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PROVIDING COACHING SUPPORTS TO YOUNG ATHLETES AND PARENTS
Explore concepts that support movement, cognitive development and hitting for young athletes and foster a love for the game
Hitting Ideas to Consider
"Control the Controlables"
Do You Have To Be Pushed On Or Pulled Off The Practice Field?
Do You Have To Be Pushed On Or Pulled Off The Practice Field?
Take control of things like your grip and posture. Having a control of this can unlock the dynamic power in your rear shoulder, elbow and wrist... a 'piston' of sorts. Your lead/front side can serve as an axis point to your swing providing direction. Imagine the lead arm and bat swinging from the ball n' socket joint of the front shou
Take control of things like your grip and posture. Having a control of this can unlock the dynamic power in your rear shoulder, elbow and wrist... a 'piston' of sorts. Your lead/front side can serve as an axis point to your swing providing direction. Imagine the lead arm and bat swinging from the ball n' socket joint of the front shoulder. While the rear wrist is a precise GPS and powerful piston. At 14 u and up we’re trying to surrender the 'whack a mole / pillow fight' hitting concept. Moving to a collision dynamic between bat and ball. Push yourself to be a swinger of the bat over a hitter of the ball.
Having a thought or image in your mind with one of these controlables can get you trending in the right direction. Or simply having a mantra like 'stance narrower before wider' to help prevent the body from swaying. There is not a line in the sand where a wide stance ends and narrower begins, it's a feel/trust if you will. Trust the moves and stay committed to it. One ounce of an unfavorable move can quickly cancel out two ounces of good.
Choose your difficult, accept your current skill set and use this as a jumping off point to get better.
Do You Have To Be Pushed On Or Pulled Off The Practice Field?
Do You Have To Be Pushed On Or Pulled Off The Practice Field?
Do You Have To Be Pushed On Or Pulled Off The Practice Field?
Develop practice routines where you experiment and exaggerate with your swing to learn the moves and feels. Find the extremes and then average them out till you find the sweet spot. "Next 10 swings I am going to swing down / stay through the top of the baseball."
Learn to practice at home. Fifty touches a day where your hands are
Develop practice routines where you experiment and exaggerate with your swing to learn the moves and feels. Find the extremes and then average them out till you find the sweet spot. "Next 10 swings I am going to swing down / stay through the top of the baseball."
Learn to practice at home. Fifty touches a day where your hands are either touching a ball or bat handle. Hit off a tee, spin a ball in your fingertips. Or go to the field with a bucket of balls and self hit the balls to CF. Pick 'em up and hit the balls back to home plate. Doing this will help train your rear arm to unlock the slingshot effect it has.
Move fast/move slow, with force/with touch. Blend them together. Be deliberate when practicing vs "just getting in your hacks". An example for an experienced player could be, "for the next 9 swings I'm going to feel like my front shoulder is pointed at the 2nd baseman for as long as possible as my arms extend through the swing." New player, "I am going to feel like the bat handle is resting above my rear hand when the pitcher is in the windup."
Learn to find the barrel of the bat vs chasing exit velocity. Listen for the sound and feel of your contact vs sorting through tough to understand data. One of the most important metrics is the barrel winning the race. Leave 3 mph of bat speed in the bat bag to help create a dynamic swing with direction. For ideas on practice routines and how to move better click below.
Train The Counterintuitive Moves
Do You Have To Be Pushed On Or Pulled Off The Practice Field?
Train The Counterintuitive Moves
Are you a "swinger of the bat" or a "hitter of the ball"?
Train the counterintuitive moves to help create leverage, adjustability and better direction with your swing. Some ideas include...
-going forward but staying back vs all momentum forward.
-collecting/catching the ball vs swinging to a destination point.
-ejecting the bar
Are you a "swinger of the bat" or a "hitter of the ball"?
Train the counterintuitive moves to help create leverage, adjustability and better direction with your swing. Some ideas include...
-going forward but staying back vs all momentum forward.
-collecting/catching the ball vs swinging to a destination point.
-ejecting the barrel vs throwing the bat head.
-swinging into balance vs get the lead foot down early
-the bat handle resting on the top palm/fingertips vs a tight/deep grip
Learning these moves will help your swing look and feel effortless but remain sudden at the same moment. We're trying to rid abrupt, bit-by-bit movements that might feel safe or easier. To have that effortless look you have develop your ankle mobility and an athletic 'gait'. This will help your feet rocker and grab the ground. Being able to 'rocker' with your drive foot will help you ride the momentum wave and have that feel of going forward but staying back. Ground up^.
Move the Arms Freely
Do You Have To Be Pushed On Or Pulled Off The Practice Field?
Train The Counterintuitive Moves
Learn to move the arms freely in a pendulum dynamic under your chin vs the shoulders over-rotating. Imagine the arms raising and lowering along the white line of the batter's box. While at the same time you feel your shoulders remaining pointed at home plate like the pictures included. The upper part of the front arm swings from a b
Learn to move the arms freely in a pendulum dynamic under your chin vs the shoulders over-rotating. Imagine the arms raising and lowering along the white line of the batter's box. While at the same time you feel your shoulders remaining pointed at home plate like the pictures included. The upper part of the front arm swings from a ball n socket joint. The arms can swing/move up to 6 times faster than the torso.
The 'pendulum' dynamic of your arms will help you ride momentum and keep your core stable. In addition, the pendulum dynamic helps to better predict the low point of the swing. And increases your chances of the the bat head entering the zone behind the ball.
When getting ready to hit try to imagine that initial move/tilt with your lead shoulder/arm/foot being somewhat aggressive after that you should be riding momentum. Riding the momentum wave will allow your body to naturally slow down/brace and ultimately free your arms to launch the swing at any moment. Less steering or carrying the weight of your arms. Feel the power of the arms turning your body... less the torso towing the arms and bat.
How can a HS hitter turn around and elevate an 89 mph fastball to the big part of the field? Hands above the ball, barrel below...boom. Click the image to learn more.
MLB Swings Through the Years
A New Generation of MLB Hitters
Compare the swings of retired players like Albert Pujols (relaxed top hand grip that is more under the bat handle throughout the swing) to today’s stars like Bobby Witt, Jr. (strong top hand grip that is more over the bat handle). And feels like hitting behind vs over the ball. We'll also take a look at why the term 'launch angle' has gone from a swing metric to a catch phrase of sorts for purposely swinging up on the ball.
HUMILITY
Why are the two best players in the game also the most humble? Perhaps they truly understand how difficult it is to achieve and maintain what they have accomplished.
Contact Brent verticalturn88@gmail.com
We are available for video swing analysis, virtual lessons or in person workshops. Click on my bio to learn more about my background. Thanks!