Pre-pitch:
Ryan Zimmerman’s swing is classic – you’ll see he hits almost all of the fundamental positions with precision and athleticism. But looking at his pre-pitch load, some would say “how is this fundamental?” It’s a key lesson: there is certainly no one way to load the hands back and shift the body weight to balanced. Here you see Ryan’s leg kick almost perfectly mirrors that of a pitcher – knee coming up high, toe below the knee, and weight braced against the inside of his back leg. If you work with hitters with larger-than-normal strides as a part of their load, do not be quick to change them. Check to see that they start their load in enough time to land as the pitch is being delivered, and see that their weight never moves beyond the inside of the rear leg.
Hitting Position:
Textbook. Note that Ryan’s back elbow is relaxed and low, barrel of the bat is directly above his helmet, and his weight is evenly distributed.
Contact:
It doesn’t always feel like hitting the ball deep in your stance is more powerful, but it is. Zimmerman hits this ball out of the park for many reasons, not the least of which is that he’s a very strong man. That being said, see how his right palm is skyward, both arms are yet to reach extension, back hip is cleared all the way through to facing the pitcher, and his weight has fully shifted off of his back foot into his front side.
Finish:
Zimmerman’s typically a two-handed finisher. Note how the barrel comes around his body on the same plane as his shoulders, and his head remains tall and above his center of balance through the finish. While not every swing need be this fundamental, this is certainly a model to aspire to.
Best Attributes:
Zimmerman’s powerful load, contact point, and finish are some of the best you can find.
Unique Features:
Ryan’s leg kick is a bit longer than typical – it requires some extra attention to get the timing right, but he’s proven you can absolutely succeed at the highest level with this load style. It is not something to coach out of a hitter if they are finding it successful.
