Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Fabulous!
Review: "The classic guide to 'the single most difficult thing to do in sport' by a greatest hitter of all time." Written by Ted Williams and John Underwood, featuring Rose, Murray, Schmidt, Brett, Carew, Murphy, and other great hitters of the 70's & 80's. " A major influence on my basic hitting skills through my formative years and a must for learning and knowing the strike zone." Wade Boggs, American League batting champion, now would he lie? This guide features: how to think like a pitcher and guess the pitch, the 3 cardinal rules for developing a smooth line-driving swing, the secrets of hip and wrist action, pitch selection, bunting, hitting the opposite way, And So Much More! If you can't find this book here, you might want to search The Bunnies Auctions at eBay. ;)
Rating: 
Summary: Splendid Book!
Review: A great treatise on hitting by one of the greatest hitters who ever lived. Ted's theories will never go out of date. This is must reading for any baseball fan or for anyon who was to improve their hiting. Also recommended is his Hit List book and My Turn At Bat.
Rating:
Summary: Learn & Live from the Bible of Hitting
Review: A MLB scout of 40yrs...and current college hitting instructor...told me to "get Ted's book and throw the rest away." I got the book, but kept the others (Today i'd toss em out except Mike Epstein's book on hitting...it's worthwhile.) At first reading the Williams' book appears disappointing...too many old-time stories from Ted's days as a ballplayer and coach. Yet like a the game of checkers, the more you analyze (and read) the book, the deeper your understanding of hitting becomes. The most amazing concept is that Mr. Williams "discovered" his hitting mechanics by trial and error...without the use of high speed video, etc. His concepts are rather simple...1) get a good pitch to hit (study the pitchers and their tendencies), 2) use a lighter bat for quickness, 3) hips initiate the swing, 4) swing up (slightly) to increase your chances of hitting the ball "on plane" and 5) practice, practice, practice.My daughters play softball and its mindboggling how poor the hitting instruction is at nearly all levels...including high school. The forward weight shift, "hands thrown to the ball," and early wrist roll are wonderful ways to hit soft groundballs to second base. (And unless your daughter has amazing speed...mine don't...she'll hit about .180.) Many players and coaches are amazed that my average-sized daughters possess such "power." I'd love to think it's talent, but alas it's technique...proper hip rotation leading the hands...just as described by Williams, and an upward swing plane. The next time you're at a ballgame, see how many kids are actually swinging "upward"...pick those kids out and you'll immediately know the good hitters that have gotten good instruction. Get the book, study the drawings & photos...it makes so much sense.
Rating:
Summary: Learn & Live from the Bible of Hitting
Review: A MLB scout of 40yrs...and current college hitting instructor...told me to "get Ted's book and throw the rest away." I got the book, but kept the others (Today i'd toss em out except Mike Epstein's book on hitting...it's worthwhile.) At first reading the Williams' book appears disappointing...too many old-time stories from Ted's days as a ballplayer and coach. Yet like a the game of checkers, the more you analyze (and read) the book, the deeper your understanding of hitting becomes. The most amazing concept is that Mr. Williams "discovered" his hitting mechanics by trial and error...without the use of high speed video, etc. His concepts are rather simple...1) get a good pitch to hit (study the pitchers and their tendencies), 2) use a lighter bat for quickness, 3) hips initiate the swing, 4) swing up (slightly) to increase your chances of hitting the ball "on plane" and 5) practice, practice, practice. My daughters play softball and its mindboggling how poor the hitting instruction is at nearly all levels...including high school. The forward weight shift, "hands thrown to the ball," and early wrist roll are wonderful ways to hit soft groundballs to second base. (And unless your daughter has amazing speed...mine don't...she'll hit about .180.) Many players and coaches are amazed that my average-sized daughters possess such "power." I'd love to think it's talent, but alas it's technique...proper hip rotation leading the hands...just as described by Williams, and an upward swing plane. The next time you're at a ballgame, see how many kids are actually swinging "upward"...pick those kids out and you'll immediately know the good hitters that have gotten good instruction. Get the book, study the drawings & photos...it makes so much sense.
