In Coach Bass's teaching, power is not more effort. It is the barrel moving through the ball in a useful direction, with a swing the hitter still controls.
Power starts with direction
Power is not just effort. The barrel has to move through the ball in a useful direction. A direct swing with productive direction gives the hitter a better chance to create hard contact consistently.
For a right-handed hitter, Coach Bass wants the momentum going toward the second baseman; for a left-handed hitter, toward the shortstop. His one-thought correction: take that fielder's cap off with a line drive.
Deliver the barrel
The back hand helps deliver the barrel through contact. Think about driving a hammer into a nail. The hitter should deliver the barrel through the ball instead of trying to lift or push around it.
If the ball was a nail and the bat was a hammer, you are throwing the barrel head to the ball.
Contact happens with the back arm bent, like the arm position before throwing an uppercut, and extension comes after contact as the back hand throws the barrel through the ball. The uppercut comparison describes the arm only, never the direction of the swing.
Stay behind the ball
Productive momentum does not mean lunging. Move through the ball while staying behind it. The hitter should create direction and intent without allowing the head and body to get out in front of the swing.
The ball is in front of the hitter at all three Coach Bass attack points: the inside front knee, the belly button and the inside back knee. The correct momentum direction is what lets the hitter get behind it.
Hard contact over launch angle
The goal is hard, clean contact. Do not chase launch angle by trying to lift the ball. Drive through the ball and let quality contact create the ball flight.
The ball will tell you what the hitter is doing. Line drives toward the middle of the field say the barrel is working through the ball. Foul balls straight up and weak pulled contact are the patterns of going out to get the ball.
Swing harder without swinging worse
More intent only helps if the hitter keeps control of the swing. If effort creates a longer path, poor balance or a loss of direction, the hitter has traded quality for effort.
Faster does not mean longer. A hitter can swing harder without making the swing longer. If the hands cast, the head moves excessively or the hitter pulls off the ball, the extra effort is not helping.
Bat speed itself comes from the hands: the bottom hand throws the knob from the elbow to the hand while the back hand throws the barrel, at the same time. Neither hand goes first.
Power works through the approach
The Coach Bass approach begins middle-away. Right-handed hitters work through the second-base side. Left-handed hitters mirror that direction through the shortstop side. Power should work through the approach, not replace it.
The approach stays simple: focus on middle and away, and react on an inside pitch.
If you're looking middle and away, you will not roll over or hit the pop up because you are looking at attack location versus just swinging and hoping you hit it.
Bat speed only helps if the barrel is moving in a useful direction. Maintain the middle-away approach, stay behind the ball and let the increased speed work through the hitting direction.
Know when to use power
Hitter's counts give the hitter an opportunity to look for a pitch that can be driven. Power does not mean chasing. Hunt a pitch in the zone where damage can be done.
The hitter has the plan before the pitch. Looking fastball, attack fastball. Looking offspeed, attack offspeed.
When you are looking for a certain pitch and you get it, you cannot miss it.
Game power is controlled power
The goal is not the hardest swing in the cage. The goal is a powerful swing the hitter can use against real pitching, changing speed, changing location, counts and pressure.
The fastest cage swing is not automatically the best game swing. The hitter still has to recognize location, adjust to speed and make a good decision.
What power training works on
Drills in the Power Hitting program, and what each is for:
- Direction Marker: train productive momentum and direction through the ball.
- Hard Line-Drive Round: create high-intent contact without sacrificing direction.
- Backspin Target: produce clean line-drive ball flight through the target area.
- Three-Intent Round: increase swing intent while keeping the same swing pattern.
Two of the program's drills are public in full: the Back-Hand Hammer, for delivering the barrel, and the Middle-Away Line Drive, for the hitting direction.