How to Choke Up on a Bat

Baseball is one of America's favorite pastimes, and, for some, is more fun played than watched. The rules of the game are simple, hit the ball and run around the bases. But the physics behind why the ball is thrown a certain way for a fastball, and how choking up on the bat makes a difference, is much more complex. When you choke up on a bat, moving your hands higher on the handle, you decrease the amount of bat to swing. Moving your hands closer to the heaviest part of the bat allows you to swing the bat faster and hit the ball before it crosses the plate.

Instructions

    • 1

      Place your hands at the bottom of the bat, resting on the lip below the grip of the handle. Put your left hand below your right hand, if you are a right-handed batter, or your right hand below your left, if you are a left-handed batter.

    • 2

      Move your hands up on the handle, about an inch toward the heavy end of the bat. Don't choke up any higher or you may have a hard time swinging the bat properly.

    • 3

      Practice swinging at fast pitches to see that you can swing the bat faster and with less effort.