Statistics are what happened yesterday. They are past tense. Since the future is uncertain statistics cannot perfectly predict future outcomes. Statistics are for analysts not for players. In order to provide the hitter with confidence, the hitter must not rely on hits to determine his success. A hitter can hit a rocket and get out either because the ball was hit right at someone or because the defense made an incredible play. These at bats are still indicative that the hitter is performing well even though they are still outs. Ground balls to the right side with less than two outs that score runs are not hits but help teams win. Success should be defined as having quality at bats with the only goal of hitting the ball hard. Hitting the ball hard is an attainable goal and since it is achievable it promotes confidence, which is essential to hitting. The same concept applies to winning. You can play well and have a tough break and lose. Make playing well (an attainable goal) your team goal instead of winning to increase confidence and provide a more relaxed and loose atmosphere.

In a seven inning game a hitter is likely to hit at least three times. Your at bats are less than 15% of the team at bats. The other 85%+ of the team's at bats are your teammates'. Consider these to be at bats for you as well. Study the pitcher. Study his patterns. Prepare for the test. Pitchers fall into many patterns when they have to do a similar motion 50 or 60+ a game. Be on the fence and standing to increase your attention span. Hold a bat in hand to envision your at bat and prevent fooling around. This will help you make educated guesses as to what the pitcher might throw.

You can have the prettiest swing there is, if you swing at bad pitches you probably will not be a great hitter. Look for pitches that are elevated at the belt that you can drive. Until you have two strikes you should be looking to attack and looking for a pitch that you can hit hard. When you have two strikes stay back, slow down your feet and look to drive the ball to the opposite field.

Watch the ball as the pitcher goes through his motion and look for the release point. In practicing this, I have my players take pitches and call out what I am throwing upon my release. When you get really good at hit you will be able to pick up on many pitchers patterns and how they tip off what they are throwing.

Back Elbow: Allow your back elbow to rise not drop during gather in being firm with your top hand.  

Keep Your Front Hip on the Baseball: Let your hands lead 

Land: Land in an athletic position 50-50 where you have bend in your front leg and can allow your hands to lead your swing.

Chin Up: Keep your head quiet to prevent changing your eye level and dropping your back shoulder. Don't let your gather change your posture.

Walking away from your hands: This will allow you to keep your frontside on the ball. Do not turn your front shoulder or else you will cast out (come around the ball) and see less of the pitcher. Stride, step or leg kick gaining positive linear momentum while maintaining rhythm with your hands-- not throwing back your hands.

Line up your knuckles: This will create bend in your wrist, help you stay inside the ball, help you snap through and extend through the ball and hit a line drive.

Front Foot Closed: When you swing if your front foot opens up to point towards the pitcher, your head and front shoulder will come off the ball. This will cause you to pull off the ball instead of pushing through it. Ideally you would like to keepe your front foot pointed towards home plate and on a big swing it is ok to open up to first base as a right handed hitter.

Back Foot Straight: Many guys will have their back foot pointed towards the catcher. This will cause their hips to take longer to come around. Stay neutral to allow your hips to create power and prevent you getting beat on a fastball.

Stay inside the ball, short to the ball and long through it.

Stay back 50-50 until contact and explode forward. Do not just turn your hips and squash the bug, drive your hips forward.

Stay on top of the ball.

Drill work allows the hitter to learn by doing as opposed to being TOLD what to do. Here is a list of some of the drills I use with hitters:

Grab Tee Drill

Upper Body Swing

Double Soft Toss

Small Ball Drill

Target Drill

Two Tee drill

Sideways Soft Toss Drill

Over-On-Top Drill

High Tee Drill

High Tee behind you Drill

Fence Drill

Soft Tap (Tennis Ball) Drill

Tuck Drill

Basketball Drill

Top Hand Drill

Leg Kick Over Chair Drill

Back Knee Drive Drill

Drop Drill

Quick Toss Drill

Back Toss Drill

Extension Drill

Bottom Hand Drill

Walk Up Drill

Snap Drill

Hitting on the field: This causes a home run derby and makes the hitter want to hit the ball FAR as opposed to hitting the ball HARD. Trying to hit the ball far can hurt a player's mechanics. Hit in the cage/tunnel and work on your swing.

Too much reliance on the hitting instructor: Treat a hitting instructor like college classes. Not everyone is taking them so it is good that you are. Do not rely on college to get you a job. You are going to not only have to work hard in college but do things are your own to land a job/internship. Swing on your offdays so hitting lessons do not help you hit but help you excel.

Breathing: Breathe in when loading and out when making contact. Just like when you are bench pressing, breathing out will help you exert extra energy and maximize your strength. Typically hitters hold their breath when hitting. You can even say something at contact to ensure that you breathe out.

Write on athletic tape: Wear pre-wrap or athletic tape on your wrists. Write some positive things as well as things you need to be conscious of when you're hitting. It may be some of the flaws you usually have and in writing them down you will be able to prevent them during at bats.

When you stop caring about failure and being afraid of failure you will succeed.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByhPxWEpDYjbY0MxSWo2NTI3U1k/edit