The Types of Loads

Hey Guys,

As promised, I wanted to tie the different types of loads into the last article.  The type of load that you do is a timing mechanism.  It really serves no other purpose.  There is no answer to, "what's the best load?"  Some guys like to be real quiet in their swing and others like to be very loud.  It just depends on you and the type of hitter that you are:

The Stride:  The most common of the loads; You see most guys use the stride as their load because they are able to easily get into the athletic position we talked about in the last article.  This load can be performed out of an open, closed, or square stance.  You simply stride your foot forward.  You can look at many major league hitters on Youtube, but I think the best is Albert Pujols.  Many people think that he is a no stride guy, but he actually does take a small stride.

No Stride: This is a more uncommon load, because most hitters do not have the athleticism to get their hips loaded while not taking a stride.  To perform this load, you have to take your hips back away from your front leg to be able to properly use them in the swing.  This load can only be performed out of the square stance.  A great guy to watch for an example of this load is Jim Edmonds.

Leg Kick: Guys with good balance can use the leg kick in which the leg is pulled upward off the ground and then put back down.  The difference between this and the stride is that the knee is pulled upward in the leg kick.  This load can also be performed out of any of the stance styles.  The guy to watch for an example of this load would be Alex Rodriguez.  He does an awesome job of staying balanced so he's a good one to look at.

Toe Tap: A very athletic load that really gets your hips working in the swing.  It can be performed out of any of the stance styles.  In this load the front foot travels backwards, taps the ground, then gains ground forward. (hence toe tap)  The most legendary of the toe tappers is Sammy Sosa.  He performed the load out of an almost square stance.  If you want to watch a guy perform it out of an open stance, the Chipper Jones is your guy.

These are just the most common loads. You can do anything you want to get your hips ready to hit on time with the pitch, but these are the ones that we see all the time in hitters.  Make sure that the load that you choose to use is something that will not disrupt your timing.  It has to be comfortable and natural for you.  A load that is not comfortable with will lead to a lower batting average and less power.  I can promise you that.  Try them all out and let me know what you guys think.  I'm glad to help with any video analysis or anything like that for explanation.

Tip of the Day: Know and accept your athleticism.  Too many guys think that they are way more athletic than they are.  In relation to the load the less athletic guys need to go with the quieter loads.  It doesn't mean that you won't hit as well, it just means that timing up a pitch isn't as natural for you.  You won't see very many of the less athletic players using a toe tap.  For example, Albert Pujols: He's the best pure hitter in the game right now, but he is not as athletic as many of the other players in the major leagues, and it shows in his load.  He's a simple stride guy.  But him knowing and accepting his athleticism has led to his unprecedented success.

Hope it helps!  Until next time!