How to stop lunging at the ball: cues and drills for hitters
Lunging means your head and body keep moving toward the pitcher after your swing has started. The cue is to turn around a stable center. Start with the No-Stride Tee drill, which takes the stride away so you can feel that center, then add your normal move back.
How to tell if you’re doing it
Film three swings from the side. Pause when your hands start forward, and note where your head is. Then step to contact. If your head has moved toward the pitcher on most swings, that’s the pattern. Your stride before the swing starts doesn’t count. Moving forward to land is normal.
What the research says
Samuel Haag’s 2017 study in SABR’s Baseball Research Journal filmed 18 NCAA Division II hitters taking tee swings. From swing start to contact, their heads moved about 4.5 cm backward on average (SD 3.3 cm). Only three moved forward.
So a head that stays where it is, or goes back a little, is what those hitters did. The same study found stride length and stride height weren’t significantly linked to head movement. A shorter stride alone may not fix this. Keep in mind it was one small group of college players off a tee, not proof about all hitters.
Drill 1: No-Stride Tee
Equipment: tee, balls, net. Dose: 6 to 10 drill swings, then 4 normal swings.
- Start in your normal stance.
- Hit without a stride, or with only a tiny lift-and-land.
- Drive the ball while keeping your head and torso centered through contact.
- Take that same centered feel into a few normal swings.
Don’t make this your permanent game swing. Bring your normal move back after the drill swings.
Drill 2: Step-Back Load
Equipment: tee or front toss. Dose: 6 to 8 drill swings, then 4 normal swings.
- Start normally, and step your rear foot slightly back as you gather.
- Feel your rear hip load before you go forward.
- Move into the swing, keeping the step small and controlled.
Don’t sway way behind your back foot, or turn it into a crossover move.
If your hips keep sliding after you land
That’s a close relative of lunging. When your front leg stops your hips, your body can turn fast. If your hips keep sliding, the turn has nothing to push against. The cue there is: step, stop, then turn. The Load and Plant drill fits that one best.