Batting Techniques

A batter waits at the home plate with a bat poised and ready for the pitcher to throw the ball. He tries to hit the ball and if it misses, the catcher, standing behind him catches it and returns it to the pitcher. If the batter hits the ball, he drops his bat, runs towards the first base, and is now known as a runner or a batter-runner.

Batters use different tactics such as a hit and run. One technique is for the runner to takeoff, drawing the second baseman to second base. This opens up a gap in the infield, enabling the batter to push a ball through the gap. Another technique is the sacrifice bunt. A batter goes all out to hit the ball and as it goes towards the infield, a runner advances to the home plate while the batter may be sacrificed. Another technique in this instance, with the batting side having fewer than two outs, is for the batter to hit a fly ball as far as he can so even if he is caught, the runner on third base can make it home while the batter is credited with a sacrifice fly.

Some batters swing at the first pitch while others wait patiently, observing the pitcher and hoping to tire him out. Contact hitters will swing at pitches that fall within their strike zone. Power batters try to hit a ball long in an effort to run for extra bases.