Batting

A right-handed batter will stand to the right side of home plate (from the pitcher's point of view) and a left-handed batter to the left of home plate. Once a batter hits the ball into fair territory, he/she advances counter-clockwise around the bases.

Basic batting techniques:

· Start with your weight mostly on the back foot and the bat drawn back.

· Watch the ball all the way to the point of contact with the bat.

· Begin the swing by stepping towards the pitcher with the front foot.

· Twist the body to open the hips, then the shoulders, which pulls the bat through to meet the ball.

· It's important to have a full follow-through on the swing

If and when you hit the ball into Fair Territory, you must run. You have no choice. You must drop (never throw!) the bat down into Foul Territory and run as fast as possible to first base (and on to further bases if you think you can make them safely - i.e., before the fielders can get the ball to a player on that base). Remember that you must touch every base with your foot as you run past it, and when you decide to stop at a base (apart from first base and home plate), you must stop on it, not run past it. if you run past, you're liable to be tagged out.

FAIR AND FOUL BALLS

A ball is considered to be FAIR if:

· it lands in the outfield (i.e. in Fair Territory), and then rolls foul

· it is hit into Foul Territory, but then rolls into Fair Territory before it passes first or third base.

· it hits either first or third base, no matter where it goes afterwards!

A ball is considered to be FOUL if:

· it is hit into the infield (i.e. in Fair Territory) but then rolls foul before it passes first or third base

· it is hit into Foul Territory outside the outfield and then rolls into Fair Territory

NOTE: A ball touched by a fielder standing in fair territory is FAIR, a ball touched by a fielder in foul territory is FOUL.