Open vs Closed Stance In Baseball/Softball?

Question

I was just curious about your thoughts and views of open vs closed stances. I'm a huge power hitter and I have a closed stance. All of the other power hitters on my team have a closed stance too although I've heard it limits and decreses view. Also I've been told if you have a closed batting stance you're a lot less likely to pull the ball but that's all I ever do. I rip balls to left and 9 and a half out of ten times I hit it to the left side of the field. My philosophy is that if you have a closed stance you're most likely going to hit balls to the right side beacause naturally to even out your weight you'd step towards the plate and then you're halfway there. Same way with closed stance but all I've gotten is controversy. Your thoughts? I'm only thirteen and I play softball so I have a lot of time to perfect my swing.

Answer 1

Closed.

Answer 2

My general feeling is "if it 'aint broke, don't fix it."

A closed stance is ususally better for young hitters because it helps to keep the front side from "opening up" too early...this is probably why you're hitting for good power right now.

Hitting is all about comfortable mechanics and the ability to make adjustments.  Play with your stance, see what works and what doesn't.  The beauty of hitting a baseball is that there's no "one true way" to do it.

Answer 3

Wow, for a 13 year old, you certainly seem to have a solid grasp on hitting.

The best advice I can give is to try out all kinds of stances during batting practice or in a batting cage. You might be pulling the ball from your closed stance because you're stepping towards the plate and swinging early. Try stepping toward the pitcher instead of toward the plate. You want your weight shifting forward when you swing, not toward the first base dugout, since you're trying to hit the ball forward. The important thing is to stay balanced the entire time, which might take some time. You may also have to adjust your timing just a hair so you're hitting the ball on the screws and not a split second too early.

I'm a "retired" high school player now but when I used to play, I would shift my stance depending on the situation. If there was a man at 2nd and I was trying to advance him to 3rd with a grounder to the right side, I'd use more of a closed stance. Otherwise I'd bat even or a little bit open.

EDIT: I saw your additional comment - what I wrote above about striding toward the pitcher instead of horizontally still largely applies. For a right handed batter, it's even worse to be stepping away from the plate than towards the plate, because it's harder to see the ball as you back away from it. It takes a lot of balance and practice to be moving like that and still consistently hit the ball solidly.

Also, if you're ever seen Ichiro Suzuki hit - well, it's like the opposite of that. Your momentum winds up moving towards 3rd base, which will cost you a step or two to first, and could easily make the difference in a close play. Feel free to message me or whatever if you have more questions.

Answer 4

I use a slightly open stance.  Just whatever is comfortable for you.

Answer 5

it depends on how you finish your step

if you have a closed  stance and finish with an even stance then where you hit it depends on your bat speed

if you have a closed stance and finish your step with a close stance unless you are very inhead of it you will hit to right (most of the time)

Answer 6

Well an open stance will allow you to see the pitch better but would take a while to learn. Its not very common to see that in little leagues. I would say if your succesful and comfortable with a closed stance stick with that. Maybe fool around with open stance at batting cages a little to see how it feels