Is The Stride Needed in the Swing?

Many successful batters, in the Elite levels Do Not stride.  We don’t instruct a youth batter to stride.  If a batter chooses to stride we leave them alone unless we see the stride causing them problems.

The primary function of a ‘stride action’ is for timing.  We are teaching ‘Turn Back’, which serves as a timing mechanism.  It is OK to stride, if it feels natural to a batter, HOWEVER...

Young batters are encouraged to work without using a stride.  Striding is additional movement in the swing action.  More movements in the swing = more chances for flaws.  A solution for eliminating, or reducing, a problematic stride is to widen the stance.

In the videos below none of the batters stride.  A few pick up their front foot and set it back down; an action called a ‘Step’ or ‘Toe Tap’ (timing mechanisms like a stride, but with less movement).  Many (older and stronger) players today use this type of an action in place of a stride. These actions require quite a bit of leg and core strength, which players gain in their teen years. 

Canada v Italy    1 min 57 sec

Mariners v Blue Jays 4 mins (watch: 0:25 | 1:01 | 1:30 | 1:51 | 2:20 | 2:37 | 3:03)

Santana, in the first clip, and the Jays batter in the last clip, Do lift their front foot.  However, they set their foot back down, pretty much where the foot started.  Note that they do so slowly and with body control.  These are grown  men with tremendous body strength.  This is difficult for a young batter to incorporate into their swing.