Baseball: Where to Stand in the Batting Box

Pat Aitken

It's a common question from coaches and players: Where should a batter stand in the batting box? Front or back?

The answer depends on several factors. First, how fast are your hitters' bats? That is, how long do they take to react to the pitch, and how fast is their bat speed? Second, what kind of pitchers are they facing? Are they flame-throwers or breaking ball specialists?

What Difference Does Position Make?
A position at the back of the box gives the batter more time to swing at a fastball. Standing at the front of the plate may help the batter make contact with a breaking ball before the break is complete.

So what's a good rule of thumb? Stand at the back of the box against a power pitcher, but at the front for a “movement” pitcher.

References:
1. Jerry Kindall (Editor), Science of Coaching Baseball, Human Kinetics Publishers, 1992.
2. Marty Schupak, Baseball Coaching, Kindle Edition, YSC Publishing Inc. & Amazon Digital Services, 2011.

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