The basic idea behind rotational hitting is that the hitter is trying to create more power by using her whole body, instead of just using her arms. In order to accomplish this, the hitter must initiate the swing by using her lower body. I find that the best way to teach this is by using the "1. 2. 3. Drill". The idea behind this drill is as follows...
To begin with, the hitter should always enter the box the same way every time. It doesn't matter if she is hitting off of a live pitcher during a game or if she is hitting off of a tee during practice. When in the box, she should be in a relaxed position that is comfortable to her with her hands loose, and NOT gripped tightly around the bat.
Step 1: Launch and Stride
This technique should be performed after the pitcher gets her sign and starts her pitching motion. In this step, what the hitter wants to accomplish is putting her hands in proper hitting position while positioning her stride in a ready position. When she launches, her hands should go straight back. Think of it this way: In order to kick a soccer ball, your leg must go backwards first in order to supply the momentum to kick the ball forward. In order to throw a softball, your arm must go backwards first in order to create the arm strength to bring your arm forward to throw the ball. The same goes for hitting. In order to create a nice level swing, your hands must launch straight back in order to create the proper power to hit the call When this is done correctly, the head of the bat will stay through the hitting zone much longer, thus creating a nice solid hit.
As the hitter is launching her hands, she is also performing a stride simultaneously. What she wants to accomplish with the stride is a nice fluid step about 1/2 towards the pitcher. The hitter's front heel should be up off of the ground, whereas her back heel should be on the ground. The majority of her weight should be on her back leg, almost to the point where if she stays in that position long enough, she can feel the fatigue in the quadriceps.
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Step 2: Heel Switch and Initiate
This technique should be performed when the hitter decides that the pitch is good enough to swing at. What she wants to do is to first switch her heels. As she is placing her front heel on the ground, she is simultaneously picking her right heel up. The reason behind this, is that by picking her back heel up, it allows the hitter to initiate her swing with her lower body by starting to rotate her back foot. This is an extremely important step because by using her lower body to start her swing, she is allowing her hips to pass through the hitting zone before her bat. This utilizes her to use all of her bigger muscles to put some pop behind her hit.
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Step 3: The Swing and Follow Through
As the hitter is switching her heels, she is also beginning her swing by rotating her back foot. In order for her to keep her bat in the hitting zone for as long as possible, she needs to concentrate on keeping her hands close to her body while bringing the knob of her bat towards where the pitch is coming from. Her elbows should never be locked before she makes contact with the ball. If this happens then she is "casting" her arms away from here body. When this happens, the hitter is using all upper body, and she will never hit with any power. Concerning the knob of the bat, wherever it is pointed is where the ball is inevitably going to go. For example, if the hitter drops the head of her bat a lot, she is more than likely popping up. By dropping the head of the bat, she is pointing the knob of the bat in the air, thus predicting where she will eventually hit the ball. The same goes for choppy grounders. By tomahawking at the pitch, she is pointing the knob of the bat at the ground, again predicting a ground ball. So with the goal of every at bat to be a nice solid line drive, the hitter needs to point the knob of the bat straight at where the ball is coming from.
When the hitter gets to the point of contact, her head should be down on the ball with her arms locked out. After she makes contact, she wants the bat to follow though just underneath her shoulder. By following through on a nice level plane, it discourages her to get underneath the pitch and lift the ball. By staying through the center of the ball, a line drive is more inevitable.
After her follow through, the hitter should be balanced in the box. Her weight should be centered straight down the back quadriceps. The front leg should be almost straight, but with a little flexion in the knee. The back leg should be bent with most of her weight resting on it. The weight should NOT be transferred to the front.
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