Article: Your dominant hand will go on top. The middle knuckles of your upper hand should line up with the bottom of your fingers on the lower hand (part of the finger between your palm and middle knuckle). Gripping the bat 1-2 inches above the bottom is called “choking up.” You can get more power the lower your hands are, but choking up improves bat speed. Find a comfortable spot for you. Your elbows should be roughly nipple height and the bat will be 8-12 inches away from your chest. Make sure you're comfortable, relaxed, and can swing the bat with ease. Keep the bat high – shoulder height or higher – in order to come down on the ball with power. Your toes should point towards the plate and your legs will be spread apart. Your feet should face in front of you. Do not splay your toes out to the side or in towards the plate. The ball of your foot is the small area in between your toes and your arches. Keeping your weight on the balls of your feet lets your move quickly. Rest roughly 60% of your weight on your back foot, towards the catcher. You should be able to quickly pick up your front foot and step it towards the pitcher's mound. You want a slight bend in your elbows and knees, allowing you to move quickly and smoothly when the pitch comes. This is a small point, but an essential one if you want to catch up to a fast pitch. You need to be able to see the pitcher and the ball the entire time it is coming at you. If it helps, turn your front foot slightly towards the pitcher to open up your body. Keep your eye on the ball the entire time you are swinging. If you are a batter who steps with the front foot, time your step to end when the pitcher's leg touches down. Your front foot should be planted on the ground when the ball is released. This initiates a strong, powerful swing. As you start your swing your front foot must be planted firmly on the ground or you will lose balance and power. Your back foot will pivot on the toe and your hips will turn towards the pitcher as your bat approaches the ball. You will feel your weight start to transfer towards your front foot. Your hips are where your develop your power – think of your hips as a tightly wrapped rubber band uncoiling as your turn towards the ball. Make sure you are turning your hips before your hands. Remember the adage: “your hips lead your hands.” Your lower hand is the one that puts the bat on the ball, so try to match your lower hand with the trajectory of the ball. Think of taking the knob at the end of the bat and swinging it on the same path as the ball. Your lower hand also helps you get speed, but do no try to “pull” the bat forward. Your hips are driving the bat forward and your hands are helping guide it. Your top arm keeps your swing quick and compact. Begin to tuck your elbow in towards your chest to shorten your swing, driving the bat quickly through the ball. Make sure your elbow stays behind your hands as you tuck it in. You want your hands to lead the bat. You want to keep swinging through the ball, not stopping after making contact, to get real power. As you make contact, imagine that there are two more balls right behind it that you need to hit as well. Your momentum will take the bat around your body as your weight shifts forward. Home run balls need backspin to help them fly longer. There are two good ways to get backspin:  Stay on the inside of the ball. Keep your swing compact and think of hitting the half of the ball closer to your body. Hit down on the lower two-thirds of the ball. This lifts the ball and spins it backwards off the bat, allowing it to cruise towards the bleacher seats. You might feel like you are almost “chopping” at the ball, but the trick is to catch the bottom two-thirds of the ball to get power.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Grip the bat with both hands near the bottom of the grip. Hold the bat up and in front of you. Plant your legs slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Rest on the balls of your feet and keep your weight back. Relax your elbows and knees. Point your eyes and head directly at the pitcher. Time your step with the pitcher, if you take a step. Turn your back knee towards the ball as your front heel touches down. Start your swing through your hips, transferring your power from your legs to your torso. Use your lower arm to guide the bat to the ball. Bring the elbow of your upper arm close to your chest. Swing your hands through the ball, not at it. Hit the ball with backspin.
Article: If you want baby spinach, begin harvesting when your plants are around 2 inches (5.1 cm) long. You can typically pinch off the leaves at the stems using your fingernail. Use garden shears or scissors for tougher leaves. Always harvest full leaves with a bit of stem. Leaves without stems will go bad very quickly. For harvesting adult plants, ensure that they have at least 6 leaves that are around 4 inches (10 cm) long. Use garden shears to cut the outside leaves and ensure the plant will continue producing in its container. Once it has grown a tall flower stalk, harvest the plant by cutting the main stem. Bolting occurs when spinach plants send up a seed stalk that eventually flowers. Flowering turns the leaves bitter and inedible. If mature plants begin to grow taller in a short period of time, it's a sign of bolting – pull up the whole plant and harvest its leaves. If you're not using your spinach right away, store your unwashed leaves in a plastic bag for 5 to 7 days. If you store spinach in your freezer at 0 °C (32 °F), it can last for 10 to 12 months.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Cut off spinach leaves early if you want baby spinach. Remove your spinach leaves after 40 to 45 days if you want adult spinach. Store your harvested spinach in the refrigerator.
Article: The figure eight knot has a firm, non-slip loop at the end. It is one of the strongest knots there is and ideal for mooring boats. Measure 24 inches (61 cm) from the end of the rope, then wrap the rope into a loop. The tail needs to cross in front of the rest of the rope. Hold the loop in your non-dominant hand. Use your other hand to wrap the tail end of the rope behind the rest of the rope, just under the loop. Pull the tail end upwards and push it through the loop. Pull upwards on the tail end and downwards on the rest of the rope to tighten the knot. If you have enough rope leftover, you can use it to retrace your knot. Simply weave the tail around the knot, following the rope that's already there. This will make the knot larger. If you want to, you can leave a loop at the bottom to hook onto things.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Use a figure eight knot if you need something strong. Make a loop near the end of the rope. Wrap the tail end behind the rest of the rope. Feed the tail end through the loop, then tighten. Use the end of the rope to retrace the knot, if desired.