How to Hit a Ball Thrown Down the Middle

One of the most important things you can do in the batter’s box is hit the ball on the right spot, which is called the contact point. To do so, let the baseball travel to the area where you can make the most solid contact.  You don’t want to be out in front of a pitch, resulting in a weak pop-up, fly ball or a ground ball. For a pitch down the middle, hitters should aim to make contact with the ball just off their front stride foot. This will generally be in front of the plate.

To practice this, set the tee up in front of the plate and just off where your stride foot will land. You should be able to hit it back up the middle between the right-and left-center field gaps. Remember, the pitcher determines where you hit the ball. You don’t try to steer it in a certain direction. If the pitcher throws it down the middle, you want to let the ball travel into the hitting zone and drive the baseball back toward the center of the field.