This indicates that they are not maintaining their wrist hinge angle late in the swing. Hinge angle drills that maintain the angle between the bat and forearm should be used to achieve a more effective Body Rotation ratio.