CYBERSPORTS HEAVY HITTERS TACKLE ART OF HITTING.

``You got an object coming at you at 97 miles an hour, a round object, and a round stick in your hand and you're supposed to hit it square. So, when you put all that stuff together, the physics involved, it's pretty amazing.''

- Nomar Garciaparra 

The Boston Red Sox shortstop opens Major League Baseball Productions' latest DVD release, ``Hitters on Hitting: Finding the Sweet Spot,'' and right away, the viewer knows to expect an engaging, scientific discussion of what Ted Williams says is the hardest thing to do in sports. And he should know, having been the last player to hit .400.

``(Hitting is) really at the edge of human facilities,'' says Robert Adair, a professor of physics at Yale University who offers commentary throughout the DVD. But don't fret, there isn't an overload of overly intellectual, highbrow talk from scholarly types.

Most of the commentary comes from current and former players and coaches such as Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, Mark McGwire. But the main dish is Williams, who appears sporadically in the DVD after a particularly interesting segment in which old footage of him explaining the art of hitting as manager of the Texas Rangers is woven in with recent interviews.

Tony Gwynn's input also was intriguing, considering how outspoken he's been recently about becoming the coach at his alma mater, San Diego State. After viewing the DVD, it would seem to be a no-brainer that Gwynn go into coaching after his retirement at the end of this season. The player the DVD refers to as ``the reigning scientist of today in hitting'' is a natural explaining his theories on hitting.

He looks right at home standing at the plate (obviously), a ball resting on the tee, with a bucket of balls to his side. He speaks so easily, communicating the nuances of his stance and approach.

If only it actually were as easy to hit as Gwynn makes it seem.

New York Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer offers the working-man's explanation to great hitting: It's in the genes. ``Ted Williams was born to hit .340, Don Zimmer was born to hit .235,'' Zimmer says.

Cal Ripken takes a lighthearted look back throughout the history of his own stances in the DVD, from his self-termed ``violin'' to the ``walk-n- fuss,'' and a scientist later reveals the dynamics of the bat after visiting the Louisville Slugger factory.

It's a fun tour of all the ins and outs of hitting. But no matter what, if you can't hit, you can't hit, as Williams so eloquently states.

``It's the reason your dad probably quit baseball and maybe his dad too.''