“Knob to Ball”

Pushing the hands to the ball is NOT what elite hitters do…so don’t do it. 😉

Oklahoma’s Tiare Jennings is practicing a great first movement here in between pitches. Between pitches is a perfect time to get one more rep in of proper movement!

The hands/knob work with the shoulders for the first part of the swing. Notice the back shoulder working down, front shoulder working up (aka getting on plane.) The hands/knob get closer to the ball only because of the lower half turning is turning, which turns the torso, and then the upper half. NOT because the elbows extend out physically pushing the knob to the ball.

Be careful when using the term “take the knob to the ball” or “push the knob to the ball.” While this cue may work for a very small percentage or hitters, most hitters take cues like that and will do literally what it says. Physically pushing the knob to the ball creates a handsy swing with a steep path to the ball making it hard to get on plane early, stay on plane, and hard to hit for power.

We have a lot of drills in The Hitting Vault to teach the proper way to create a good bat path that does not entail using the term “push the knob to the ball.”