The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word BASHING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
A
S
H
I
N
G
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Hitting" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case hitting = bashing.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BASHING mean?
BASHING verb- To strike heavily.
- To collide.
- To criticize harshly.
- To masturbate.
- To abash; to disconcert or be disconcerted or put out of countenance.
- An instance of bashing; a physical attack.