Either way, it is important to be comfortable. This is known as a вЂњbox gripвЂќ and is used by quite a few Major League players. IIf you are uncomfortable with aligning your knuckles as described earlier, try rotating the hands until the second and third knuckles line up with each other. Believe me, it only takes one of these bruises to make a believer out of you about the importance of holding the bat in the fingers. These bruises seem to linger with hitters for several days or even weeks. I have seen many batters, of all levels, strike the ball while holding the bat incorrectly and receive a terrible bruise near the web of the top hand. Holding the bat in the palms can also be very painful. Never hold the bat back in the palms of the hands! Holding the bat in this manner inhibits the flexion of the wrists during the swing and robs you of natural quickness and power. The easiest way to ensure that you are keeping the bat up in the fingers is to rotate your hands so that the second row of knuckles on each hand line up with each other. Take a light but firm grip with the bat in the fingers of the hands. Lesson number one: Loose muscles are fast muscles. The tremendous quickness you see is the result of the muscles being more relaxed and ready to respond to the commands their brain is sending to them. As the fight wears on and the fighters have adjusted to the moment, they begin firing punches with incredible speed and power. Tension and tightness slows the muscles down. Inevitably they will comment on the boxers being вЂњtight,вЂќ that they arenвЂ™t quite loose enough yet to вЂњget off first.вЂќ This is especially true during championship bouts because the fighters probably are a little more tense. Here is a great example of loose muscles being faster and more powerful: The next time you happen to be watching a boxing match on television listen to the announcers early in the fight. Have you ever watched a Major League hitter lightly grip and re-grip the bat as he waited for the pitch? He is unconsciously reminding himself to keep a loose grip. The tightness inhibits other muscles, that you donвЂ™t even realize you are using, from helping you during the swing. You might think that by squeezing the sawdust out of the bat, gritting your teeth and flexing your arm muscles, you are prepared to hit even a Nolan Ryan fast ball. You want to hold the bird firmly enough to prevent it from flying away, yet not so tightly that you harm the bird.ДЄ light grip such as this keeps the muscles of the hands, wrists and forearms loose and prepared for action. Pretend as though you are holding a small bird in your hands. Then, simply close your hands around the handle.Дo not squeeze the bat. To do this, lay the handle of the bat across the lower base of the fingers of each hand. One that will allow your other body parts, once they are introduced, to work properly and efficiently with your hands to produce a powerful, effective, controlled and repeatable swing.ДЄ good grip is one where the handle of the bat is held primarily in the fingers of the hand. It stands to reason then, that if you intend to develop yourself into a good hitter, that you start with a fundamentally sound grip on the bat. You may use those other body parts to swing the bat properly, but your hands are the only physical connection to the bat. The only body part which touches the bat is your hands.

You donвЂ™t hold it with your arms, your shoulders, your legs, feet or your mind.

The hands are the one and only physical link to the bat.

Bat thumbs