Why do baseball players stare at the bat?
Achieving Their Peak Performance Zone Taking time to focus the mind on a specific place on the bat and take a deep centering breath helps the athlete move into this zone before each pitch. This increases productivity.
Researchers are revisiting an age-old question in baseball: Do batters actually keep their eye on the ball? A review of the few film- and lab-based studies on the subject suggests that yes, indeed, batters' eyes are watching the pitched ball. But they're moving their heads, and not their eyes, to direct their gaze.
If the batter swings the bat by rotating it about some point near the body, then getting the barrel of the bat as far from the body as possible will get the highest bat speed in the barrel (which is where it counts). One way to do that is to grip the bat so that the hands overlap the knob.
Aim to hold bat somewhere between a 45 degree angle and flat over the shoulder for best results. Open Stance – Here the back foot is a little closer to the plate than the front foot.
This stems from the idea that bat flipping is a form of showing up the opposing pitcher which in turn is disrespecting him and the opposing team. For decades prior to this modern era of baseball, players were taught to respect the game and respect the opposing team.