The stance, although cosmetic, can either help or hinder the hitter's ability to see the softball. I urge any serious player to have a thorough eye examination that includes testing for depth perception. No matter how well the hitter performs the mechanics, if her eyes are relaying bad information to her brain, her chance of success decreases.

The stance shows the greatest amount of variety from hitter to hitter. Great hitters have hit from every foot and hand position imaginable. The primary purpose of the stance is to allow the hitter to see the ball with both eyes and to allow her to arrive in a position that creates balance and proper plate coverage. I have found that whether the hitter's stance is open, closed, or square, successful hitters stride to square position to get maximum coverage. Depending on the hitter's dominant eye, the proper stance can enhance her ability to see the ball with the greatest amount of clarity.

Two other common characteristics that I have found in the stance of effective hitters are flexibility and rhythm. A key element to any athletic movement is balance. Without flexibility in the ankles and knees, it is impossible to create a balanced and powerful base from which to hit. It is important for the hitter to keep her weight on the balls of her feet and not have her weight falling to her heels. This flexibility explains why you see many hitters in their prepitch routines bend at the waist and touch the outside portion of the plate with the bat in their bottom hand only. This routine is helpful in creating a balanced base and also ensures that the hitter has proper plate coverage.

Rhythm is another key to hitters with high batting averages. The ability of a hitter to create rhythm in her stance helps her execute the stride. It allows the hitter to keep her body and hands tension-free. Tension is a hitter's worst enemy. The tighter she is, the slower her reaction is. The locking of any body parts before contact causes extreme problems in the execution of the swing.

Rhythm is much easier to demonstrate than to describe. Simply put, a hitter who has rhythm can control her movements in preparation and execution of the swing. The ability to control movement and allow proper sequencing is the key to maximizing power and efficiency. Rhythm is noticeable in great hitters. Any movements made with the lower body or hands must be minimal and controlled. The more movement a hitter has when preparing to swing, the easier it is for the pitcher to disrupt her timing. When I discuss rhythm with hitters, I stress that the hitter should match her movement with the pitcher's movement. As the pitcher moves toward the plate, the hitter must get into launch position and secure her base for the execution of the swing. This movement should be smooth and controlled. Many young hitters wait too late to execute the loading phase; therefore, they come in late and out of control.

The main purpose of effective pitchers is to throw off the timing and rhythm of a hitter. The rhythm displayed by hitters is slightly visible in the lower body and hands. The head, of course, should always stay as quiet (still) as possible during the initial stance.

As I mentioned earlier, the stance is purely cosmetic: Although a hitter does not hit from the stance, a solid stance makes a huge difference in how she sees the ball, the plate coverage she achieves, and the preparation of her body and hands to attack the pitch.