The Science of Hitting - Softcover

Ted Williams; John Underwood

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0671621033 ISBN 13: 9780671621032

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1986

Synopsis

“Baseball’s last .400 hitter share[s] his secrets in this primer still used at all levels of the game.” —Paul Dickson, author of Bill Veeck: Baseball’s Greatest Maverick

Now fully revised with new illustrations and diagrams, the classic—and still the greatest—book on hitting from the last baseball player to break the magic .400 barrier, Ted Williams.

Ted Williams was arguably the greatest pure hitter who ever lived. A lifelong student of hitting, he sought advice from every great hitter—and pitcher—he met. Drawing on that advice, as well as his own legendary life in baseball, Williams produced the all-time batting classic, The Science of Hitting. Using its detailed illustrations, anecdotes, and concise coaching, players of all skill levels will learn how to improve their fundamentals and gain keen insights into the finer points of hitting, including:

-How to Think Like a Pitcher and Guess the Pitch
-The Three Cardinal Rules for Developing a Smooth Line-Driving Swing
-The Secrets of Hip and Wrist Action
-Pitch Selection
-Bunting
-Hitting the Opposite Way

The Science of Hitting is a must-read for all baseball players looking to improve their turn at bat and for all coaches and parents teaching the sport.

About this title

Review:

As a boy, all Ted Williams wanted was to be the best hitter there ever was. Through his storied tenure with the Red Sox, he pretty much got his wish. He not only hit, he knew how to hit; there was no keener, more devoted, more articulate student of the art. The Science of Hitting is his comprehensive book of wisdom and anecdote, a baseball bible that offers clear, concise, well-illustrated, fundamental information on how to hit a baseball and, just as important, how to think about hitting a baseball. Williams's first commandment is "Get a good pitch to hit," and, in one of baseball's most dramatic teaching tools--a photograph that divides his strike zone into 77 baseballs, seven wide by 11 high--Williams projects what he would hit at each pitch location, from .230 on the low-outside strike to .400 in what he called his "happy zone," the heart of the plate belt high. In 1941, that happy zone was obviously ecstatic; Williams hit .406 that year, the last to break the magic .400 barrier.

About the Author:

Ted Williams won the American League batting championship six times and was given a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. He was the last man to bat .400 in major league baseball and has been considered America’s leading sports fisherman. With John Underwood, he coauthored Fishing “The Big Three” and his autobiography, My Turn at Bat.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1986
• ISBN 10: 0671621033
• ISBN 13: 9780671621032
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96
• Illustrator: Robert Cupp