Every hitter dreams of the same thing: hitting the ball hard somewhere. But how you approach that moment, the mindset and the mechanics you bring to the plate, can define your game. It sparks a classic debate you hear in dugouts and around batting cages everywhere: Should you focus on hitting for average or hitting for power? Are you striving to be the consistent on-base machine that sparks rallies, or the game-changing slugger who clears the bases with one mighty swing?
Here at The Batter’s Den, we live and breathe hitting. We believe that with repetition comes results, and our 17 cages are built to help players like you find your best approach. Whether you’re spraying line drives or launching moon shots, improvement comes through dedication and focused practice. This article will break down both hitting styles, help you understand why you might focus on one over the other, detail the skills needed for each, and give you concrete ways to train right here in our facility.
Defining the Styles: Two Paths to Success
While both aim for offensive production, hitting for average and hitting for power represent distinct approaches:
- Hitting for Average: The Consistent Contributor This style is all about consistency and contact. The goal is to put the bat on the ball frequently, use the entire field, find the gaps, and simply get on base. Think high batting averages (.BA) and on-base percentages (.OBP). These hitters are often the spark plugs at the top of the lineup or the reliable bats that keep innings alive.
- Key Traits: Excellent bat control, sharp hand-eye coordination, great plate discipline (knowing the strike zone inside and out), and strong situational awareness – knowing how to hit behind the runner, lay down a bunt, or just put the ball in play when needed.
- Hitting for Power: The Game Changer This style focuses on driving the ball with maximum force. The aim is extra-base hits – doubles, triples, and the crowd-pleasing home run. Think high slugging percentages (.SLG) and runs batted in (RBIs). These hitters are often found in the heart of the order, looked upon to change the scoreboard with a single swing.
- Key Traits: Generating explosive bat speed, utilizing strength (especially from the legs and core), impeccable timing to hit the ball out front, and understanding how to create optimal launch angle to drive the ball deep.
Average vs. Power: Comparing Approaches
While distinct, these styles aren’t entirely separate worlds.
- Where They Align: Both demand a rock-solid foundation. You can’t excel at either without mastering your stance, load, timing, and having a fundamental understanding of the strike zone. And, of course, both require countless hours of dedicated practice.
- Key Differences:
- Mindset: Average hitters often prioritize making contact above all else, even shortening their swing with two strikes. Power hitters might accept a higher strikeout rate as a trade-off for impacting the game more dramatically when they do connect.
- Swing Mechanics: Hitters focused on average often utilize a more level swing path, aiming for line drives. Power hitters frequently incorporate a slight uppercut, not to “swing up,” but to match the plane of the pitch and create the backspin needed to drive the ball for distance.
- Pitch Selection: A contact hitter might look for any pitch they can handle and put into play effectively. A power hitter is often more selective, hunting for specific pitches in specific zones they know they can drive with authority.
- Primary Goal: Getting on base consistently vs. driving in runs and hitting for extra bases.
Choosing Your Focus: Strengths, Roles, and Development
So, which path is right for you? Consider these factors:
Why Focus on Average?
- Natural Gifts: It plays to strengths like exceptional hand-eye coordination, quick hands, and speed on the basepaths.
- Team Needs: Every successful team needs reliable hitters at the top of the order to set the table.
- Development Stage: This is crucial, especially for younger players. Building a foundation of consistent contact is paramount. Master hitting the ball squarely first, before you start trying to launch it. Power built on a shaky contact foundation often leads to frustration and strikeouts.
- Consistency: Putting the ball in play consistently keeps pressure on the defense and can help avoid prolonged slumps.
Why Focus on Power?
- Natural Gifts: It leverages physical advantages like strength, size, and the ability to generate explosive rotational force.
- Team Needs: Every lineup needs hitters in the middle who can drive in runs and change the game’s momentum instantly.
- Impact Potential: One swing can demoralize an opponent and energize your team.
- Advanced Development: Often, a focus on power comes after a hitter has already established solid contact skills. You need to be able to hit it consistently before you can focus on hitting it far consistently.
Training Time: Actionable Drills for Your Goals
Talk is great, but improvement happens in the cage. Here are specific drills you can work on right here at The Batter’s Den, tailored to your focus:
Drills for the Average Hitter (Contact & Control):
- Tee Work – Precision Practice: Set up cones or targets in different parts of the cage. Focus solely on hitting line drives to those specific spots. Work the tee inside and outside to simulate different pitch locations and practice driving the ball to all fields. Control is key.
- Soft Toss – Opposite Field Focus: Really emphasize letting the ball travel deeper into the hitting zone and driving outside pitches the other way. Feel the barrel stay through the ball.
- Two-Strike Drill: Simulate a two-strike count. Choke up slightly, maybe widen your stance, and shorten your swing. The only goal here is solid contact – put the ball in play. No swinging for the fences!
- Bunting Station: Dedicate time to mastering the bunt. Practice sacrifice bunts (deadening the ball) and bunting for a base hit (angling it perfectly down the lines). This is about precise bat control.
Drills for the Power Hitter (Speed & Drive):
- Tee Work – Launch & Drive: Set the tee up and focus on driving the ball hard in the air towards the back of the cage net. Experiment with tee height (middle, slightly lower) to understand how it impacts your launch angle. Feel the powerful extension through contact.
- Heavy Bat/Overload Training: (Use under guidance!) Properly incorporated heavy bat drills can help build sport-specific strength and potentially increase bat speed over time. Focus on maintaining good mechanics.
- Medicine Ball Rotational Throws: Outside the cage, build that explosive core power essential for power hitting. Work on throws simulating your swing’s rotation.
- Front Toss/BP – Attack Mode: When facing live pitching or front toss, adopt an aggressive mindset. Hunt for pitches in your happy zone (e.g., middle-in) and focus on turning on the ball, driving it with authority and backspin deep into the cage. Feel the power transfer from the ground up.
Finding the Balance: Becoming a Complete Hitter
While focusing your training is smart, remember that the truly elite hitters often blend both styles. It’s rarely purely one or the other.
- Foundation First, Always: Power is built upon a solid foundation of contact. Never sacrifice sound mechanics and consistent contact in a premature chase for power. You’ll likely end up with neither.
- Situational Awareness is Crucial: Even the biggest sluggers need to know when the situation calls for shortening up and just putting the ball in play (runner on third, less than two outs). Likewise, contact hitters who develop gap power become significantly more dangerous threats.
- The Ultimate Goal: Strive to be a tough out, no matter the situation. Use your practice time to become a more complete hitter, capable of adjusting your approach based on the pitcher, the count, and the game situation.
Own Your Approach at The Batter’s Den
Hitting for average and hitting for power are both valuable, essential components of a successful offense. Understanding the difference, knowing the skills involved, and recognizing your own strengths is the first step toward focused improvement.
Talk to your coaches. Honestly assess your game – what comes naturally? What does your team need from you? Then, choose an area for primary focus, but don’t completely neglect the other aspects of hitting.
Most importantly, get in the cage and put in the work. The Batter’s Den provides the space, the repetition, and the opportunity to hone your craft, whether you’re aiming for the gaps or the fences. Figure out your approach, dedicate yourself to the process, and watch the results follow.
Now, let’s get those reps in! You’ve got what it takes – let us help you unlock it.