Be A Better Hitter

Change Your Attitude - Change Your Game!

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:03:07 GMT

Since we're smack in the middle of the high drama, high stakes, atmosphere of October playoff baseball, I think it might be appropriate to share my experience with pressure situations and how I dealt with them. Make no mistake about it, baseball, whether you're in Little League or the big leagues, is filled with stress. It's how you handle it that seperates the mediocre player from the great player. It also seperates the player who enjoys the game from the player who is scared by the game.

For me, the turning point came when I stopped fighting the feelings I had when I got into pressure situations. The sweaty palms and elevated heart beat type symptoms. You see, for a long time I thought that the superior athlete had somehow overcome these responses or learned how to suppress them. It took me a long time to realize that these feelings NEVER go away, no matter how long you've played or how much success you've had. So instead of viewing them as something negative or something I needed to overcome, I just accepted these emotions as part of the game and used the heightened awareness that accompanied them to be a better player. I just kept it simple (see ball hit ball), stayed in the moment by not anticipating success or failure, enjoyed myself, and let the results take care of themselves. I went from being a player who dreaded the bases loaded, bottom of the ninth, game on the line situation to being a player who would give anything to have an opportunity to win the game.

This was just my experience and I'm not saying you'll have more success by adopting this attitude. I will, however, pretty much guarantee you'll have more fun playing the game. Good luck and keep learning.

Editors note: Brent Mayne was catcher in the Major Leagues for 16 years and is the author of the Catching tutorial book: The Art of Catching. To learn more about Brent please visit his webpage www.BrentMayne.com

You can purchase Brent's book by clicking here or the picture below

Mental Characteristics of MLB 1st Round Draft Choices

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:52:58 GMT

Mental Selection Characteristics of MLB First Round Draft Choices

by Geoff Miller

WinningMind.com

Predicting success of Major League Baseball draft prospects is a difficult task. A multitude of factors
must be considered by baseball organizations who pore over scouting reports, stat sheets, speed gun
readings and stopwatch times to find that crucial piece of information that can be used to find future
stars. Physical, mental and social factors contribute mightily to which players live up to their
potential.

The following is a review of the attentional and interpersonal characteristics of players selected in the
First Round of Major League Baseball’s First Year Player Draft.

Assessment of Draft Potentials:

Winning Mind, LLC uses TAIS (The Attentional and Interpersonal Style inventory) to directly measure
concentration, distractibility, decision-making, risk taking as well as general personality variables
like confidence, competitiveness, extroversion/introversion and communication style. TAIS has been
used with Olympic and professional athletes, Navy SEALs, the US Army Special Forces, and Fortune
500 executives. It has even been used to distinguish between multiple and single Olympic medal
winners.

Player Samples:

Data has been collected on potential draft selections from December 2000 to June 2002. Prospects
were given a paper and pencil version of TAIS and asked to complete the inventory with the purpose
of providing a mental performance evaluation. Hundreds of high school, junior college, and
collegiate players were evaluated over that time period and twenty-six were eventually selected by a
Major League team in the First Round of the 2001 or 2002 MLB First Year Player Draft (their average
age was 18.80 years). We examined the TAIS profile data on this group of First Round Picks and
compared it to a randomly selected group of thirty picks who were evaluated and selected later than
the First Round in those drafts. The average round in which these players were selected was 8.87 and
the second group’s average age was 18.96.

A Blueprint for your Scouting/Player Development Process:

We have constructed a composite profile for the typical MLB First Round Pick. This composite
becomes a benchmark that may be used to measure future baseball talent scientifically. The data has
value in three different ways:

1. Compare top physically talented prospects against the MLB First Round Pick group to confirm
their mental toughness characteristics. Red flag prospects who have physical tools, but
don’t have the mental tools to make an impact at the Major League level.
2. Compare lesser physical talent against the group to find out which players have the
potential, based on mental makeup, to develop into Major League talent.
3. Pinpoint developmental targets for all prospects. TAIS profile data acts as a roadmap that
shows how athletes can improve performance. We can tell where players will make
concentration mistakes, how they will respond to coaches and staff, what their work habits
may be like, and how they will perform under pressure.

