Okay, so today I wanted to work on my batting stance, specifically trying to mimic the legendary Yogi Berra’s unique style. I’ve always been fascinated by how he crouched so low and still managed to be such a powerful hitter. It looked so unorthodox, but hey, the guy was a Hall of Famer, so there had to be something to it!
Getting Started
First, I watched a bunch of old videos of Yogi at the plate. Just trying to get a good visual of his posture. Man, he really got down there! It looked like he was practically sitting on his heels.
The Practice
I grabbed my bat and headed out to the backyard. No fancy setup, just me, the bat, and a whole lot of awkward attempts.
- The Crouch: The first thing I tried was just getting into that deep crouch. My legs started burning almost immediately! I felt like I was doing a squat instead of getting ready to hit a baseball.
- The Feet: I tried to keep my feet about shoulder-width apart, like I usually do, but it felt weird being that low. Yogi seemed to have his feet a bit closer together, so I experimented with that. Still felt weird.
- The Grip: My normal grip felt totally off in this position. I kept adjusting, trying to find something that felt remotely comfortable. No luck.
- Swinging: Okay, this was the hardest part. Trying to generate any power from that low position felt impossible. My swings were weak and awkward. I felt like I was going to fall over every time I swung.
My results
I spent a good hour out there, just trying different things. I tried widening my stance, narrowing it, moving my hands, everything. By the end, I could kind of get into a crouch that looked a little bit like Yogi’s, but it felt incredibly unnatural, and was really hard to hit like that.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, I have no idea how Yogi Berra did it. The guy must have had legs of steel and incredible balance. I have a newfound respect for his unique style. It’s definitely not something you can just pick up in an afternoon. Maybe with a lot more practice, I could get closer, but for now, I think I’ll stick to my regular stance. I’m not trying to be a Hall of Famer, just trying to hit the ball past the infield!
