Whether you like to pivot on your back foot or raise up on your back toe, hip rotation is essential to driving the baseball efficiently.

If you watch the best hitters in the MLB, you will notice that they forcefully drive through their hips, transferring energy from their lower body to the bat and helping them add sizzle power to the ball.

To see how this works, try swinging with only your arms and note the difference in power. (See How the Diamondbacks Work Their Hips.)

Here are a few baseball swing drills designed in a progression to isolate hip rotation, then translate it into live hitting power gains. (See also Baseball Swing Exercises to Improve Hitting Power.)

Toe Point

This hitting drill can be done with either a tee or a partner.

• Start by addressing the plate in your normal stance.
• Pivot your back foot and point your toe toward the pitcher.
• Keep your hands back and your shoulders square to the plate so that you can jumpstart the transfer by focusing on your lower half.
• From this point, take your normal swing.
• You should feel your hips rotate and transfer weight.
• Keep your shoulders closed so your front side doesn’t open.

Fire Drill

This hitting drill is broken down into three parts: the load, stride and swing.

• From your setup position, shift your weight onto your back foot.
• Take your stride and have a partner yell “fire” before you swing.
• On your partner’s cue, rotate your back foot toward the pitcher to assume the same position as the Toe Point.
• Finish your swing.

Play It Live

• Take a round of swings at normal speed.
• Pay close attention to hip rotation and the finish of your swing.

By breaking down your swing and focusing on your hip rotation, you should feel a difference in your swing in your next at-bats.