Characteristics of MLB First Round Picks:

Overall, the typical MLB First Round pick exhibits greater mental and emotional control and makes
better transitions than the average MLB prospect. The First Rounder makes fewer concentration
mistakes, makes quicker decisions, is more physically competitive, plays by the book and by the
rules more often, and uses a combination of awareness, analysis, and action to his advantage.

Attentional Balance:

Everyone has a dominant attentional style (Awareness, Analysis, or Action) much like having a
favorite TV channel for viewing the world. That dominant style is the place we feel most comfortable
and the channel we “tune to” most often when we feel pressure. The dominant attentional style for
most elite athletes is Action, the traditional narrow focus that we associate with blocking out 50,000
screaming fans and executing physical skills. It’s also the quality used by athletes who are the first
ones in the clubhouse and the last ones to leave. People with a higher Action orientation are more
likely to take extra ground balls, show up for early hitting, engage in more rigorous conditioning,
because they have a need to roll up their sleeves and get things done.

MLB First Round Draft Picks reported that their dominant style was Action and that their least
preferred was Analysis. Great athletes don’t have a lot of time to engage in complex problem solving
and they are naturally less likely to be caught in their heads. However, the First Rounder group is
more attentionally balanced while players drafted later favor the Action channel more prominently.
Under pressure, the typical prospect is likely to overuse his ability to focus even if the situation calls
for awareness or analysis. In a pressure situation, the balance shown by First Rounders may help
them avoid “tunnel vision,” the downside of being narrowly focused, by staying aware of their
surroundings and thinking more clearly on the fly (i.e. Derek Jeter’s miracle relay against Oakland in
2001 ALDS).

Concentration Errors:

First Rounders make fewer mental mistakes than average prospects. There are three common types
of concentration errors. The first two are made when players get distracted by sights and sounds
around them or by thoughts in their heads. The third kind of error takes place when emotions get the
best of them and keep them from paying attention to what’s most important.
First round picks are least likely to commit concentration errors that are generated by too much
thinking. Any time an athlete is “in his head” thinking when he should be performing, he is internally
distracted. Bill Buckner’s infamous error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series may have been the
worst concentration mistake ever. Buckner was obviously thinking about his steps to the bag before
he looked the ball into his glove. Athletes can also commit thinking errors by overanalyzing problems
that have simple solutions. If you’ve heard the term “paralysis by analysis”, you are familiar with this
kind of mental mistake. This is a common problem with well-rounded athletes who have strong
academic backgrounds.

Mistakes caused by paying too much attention to the environment are also rare in First Rounders.
Examples of these errors include hitters seeing infielders shifting or paying attention to extensive
mechanical movements by a pitcher (ie. Nomo’s windup) instead of focusing on the pitcher’s release
point. When a pitcher gets rattled by an opposing bench or when he loses a batter because he has
been too engrossed in holding a baserunner close, he has made a concentration error in his
environment.

The most common concentration mistake made by First Round Picks occurs when they become overly
fixated on one subject to the point of fixation. When this occurs, it becomes impossible to switch
attention between external and internal channels. Such a loss in flexibility is most often associated
with an emotion, usually anger or fear. For example, a pitcher gives up a home run and gets angry at
himself or begins to worry about his place in the starting rotation. The inability to control emotions
makes it more likely that his mistake will snowball into more mistakes. The ballplayer who makes an
error in the field after striking out at the plate may be experiencing the same problem. While reduced
flexibility errors are more rare in First Round Picks than in the average prospect, they remain the most
likely lapses your top picks will make and they should be identified as targets for improvement.

