Like many other young baseball lovers…
Some of my best childhood memories were from when my dad would take me to baseball games.
We’d always arrive at the ballpark early and get as close to the field as possible.
We’d watch BP, and if I was lucky, I’d snag an autograph from one of my favorite players.
As the stadium began to swell with fans and it came closer to the first pitch, we’d make our way to our seats.
The managers would meet at home plate, we’d stand for the National Anthem, and the game would begin.
One thing I remember is how I obsessed over my favorite players’ every move.
I wasn’t like most fans glancing around between pitches or waiting in the Dippin’ Dots line.
Instead, I would zero in on what the superstars on the field were doing.
I analyzed everything.
I watched how they ran out of the dugout. I watched how they warmed up. I even noticed what each hitter did in the on-deck circle.
Through my careful observation, I recognized a distinct pattern with these MLB hitters.
Sure, they all had different walk-up songs, stances, and swings.
But there was a common theme with each hitter — a very similar three-step “on-deck circle routine.”
Like clockwork, each hitter seemed to follow the same pattern.
And after watching countless big leaguers use this same three-step routine, I had to try it myself.
When I did, I noticed a night-and-day difference… and there was no turning back.
From that point on, my approach at the plate was much more consistent.
I felt more prepared than ever when I stepped into the box.
I felt ready to hit. And it was so much easier to pull the trigger.
If you dare to try this simple little routine for yourself, I bet you’ll notice the same thing.
So here are the three things MLB hitters do before every at-bat — and you should do them too:
1. They get themselves PHYSICALLY ready to hit
While each hitter’s routine is a little different, they all use some sort of process to get their body ready to hit.
Some use bat weights, donuts, or sleeves.
Some go through a light stretching routine.
Some do a few arm circles while holding the bat with one hand.
And they almost all take at least a few aggressive hacks to get themselves firing on all cylinders.
But the biggest key is that they get their body in motion, get warmed up, and get ready to do damage at the plate.
Now, there’s no perfect formula or step-by-step sequence to follow here.
My advice is to find what works for you and discard the rest.
But after being in the dugout or out in the field on defense, you want to get your muscles nice and loose.
That’s step one.
And while you’re getting warmed up, you can begin the second step of the process at the same time…
2. They get themselves MENTALLY ready to hit
As Yogi Berra said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”
While that math doesn’t exactly add up, every hitter should take note of what he’s saying.
It’s silly to think you can walk to the plate without a plan, swing, and expect to be successful… especially at the higher levels of baseball.
Not only do you need to be physically ready to hit, but you need to be mentally ready to hit.
That’s why your favorite MLB hitters look so focused and dialed in when they’re on deck.
They’re thinking, strategizing, and creating a game plan for their at-bat.
They might be asking themselves questions like:
- What’s the situation?
- What’s the score?
- What inning is it?
- How many outs are there?
- Are there any runners on base?
- Who’s on the mound?
- What pitches does he throw?
- What are his strengths and weaknesses?
- Is he pounding the strike zone or having a hard time finding the plate?
- Does he try to get ahead with a particular pitch?
- What’s his out pitch?
- How did he pitch me last time?
- How do I expect him to attack me this at-bat?
- What’s my approach?
- Is there a chance Coach will put on a sign here?
- Will I need to lay down a bunt or hit a deep sac fly to score a run?
- Or am I free-swinging and just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere?
- What pitch am I looking for?
The goal is to have an awareness of what’s going on and what you’re trying to do.
Don’t bog yourself down and suffer from “analysis paralysis”…
But follow Ted Williams’ advice: “Think. Don’t just swing. Think about the pitcher, what he threw you last time up, his best pitch, who’s up next. Think.”
And last but not least…
3. They get their TIMING down
Timing is everything for a hitter.
The more often you arrive on time, the more successful you’ll be.
And it all starts in the on-deck circle.
If you don’t get your timing down while on deck, you’ll have to “see a pitch” when it’s your turn to hit.
That’s a significant disadvantage…
So don’t waste any time when you go from being in the hole to being on deck.
Hustle out there and knock out the first two steps right away.
Get your body and mind ready to go before the pitcher throws the first pitch to the hitter in front of you.
After that, shift your attention to getting your timing down.
Here’s what you should do:
Get in your stance and pretend you’re at the plate.
You want to treat each pitch like you’re the one in the batter’s box.
As the pitcher winds up, “dance with him” and mirror his movements.
In other words, when he goes into his leg lift, start your load.
When he strides towards the plate, stride towards him.
Load and stride like you would if you were at the plate.
And here’s a big key:
Get your timing down based on the fastball.
Why?
It’s the pitch that’ll reach the plate the quickest, meaning you’ll have the least reaction time.
And if you’re on time for the fastball, you’ll have no problem adjusting to off-speed pitches.
But it’s much harder to do the reverse — timing off-speed pitches and trying to catch up to the fastball.
Now assuming the hitter didn’t put the ball into play…
Take a little inventory.
Assess what pitch he threw. Were you on time, a little early, or a little late?
Dancing with the pitcher is a great way to get your baseline timing down, but then you need to adjust.
If he’s a hard-throwing pitcher, you might need to start everything a little sooner.
If he throws slower, you can afford to start everything a little later.
You want to repeat this process with each pitch.
When you do this right, it’s almost like you’ll have an entire at-bat before your real at-bat even begins.
And when it’s finally your turn to hit, you’ll have your timing nailed before you even step into the box.
So there you have it!
Those are the three things MLB hitters do before every at-bat.
Try it out for yourself the next time you’re on-deck…
And you’ll strut to the plate with a surge of confidence, knowing you’re ready to hit.