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The most successful players in Home Run Derby understand the science behind every swing of the plastic bat.
How to Hit Home Runs
The key to Home Run Derby is knowing what kind of hitter you are. Do you use the rotation system, the weight-shift system, or a combination of the two? For more information on these systems, take a look at How to Hit a Baseball.
Bat speed is the secret to hitting home runs. Keep in mind swinging quick is not the same as swinging hard.
You may have to adjust your hitting style to accommodate the park. To take advantage of a shorter fence, look for pitches that you can more easily hit in that direction and/or adjust your swing to hit the ball in that direction. Surgeon General's Warning: Home Run Derby may fuck up your baseball swing.
Adjusting the angle of your swing also makes it easier to hit home runs. Those who have natural uppercuts will find that it's easier to hit balls high and over the fence. Those who have level swings will hit the ball hard but will struggle to consistently hit home runs.
Pitching also affects your ability to hit the ball. Whether you like high, arcing pitches or flat, straighter ones, be patient and wait for one you're comfortable with. It is the pitcher's responsibility to give you pitches to hit. If you're not happy, bitch.
Picking the Right Bat
To play Home Run Derby, you need a set of impact-resistant balls and a durable instrument with which to thrash them. The typical 28-inch, black, plastic specimen found at any toy store seems to work best.
Limitations on bat length and size help make the game more of a challenge. Longer bats generate excessive bat speed (Law of Angular Momentum) while thick bats increase the hitting surface. By enforcing the limitations stated in the Rules, Home Run Derby is more fun for everybody. Strategic taping of the barrel seems to improve bat performance by adding weight, hardening the hitting surface, and creating a texture which "grips" the ball on contact and produces favorable backspin. Experiment with different types of tape. Athletic tape is cheap and works well. Keep your bat dry, though. Water tends to negate the gripping effect of the tape.
Real baseball bats allow for realism and strength conditioning but are relatively heavy, reducing bat speed dramatically. Broomsticks allow for extremely high bat speed but have a tiny hitting surface and are very difficult to hit with. Neither are effective for Home Run Derby.
Physics 101
Fisting and capping the ball greatly affect trajectory. A ball that is fisted (hitting the bat closer to the grip) will occasionally go out, but a ball that is capped (hitting the bat on the very end) usually produces unproductive topspin.
Weather conditions also affect the ball's motion. Warmer days with lighter, less-dense air allow for better carry. Cold air tends to harden the ball and slow it down in the air. Rain has a tendency to weigh-down the ball and make it fly irregularly.
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