Ty Cobb's hitting tips

[TigerNation]

1. Don't grip your bat at the very end. Leave, say, an inch or two. Also, leave at least an inch or more space between your hands; that gives you balance and control of bat, and also keeps hands from interfering with each other during the swing.

2. Take position at plate, especially against right-hand pitchers, back of plate, and against a man with a real curve, you can stay on back line of batting box. Now try to hit to right-center. I don't mean you should place the ball in any one spot, but start now practicing to hit your righthanders to the opposite field. An inside ball from a right-hand pitcher you will naturally pull, say, to left-center.

3. Don't slug at full speed; learn to meet them firmly, and you will be surprised at the results.

4. Now, to hit as I ask, to right-center or center. You stand away from plate the distance you can see with mind's eye that you can hit the ball that curves on inside corner, to center. This distance away from plate will allow you to hit the outside ball to right. In other words, you protect the plate both on inside pitches and outside.

5. Remember, the plate is the pitcher's objective and he has to come to it. I use 'back of plate' expression to mean towards the catcher, away from plate to denote distance from plate towards outside of box. Now, use a slightly closed stance, and keep a little more weight on your front foot than back. That gives you balance and won't pull you away from curves. You are always in position to give maximum drive.

6. Don't pull a curve ball from a righthander. The ball is revolving away from you. Hit with the revolution and to right field.

7. Keep your left elbow cocked on level with your hands or even higher. Never let the elbow down below the hands, and keep your hands always well away from your body - keep pushing them out, even with your body or back.

8. Keep your back leg straight. Of course, if you put your weight more on the front leg, then the back leg will be straight.

9. If high fast balls inside really bother you: Crouch over from waist and pass them up. Don't bite, in other words. In crouching, you make the pitcher throw lower, which forces him away from the position that bothers you. But I think with the instructions I have give, you will hit them wherever they pitch.

10. Against a speedy left-hander: Don't pull. Use the same stance I have given you, and when he throws you his curve, knock him down with it or you will naturally pull it, as the ball is breaking in to you. But against a left-hander of fair speed: Move up in the box, also closer to plate, and pull this style of pitching.

[jamesh23]

wow, sounds completely wrong to me. from what i was taught

[Go Cardinals]

wow, sounds completely wrong to me.

Please which is wrong... most of it is approach, don't know how it CAN be WRONG...

[PhilliesPhan22]

the man had almost 4200 hits in his career, he must have done something right.

[jamesh23]

1. Don't grip your bat at the very end. Leave, say, an inch or two. Also, leave at least an inch or more space between your hands; that gives you balance and control of bat, and also keeps hands from interfering with each other during the swing.

2. Take position at plate, especially against right-hand pitchers, back of plate, and against a man with a real curve, you can stay on back line of batting box. Now try to hit to right-center. I don't mean you should place the ball in any one spot, but start now practicing to hit your righthanders to the opposite field. An inside ball from a right-hand pitcher you will naturally pull, say, to left-center.

3. Don't slug at full speed; learn to meet them firmly, and you will be surprised at the results.

4. Now, to hit as I ask, to right-center or center. You stand away from plate the distance you can see with mind's eye that you can hit the ball that curves on inside corner, to center. This distance away from plate will allow you to hit the outside ball to right. In other words, you protect the plate both on inside pitches and outside.

5. Remember, the plate is the pitcher's objective and he has to come to it. I use 'back of plate' expression to mean towards the catcher, away from plate to denote distance from plate towards outside of box. Now, use a slightly closed stance, and keep a little more weight on your front foot than back. That gives you balance and won't pull you away from curves. You are always in position to give maximum drive.

6. Don't pull a curve ball from a righthander. The ball is revolving away from you. Hit with the revolution and to right field.

7. Keep your left elbow cocked on level with your hands or even higher. Never let the elbow down below the hands, and keep your hands always well away from your body - keep pushing them out, even with your body or back.

8. Keep your back leg straight. Of course, if you put your weight more on the front leg, then the back leg will be straight.

