Youth baseball players learn the secrets of hitting smart and batting big

Batting is more than just making contact; it is about the swing, the stance, the follow-through. Majorleague hitting coordinator Jack Maloof--who has fixed the mechanics of such explosive hitters as Tony Gwynn, Roberto Alomar, and Cliff Floyd--shares the same techniques he used with these big leaguers to help players in senior youth leagues and up hone their individual hitting form and make the most of every atbat.

Hit Like a Big Leaguer is a compendium of how-to hitting, including...