Decision-Making Style:

There is a dramatic difference between MLB First Round picks and average prospects in their
decision-making styles. Decisions can be evaluated in terms of two primary dimensions: speed and
accuracy, with low scores indicating speed and high scores tending toward accuracy. First Round
draft choices tend to favor speed over accuracy. Their lower scores tell us that they make faster
decisions than their peers. High scores on the Decision-Making Style scale indicate that athletes
need to have as much information as possible before committing to action. This is a common
symptom for elite golfers, whose collective perfectionism has them reading greens over and over to
ensure that they plan out a precise putting line. Pitchers who get caught in this frame of mind are
accused of “aiming the ball” or trying to be too fine. Athletes who report high scores on this scale
may demonstrate hesitancy when placed in fast-action situations. This would certainly have
implications for hitters, who have just tenths of a second to decide whether to swing at or take a
pitch. In the field, low scorers would get better jumps on balls and move into position more quickly.
Throughout the course of development, it is this ability to commit to quick decisions that aids First
Round Picks in their transitions from high school or college ball to professional competition and
determines their staying power in the Majors. People with perfectionistic tendencies don’t respond
as well to failure because they obsess over their mistakes which undermines confidence in future
endeavors.

Orientation Towards Rules & Risk:

This scale measures impulsiveness versus conformity. Lower scores indicate rule bound people and
higher scores are associated with persons who march to the beat of their own drummers. High
scorers exhibit creative, outside-the-box thinking, but can get in trouble because their willingness to
take risks defies societal standards (and sometimes laws of gravity!). Low scorers are more
conservative, but can become rigid in thought under pressure. First Round Picks are more
conservative than typical prospects and are more likely to exhibit “by the book” behavior when
placed in pressure situations. You are more likely to see First Round picks taking pitches outside the
strike zone and laying off “pitcher’s pitches” early in the count than prospects with more risk-taking
tendencies.

Confidence/ Leadership Style/ Competitiveness:

Confidence plays a critical role in performance situations. The more confidence a player has in
himself and his abilities, the easier it will be to stay focused on the right channel under pressure.
This is most important after a mistake has been made. All of your prospects are going to make
physical and mental errors as they make transitions to professional baseball. Confident players are
able to quickly recover from their mistakes and regain focus. Players without this confidence are
prone to repeated concentration mistakes and choking. The First Round picks we studied are a highly
confident group, more so even than world class athletes in other sports.
First Round picks are hands-on leaders who relish the opportunity to take charge. This characteristic
is needed for athletes to step up when called upon, but it can be tough to manage 25 players who all
have high needs for control. The typical first rounder will flourish on his own and will be able to
maintain his own training regiment without much supervision. Development targets should be aimed
at helping top prospects understand how to use their abilities to lead to maintain team chemistry.
Physical Competitiveness measures a person’s willingness to engage in physically demanding tasks.
High scorers play to win and maintain high standards of physical fitness. First Round picks have a
great desire to compete physically, even more so than the average baseball prospect. You can
expect First Round picks to keep score in non-competitive situations and to push themselves with
their own competitive standards, rather than simply on commonly accepted ones.

Summary:

At the moment of truth, elite performers must be able to maintain focus, control emotions, and
communicate effectively with teammates. MLB First Round Picks are less likely to make concentration
errors and more likely to exhibit mental and emotional control than the average baseball prospect.
Key characteristics of First Rounders include a reliance on Action, a healthy balance of all three
Attentional channels, a lower likelihood of making concentration mistakes, quick decision-making
skills, less risky behavior, and a high degree of Confidence, Leadership, and Physical
Competitiveness.

The true test of this data, and of the prospects themselves, will be to track the progress of drafted
players and see which ones do make an impact at the Major League level. We plan to continue this
research by keeping internal records of the success of the players sampled to this point and in future
data collection as well.

Offseason Training for Baseball

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:38:45 GMT

Off-Season Training For Baseball.. Whats your Plan?
Dana Cavalea, CSCS

“What program should I use during the off-season to help me throw harder and increase my bat speed?”

