Lesson 3: The Directionally Sound Load and Launch Position

Today's Lesson

“Load toward the pitcher, not away from him. Where your energy points is where it goes.”

The load is where the gather turns into stored energy. Directionally sound means it points the right way: weight sinks into the back hip in line with the pitcher, the head stays centered, and the hands work back and slightly up without tension. The common mistake is loading sideways, drifting back over the back foot, tilting toward the plate or wrapping the bat behind the head. All of that sends energy somewhere you will have to fix later.

Then the body moves forward under control. The stride goes straight at the pitcher and you land strong: front side athletic, head over your center, hands still back, back elbow up enough to support them, knob pointing at the catcher. That landing is your launch position, the last organized spot before the barrel fires. These are what AHD calls Mechanically Advantaged Angles (MAA): reference positions that give leverage and a short route, not frozen poses. It should feel loaded and quiet, like a coiled spring.

Softball note: get the load done early and keep it short, because there is no time to load late from 43 feet. A toe-tap or small stride into launch works well for most fastpitch hitters. The launch position does not change: front side athletic, hands back, knob at the catcher.

Why It Matters

Hitters who drift, lunge or step off line lose power, plate coverage and their look at the ball. A load that points at the pitcher and lands in the same launch every time is what makes every later phase work.

Today's Work

Session (about 20 minutes):
• Set up: tape or chalk a line pointing at the pitcher, a tape mark on the wall or net next to your head, and a target taped behind you for the knob.
• Slow loads: 10 reps from gather to load. Stop and check: weight in the back hip, head on the mark, hands back and slightly up.
• Runway strides: 10 strides with a full gather and load. Front foot lands on the line or within a ball-width.
• Stick the landing: 10 strides, hold the launch position for a 2-count. Check hands back, back elbow organized, knob at the target.
• Tee work: 20 swings at game speed from the same launch, filmed from behind. Every swing counts twice: launch on video and ball flight.

Track It

Write your Runway count, stuck landings out of 10, and launch-checkpoint and line-drive counts from the 20 tee swings. Name the one angle that slips first when you swing hard.

Next: Lesson 4 adds the bump and teaches you to let go of the arrow.