9. If high fast balls inside really bother you: Crouch over from waist and pass them up. Don't bite, in other words. In crouching, you make the pitcher throw lower, which forces him away from the position that bothers you. But I think with the instructions I have give, you will hit them wherever they pitch.

10. Against a speedy left-hander: Don't pull. Use the same stance I have given you, and when he throws you his curve, knock him down with it or you will naturally pull it, as the ball is breaking in to you. But against a left-hander of fair speed: Move up in the box, also closer to plate, and pull this style of pitching.

the ones I agree with are 1,2,3,4, 6, 9, 10

5? keep more weight on your front foot? I thought it was 70-30 more on your back foot, also 6? why would you push your arms out away from you. its impossible to keep your elbows higher than your hands.

[callyjr]

James,

yout BA is 10 for 27 right? so isn't it more like .370?

[tom.guerry]

Ty Cobb on how to become a home run specialist like the Babe, from BATTING, FC Lane, p.71:

“ He is undoutedly the greatest slugger who ever lived. He has the build. He has the eye. he has everything. But he enjoyed a peculiar advantage which gave him his start. Ruth is more than a slugger, he is a home run hitter. Fortunately for him, he began as a pitcher. A pitcher is not expected to hit. Therefore, he can follow his own system without managerial interference. Ruth made the most of this opportunity. As a pitcher, he took a tremendous cut at the ball. At first it was rather awkward. Left handers bothered him. But he peresevered. He kept on trying to murder the ball. Gradually he gained confidence, experience, and knowledge of pitchers.. When he ceased to be a pitcher himself he had become a home run specialist. Ruth is a slugger; the greatest the game has ever known. I have tried to make myself a batter which is something quite different. A batter is a man who can bunt, place his hits, beat out infield drives and slug when the occasion demands it, but he doesn’t slug all the time.”

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Learn throwing and swinging together.

[DerekD]

James,

yout BA is 10 for 27 right? so isn't it more like .370?

If the AB's and average are correct, that's 11.7 hits. I want some video of that .7th hit.

[jamesh23]

James,

yout BA is 10 for 27 right? so isn't it more like .370?

thats what Im for total but walks dont count right, I have 4 walks, so if I played one game and had 4 AB and 4BB wouldnt I still be 0 for 0? so they dont really count I thought?

so its actually 10 for 23

[azmatsfan]

thats what Im for total but walks dont count right, I have 4 walks, so if I played one game and had 4 AB and 4BB wouldnt I still be 0 for 0? so they dont really count I thought?

so its actually 10 for 23

BB don't actually count as ABs, only as plate appearances.

[TigerNation]

Here are the same tips with some comments made by beabetterhitter.com:

1. DON'T GRIP YOUR BAT AT THE VERY END; leave say an inch or two. ALSO, LEAVE AT LEAST AN INCH OR MORE SPACE BETWEEN YOUR HANDS; that gives you balance and control of bat, and also keeps hands from interfering with each other during swing.

Cobb was a contact type of hitter that relied on getting the ball in play and using his speed to leg out many hits. Using this spread type of grip and “choking’ up on the bat gave him better control to capitalize on his hitting approach. Homeruns were not his concern, hitting .400 was! He did this 3 times in his career and once had a stretch of 11 years in which he hit .368 or higher!

2. Take position at plate, especially against right hand pitchers, BACK OF PLATE, and against a man with a real curve, YOU CAN STAY ON BACK LINE OF BATTING BOX. Now try to hit to right-center. I don't mean you should place the ball in any one spot, but start now practicing to hit your right-handers to the opposite field. An inside ball from a right-hand pitcher you will naturally pull, say, to left-center.

This is the philosophy we adopt at BeABetterHitter. Essentially what Ty Cobb is saying is that you want to identify the third of the plate that the pitch is coming… pull the ball on the inner third…hit the ball to the big part of the field (up the middle and opposite field) on balls on the outer two thirds. Interesting that he liked the very back line of the batter’s box.

