In his short career at this point (3 1/2 years experience in 2010), Ryan Braun has put up some veteran-like numbers. His career average is just over .300 and he’s hitting with power. Best yet, his RBI totals are up indicating that he’s plating runners when they are on base. He’s got a little bit different approach, though what I want to point out is that even though hitters vary their approach (what happens before the body begins to move), their hitting mechanics end up being very, very similar once movement starts. Have a look at Ryan below.
1. Notice that Braun begins with a more narrow stance than some of the other hitters you have seen in these analysis. His knees are slightly pinched together as well. We call this style; it’s what makes the hitters a little unique to everyone else. I am very careful not to mess with style unless it gets in the way of technique. For example, if a hitter’s style has him moving all over the place with his lower body and hands prior to the pitch, I will reduce the movement in order to make sure he is moving to a load position consistently (technique).
Because his stance is narrow, you’ll see that he can’t shift as much weight to his back leg to create future power. Instead, much like Lance Berkman, he will lets his hips move towards the pitcher with his stride. This acts like a jump start to his swing. Because he’s already generating momentum towards the pitch when his front foot lands, he will be able to get more power compared to sitting back and simply rotating without hip movement forward.
2. Another part of Braun’s style in his hitting mechanics is where he holds his hands in his set up position. Notice how his hands are higher than average compared to guys like Joe Mauer and Alex Rodriguez. But, you’ll also notice when you compare the technique of Braun, Mauer, and Rodriguez, their hands will move directly back to the baseball without wasted movement outward or downward first. This direct movement back to the pitch is part of what makes these guys so good. The more you can duplicate any part of your correct hitting mechanics time and time again, the better chance you’ll have of performing consistently day in and day out.
