Can swinging a baseball bat 50-60% in batting practice translate into the live game?
50% effort swings
Reason 1 – practice hitting the baseball on the “sweet spot” of the bat over and over again. By slowing down the mechanics of the swing and swing with an effort of 50% the hitter can focus on barreling up the baseball. This is the foundational skill to learn that all great hitters can do and repeat.
Reason 2 – practice being stable, loose and having an adjustable swing. The hitters ability to adjust in real time to unpredictable pitches being thrown at them is another foundational skill . The ability for the hitter to remain stable and loose during the loading and unloading sequence of the swing. Can the hitter adjust in real time and still hit the baseball with the “sweet spot” of the bat.
Reason 3 – practice “flow state”. This is a state of mind where you are hyper focused on the task at hand and essentially “out of your own mind”. There may be a feeling of your body just taking over and you’re just witnessing what’s happening. When we take 50% effort swings we dumb down the task of squaring up the baseball and when we can repeat that 10 times in a row, a flow state follows.