3. DON'T SLUG AT FULL SPEED; LEARN TO MEET THEM FIRMLY, and you will be surprised at the results.

Another BeABetterHitter philosophy: Basically he is saying that a full and uncontrolled swing is not the answer! Develop Bat Speed and then use about 75-85% of that speed during the swing. See the article Pure Hitter = Power Hitter under Fundamental Skills.

4. Now, to hit as I ask, to right-center or center. YOU STAND AWAY FROM PLATE the distance you can see with mind's eye that you can hit the ball that curves on inside corner, to center. This distance away from the plate will allow you to hit the outside ball to right. In other words, you protect the plate both on inside pitches and outside.

Here, he is simply explaining that you must recognize and understand the concept of “plate coverage” with your bat length and stance position in the box. Another hint to hit to the big part of the field!

5. Remember, THE PLATE IS THE PITCHER'S OBJECTIVE AND HE HAS TO COME TO IT. I use 'back of plate' expression to mean towards the catcher, away from plate to denote distance from plate towards outside of box. Now, USE A SLIGHTLY CLOSED STANCE, AND KEEP A LITTLE MORE WEIGHT ON YOUR FRONT FOOT THAN BACK. That gives you balance and won't pull you away from curves. You are always in position to give maximum drive.

This is where hitting has changed a bit... perhaps for the worse. Players today are more interested in knocking the ball out of the park and so this “weight on the front foot” style has lost favor. Even though, if you analyze a golf swing, many of today’s players still utilize this stance setup. Incidentally, the golf ball is stationary!!

6. DON'T PULL A CURVE BALL FROM A RIGHTHANDER. The ball is revolving away from you. Go with the revolution and to right-field.

This is an interesting statement as it describes a RH hitter in the box. Again, I believe the key here is Cobb is intent on hitting the inside part of the ball to the big part of the field. Although, I am certain he would suggest you to hit the “hanger” on the inside third of the plate to left field, or simply out of the ballpark!

7. KEEP YOUR LEFT ELBOW COCKED ON LEVEL WITH YOUR HANDS OR EVEN HIGHER. Never let the elbows down below the hands, and keep your hands always well away from the body - keep pushing them out, even with your body or back.

Visualize the great Ty Cobb in his LH hitting position. He is describing the back elbow here as being at approximately the same height as the hands. What he means about the well away from the body is interesting (Sammy Sosa?). He does emphasize they be back, ready to hit.

8. KEEP YOUR BACK LEG STRAIGHT. Of course, if you put your weight more on the front leg, then the back leg will be straight.

Again, Ty Cobb was a contact hitter. He never hit more than 12 Homeruns in a season his entire career. A player should consider this when deciding if this style fits for him/her.

9. IF HIGH FAST BALLS INSIDE REALLY BOTHER YOU: crouch over from waist and pass them up. Don't bite, in other words. In crouching, you make the pitcher throw lower, which forces him away from the position that bothers you. But I think with the instructions I have given, you will hit them wherever they pitch.

This is a smart tactic for any player that has a difficult time getting to the high heat. Pete Rose comes to mind in remembering his batting stance. It also falls in line with the BABH philosophy of knowing your hitting zone. Hit your pitch in your zone until two strikes.

10 AGAINST A SPEEDY LEFT-HANDER DON'T PULL. Use same stance I have given you, and when he throws you his curve, knock him down with it or you will naturally pull it, as the ball is breaking in to you. BUT AGAINST A LEFT-HANDER OF FAIR SPEED: Move up in the box, also closer to the plate, and PULL THIS STYLE OF PITCHING.

Ty is describing a RH hitter against a LH Pitcher. Again, hit the inside of the ball and go to the big part of the field if the pitcher can “bring it”, including his curve ball. His hitting approach and position in the box, changes if the pitcher is not a flame thrower. His advice: “pull” a LH pitcher of average speed… in other words: “A crafty lefty”.