Although baseball and golf belong to different types of sports, there are indeed similarities in some technical details and principles of movement, especially at the level of mechanics and mental strategies of batting action. The following is a specific analysis of the similarity of the two plays:
Rotate the core to exert force
Both movements have torso rotation as the core source of power. When a baseball is hit, the batsman moves his shoulders through a quick twist of the hip to transfer the force to the bat. The golf swing also relies on waist rotation, which generates torque through "hip activation" to transmit energy from the lower body to the club. The power chain of both follows the sequence of "foot→knees→hips→ torso →arms".
Shift of center of gravity control
Baseball: When preparing to hit the ball, the center of gravity is shifted to the back foot, and the center of gravity moves forward to the front foot at the moment of swinging, forming forward kinetic energy.
Golf: Shift the center of gravity to the right (right-handed player) when up and move the left hip sideways when down, shifting the weight to the left foot to stabilize the shot.
This adjustment of dynamic balance is essential for hitting power and stability.
Wrist delayed release
At the moment of hitting the ball, you need to keep the wrist angle delayed release: in baseball, the "lag swing" is used to increase the initial velocity of the ball; In golf, the wrist is bent to the middle of the downgame, creating a "whiplash effect" that increases clubhead speed.
Hitting plane and trajectory
While the trajectory of a baseball swing is closer to horizontal (to the height of the incoming ball), while the golf swing is in an inclined plane (adapted to a stationary ball on the ground), both emphasize the consistency of the swing trajectory. Professional players often use high-speed photography to analyze swing/swing paths to optimize the efficiency of their shots.
The "sweet spot" principle of the shot
The equipment (bat/club) for both sports has an optimal hitting area (Sweet Spot). Precise hits to this area reduce energy loss, which is reflected in longer flight distances in baseball and more stable trajectory and backspin control in golf.
Visual tracking training
Baseball batters are given 0.4 seconds to determine the trajectory of their pitches, while golfers are required to keep their heads steady during their swing to lock on to the point of impact. Both rely on highly developed eye-hand coordination, and some training methods (e.g., reaction ball exercises) can be used interchangeably.
"Predict-execute" decision-making model
Baseball: Predict the trajectory of the incoming ball according to the pitcher's posture and ball type, and choose the timing and angle of the swing.
Golf: Choose clubs and hitting strategies according to the slope and wind direction of the course.
Both require complex decisions to be made in a fraction of the time and under pressure to execute the results.
Mistake management mentality
The impact of a single error on the outcome of a game is highly weighted (e.g., key strikeouts in baseball, OB penalty in golf), and players need to have the ability to adjust quickly and avoid consecutive mistakes.
Data-based training trends
Modern baseball and golf both widely use biomechanical analysis, shot tracking systems (such as TrackMan) to quantify performance, and optimize technical movements through parameters such as spin rate and hitting angle.
Professional athletes often take advantage of their complementarity in training:
Baseball players develop a sense of rhythm and control through golf, and improve the smoothness of hitting the ball;
Golfers use baseball training to improve explosiveness and dynamic visual responses.
For example, Major League Baseball (MLB) star player Bryce Harper often spends the offseason doing golf training to maintain hand dexterity.