Five tips to help you unlock a consistent baseball or softball swing

Posted: June 5, 2025

If a basketball player goes 3 for 10 from the free throw line, it’s a poor showing. If a quarterback completes 3 of 10 passes, they are inaccurate.

But in baseball or softball, getting 3 hits in 10 at-bats is good.

That’s because hitting a baseball or softball consistently off pitchers throwing heat is one of the most challenging skills to master.

Mastering a consistent baseball or softball swing requires attention to detail and a disciplined approach. There are a lot of moving parts and when you step into the batter’s box, everything from your head down to your toes must be synced up. If there is even the slightest hiccup, the chance for success drops exponentially.

The leaders at of the Sanford Sports Academy put together tips to help you master your approach at the plate.

Keys to a consistent swing

1. Stance: The most important thing is finding a comfortable, repeatable setup. Whether you prefer an open, closed, narrow or wide batting stance, it’s important that it allows you to move smoothly into your swing.
2. Load: The load of a baseball or softball swing is where you gather the power from your lower half for an explosive swing. The power comes from coiling your back hip with the knob (bottom) of the bat pointed at the catcher.
3. Toe Touch: This is all about timing. It’s where your front foot briefly touches the ground before you get ready to unload your swing. It helps you get centered over your backside and gets you into the optimal hitting position. Your front heel should touch the ground before you start to uncoil.
4. Contact: Upon contact with the baseball, your belly button should be behind the ball. Your top hand should be palm up and your bottom hand should be palm down. Your hands should always be above the ball. There should be minimal space between your body and arms. Try to keep your head down in the hitting zone for as long as possible.
5. Extension: This refers to staying through the ball after contact. It’s all about follow through and extending your arms. Proper extension allows you to stay in the hitting zone longer, which leads to higher exit velocities. Your extension will be different for pitches that are on the outside half of the plate compared to pitches on the inside of the plate. 

All these pieces are important and it’s vital they work in unison. If one of these steps is out of tune, it can lead to failures at the plate.

Sanford Sports Academy can help take your baseball and softball skills to the next level.