You know that feeling when you're in the box and everything just clicks? The pitcher winds up, you see the ball perfectly, and your swing feels effortless but explosive. What's happening in that moment isn't magic — it's the loading sequence working exactly like it should.
Most hitters focus so much on their swing that they forget about what happens before the swing. But here's the thing: power doesn't start when you fire your hands forward. It starts the moment you begin loading into your back leg, and how you manage that loading process determines whether you're going to be on time, behind the ball, or completely fooled.
At All Fields Hitting, we spend a lot of time on this phase because it sets up everything else. Get your load right, and you give yourself the best chance to be successful. Rush it or skip steps, and even a perfect swing plane won't save you.
The Real Loading Sequence
When we talk about loading, we're really talking about three things happening in order: timing the pitcher, recognizing what's coming, and sequencing your body movements. Most young hitters try to do all three at once, and that's where they get into trouble.
The sequence we teach starts with the legs. As the pitcher begins his delivery, we want hitters loading weight into that back hip and getting the lower half ready to explode forward. This isn't a dramatic shift — we're talking about going from maybe 50/50 weight distribution to around 60/40 or 65/35 loaded back.
Something I see a lot with younger hitters is they want to load their hands first, picking them up and cocking them back as soon as they see the pitcher moving. That creates tension too early and actually makes it harder to time the pitch. We prefer the hands to stay quiet during the initial load, letting the lower half do its work first.
Separation: The Key to Timing
Here's where the magic happens — and where good hitters separate themselves from the rest. After you've loaded into your back leg, you need to start your stride while keeping your hands back. This creates what we call "separation," and it's probably the most important concept in hitting that nobody talks about enough.
Think about the best hitters you've watched. Their front foot is already moving toward the pitcher while their hands are still loaded and quiet. That separation creates the stretch and timing that allows them to unleash everything at just the right moment.
One thing my dad always taught me was that your front foot should land before you decide to swing. That might sound obvious, but watch some youth games and you'll see plenty of kids who are still striding when they're trying to fire their hands. It's impossible to hit consistently that way.
We like hitters to start their stride when the pitcher's front foot hits the ground, but every hitter's timing is a little different. Some guys need to start earlier, some can wait. The key is that your foot lands soft and early enough that you can still make adjustments based on what the pitch does.
Stride Direction and Types
Not all strides are created equal, and this is where hitters can really personalize their approach. We generally teach three types of strides, and each has its place depending on the hitter and the situation.
The straight stride is our go-to for most hitters — stepping directly toward the pitcher with that front foot. It's simple, repeatable, and keeps you in a good position to handle pitches anywhere in the zone. For hitters who struggle with pull-side timing or get too rotational too early, this is usually where we start.
Some hitters do well with a slightly closed stride, where the front foot lands a little closer to home plate. This can help hitters who tend to fly open or have trouble staying back on off-speed pitches. But you have to be careful here — too closed and you'll block your hips from clearing properly.
The open stride — stepping toward the pull side — is less common, but it works for certain hitters, especially those who have trouble getting their hips cleared or tend to get jammed a lot. We don't teach this as much because it can create timing issues, but some guys make it work.
The No-Stride Approach
We also work with some hitters who use a leg lift or no stride at all. This can be great for hitters who struggle with timing or tend to drift forward during their load. The key is still creating that separation — even without a stride, you need the lower half loaded and ready while the hands stay back.
What We See and How to Fix It
The biggest thing we see is hitters rushing their load sequence. They feel pressure to get started early, so they try to do everything at once. Their hands fly back, their weight shifts, and they stride all in one motion. Then they wonder why they're always late or why their swing feels so inconsistent.
Another common tendency is the "happy feet" syndrome — constantly moving or shuffling in the box instead of getting into a good loaded position and staying there. We work on getting comfortable with stillness, loading once, and then trusting the process.
We also see a lot of hitters who load their weight but don't create any coil or separation in their core. They shift weight to their back foot, but their shoulders and hands come with it, so when it's time to swing, they don't have that stretch and snap that creates bat speed.
Putting It to Work
Here are a couple of drills we use to work on this sequence. The first is simple stride timing — just work on loading and striding to a coach's tempo without swinging. Focus on loading the legs first, keeping hands quiet, then striding soft and on time.
We also do a lot of separation drills where hitters load, stride, and hold that position with their hands still back. You should feel tension across your core in that position — that's the feeling you want right before you launch into your swing.
The key is making this feel natural through repetition. Don't overthink it during at-bats, but put in the work during practice so your body knows what to do when it's time to compete.
Questions about your swing? Drop them in our chat — we're here to help.
This is Part 2 in our 5 Areas of Hitting series. Stay tuned for more insights on the fundamentals that make the difference at the plate.