Hitting a baseball is certainly a very difficult skill to develop. Many in the sporting world consider it among the most difficult techniques to fully develop. The irony behind the difficulty of the skill is that the top people in the sport say you should go to bat without thinking.
It's because great hitters are made during practice. Hitting takes a great deal of hard work and proper mechanics. If you weren't born with it you can develop it; if you train smart.
I believe hitting is the most over-taught skill in sports. It's quite obvious that a hitter needs a clear head when batting. So why the heck would a coach yell 10 commands at a hitter when he's hitting? I have no idea why they do this. All this does is cause confusion and poor contact.
Simplicity is the secret. Practice hard. When working on something, only work on one area of the swing at a time. When you've done enough work to engrain that into your muscle memory then you can move on to the next part of your swing that needs help.
The body core and legs are critical for proper hitting form. Do not become an upper body hitter. All great hitters hit from the trunk out, so get those hips exploding through the zone and that back heel to the sky. Also, don't "squash the bug." This is terrible advice and robs the hitter of virtually all of his power.
Standing at the plate can bring on nervousness, but it's important to stay calm and relaxed. Your body must be able to react very quickly. If your muscles are tense your body will not be reacting at peak speed and quickness. Make sure you have a light grip on the bat when batting. A tight grip will also lead to a tense body and decreased reaction, bat speed and power.
Last, but certainly not least, work on your baseball-specific vision. Learn how to track a projectile (i.e. baseball). Trace the path of a baseball as it follows various trajectories. Your vision ability when hitting is vital. If need be go get a full eye examination. After all, you can't hit what you can't see!