Rating:
Summary: Very helpful
Review: Boy, this was a very,very, helpful book for my hitting. Up until I read this book, I was an average hitter. After I read his book and saw his diagram, I could not wait to hit in front of everybody to show off. If you just get one baseball book in your life, GET THIS ONE! Teddy Ballgame was truly the best hitter ever.
Rating:
Summary: first and last book you will ever need on hitting a baseball
Review: By far the greatest book ever written on the art of hitting a baseball . Iused when i played in hs and it was phenom.how it helped me .I preached it at the hs level and now as i college coach i endorse it as well. MR.Williams in the best hitter since Babe Ruth so he knows what hes talking about .I own 3 of these books this paper back edition as well as the 1st print and 2nd print.The first edition is a collecters item which is going to be priceless at somepoint.I am currently seeking MR. Williams to sign my 1st edition book but not having much luck.If you are seroius about hitting look no further than this book,it talks of the most important things you must do to hit a baseball.1.)get a good pitch to hit2.)make sure you use a bat your comfortable with3.)make sure you have done your homework on a pitcher ,proper thinking at the plate,whats he gonna throw in a certain situation.I have only 2 words buy it!
Rating:
Summary: The BEST book on hitting I've ever read..a must to read!
Review: Easy to follow guidelines and diagrams. I especially liked his hitting zone diagram.Ted makes it simple to understand and tells the basics of hitting as only a player who has done it can. A great hitter and a great hitting instruction book.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant analysis by the master.
Review: I truly pity the pitchers who had to face this man. Ted Williams went about the craft of hitting a baseball in the same way that artillerymen go about finding a target. This book is a wonderful (and wonderfully readable) synthesis by a man whose considerable mental and physical capabilities were focused utterly on the idea of Getting A Hit. It almost turns hitting a baseball into a philosophical position. One of the premiere "How-to" sports books of all time.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Word on the Mechanics of the swing.
Review: In the past 2 years I have read EVERYTHING there is to read on the subject of hitting preperatory to teaching my gifted 8 year old son and while I tell you that in virtually each and every book there exists some gem that you can apply to help increase chances of success THIS BOOK is the definative work on hitting. What amazes me the most is that Williams, only a HS graduate, but yet possessing of an incredibly gifted intellect, as is exhibited by his becoming a fighter pilot etc, taught himself through trial, error and DETAILED analysis what the incredibly complex physics of the swing are. Recently, with the publication of Rob't K Adair's THE PHYSICS OF THE SWING we have the definitive confirmation of what Williams came to understand himself but now from a scientific and scholarly source. Williams doesn't articulate it in his book but he employed a law of physics called The Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum. Simply stated as it applies here it means that when you hold the arms close to the body and start the swing with your hips rather than your arms you will generate greater bat speed. Williams stated this simply in his book when he talks about starting the swing with the hips and holding the hands back as long as you can.... the farther the hands get away from the body the slower the bat speed. It's a law of physics that simply cannot be overcome. The hands, wrists and arms add nothing to the speed of the bat. They are mere conduits through which the power which is generated by the legs and the torso are transferred to the bat. Williams was intelligent enough to figure this one out on his own. Well, as he stated in his book, Rogers Hornsby's immortal words: "great hitters are not born, they are CREATED by study, hard work and fault correction" probably provided him with the spark he needed. He was an amazing man who had problems with his pears when he played as super intelligent people often do. Fortunately now he is getting his just due and respect. Thank you and rest in peace Teddy Ballgame!
Rating:
Summary: The Science of Hitting
Review: Regardless of which hitting philosophy you subscribe to, this book is the best overall technical reference for the mechanics of hitting. I own all of the hitting reference books and have taught hitting to over 200 little leaguers.
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