This might be a question some of you ask your Coaches on a yearly basis. As I continue to travel and meet young ballplayers of all different shapes, sizes, and mental make-ups, this is the question that I typically am embraced with, most often times followed by, “What can I take?”

The latter of the two questions concerns me. Athletes, who are most known for their hard work and ability seem to be looking for alternative methods to enhance performance, most likely not as a complement to hard work and dedication, but as a supplement. It is my opinion that supplements are named ‘supplements’ because, for many, they ‘supplement’ the most important parts of any program; consistency and a progressive plan.

Focusing on consistency and a progressive plan of action is what will yield the most favorable end result. The questions I often fire back to these young athletes is; “What are your goals? What is your commitment? What is your plan of action?”

As a professional coach, these three questions allow me to decide if this person truly exemplifies the understanding of what it takes to reach their desired goals of increased throwing velocity and/or bat speed. But before going any further, I will address these two goals by saying there is a genetic characteristic that will determine how hard you throw, and your ability to generate bat speed no matter how perfect your training plan or your mechanics. This characteristic is referred to as one’s ‘genetic ceiling’. It should be the goal of every athlete to reach their genetic ceiling. So, the question that opened this article should look more along the lines of:

“What program can you prescribe for me, based on my individual needs, to enhance throwing velocity and bat speed to meet my genetic potential?”

This question shows that this athlete is willing to stay focused and committed to a goal that is within reach for them. Throwing velocities of 90+ mph is desired by anybody that has ever played the game, but the reality is, it is often times a non-practical goal.

As a coach, I am truly inspired to give as much as I possibly can to the ballplayer that has the mental and physical horsepower to do whatever it takes to maximize potential, and not fall for some of the scams of increased velocity in 4 weeks that some fly by night programs guarantee.

Enhanced performance is achieved via a strategic plan that integrates needs with wants, and is coupled with a quality training program, mental focus and a positive lifestyle.

With this said, we will now get into some of the strategies and programs that can be used to first reduce injury predisposition, and then focus on the synchronization of movement patterns and body balance to enhance performance.

Often times throwing athletes understand the importance of caring for the arm, but overdo it with training of the rotator cuff with minimal focus on scapular stability and control. The scapula or shoulder blade is the anchor that holds the rotator cuff musculature in proper relationships in regards to length and tension, which will affect overall function of this musculature and synergy of muscle used to create arm action. Strengthening the cuff is important, but a major focus on the scapula will elicit favorable outcomes and overall health. Samples for scapula stability include:

1. Band Retraction
2. Quadruped “Angry Cats” – Scapula Protraction/Retraction
3. Physioball Active Scap Work- Prone T’s/ W’s

These three simple exercises will provide the scapula and related musculature with enough work to enhance overall function.

The other point that should be made in regards to the throwing athlete is the overall force generated to accelerate the ball is not a result of strictly arm action, but rather a sequential pattern of movement which is derived from lower body lateral drive and hip pop, which will lead to upper body rotation, and therefore accelerated arm and hand speed.

Strengthening of the core via stabilization training will allow for optimal force transfer from the lower extremity of the body through the upper. If the core is unstable and inefficient in transferring force from the lower body, then the arm will have to compensate, and be forced to increase the strain on this relatively small musculature. An example would be a go-cart engine trying to power a Hummer. Heavy strain would be placed on the engine, so the end result would be engine wear and breakdown.

When it comes to the core - stability development is the key, meaning no movement, holding positions, not flexion and extension like in a typical crunch. Some exercises we use to strengthen the core are as follows:

1. Core Bridge
2. Lateral Core Bridge
3. Quadruped Opposites- On all 4’s, extend left arm/ right leg and hold the core in a neutral position

The work listed previously is designed primarily to reduce injury prevalence, but plays a major role in setting the base for strength training methods that follow. When designing a strength and conditioning program, the program must be balanced. Most readers are unable to engage in a Movement Screen, or an evaluation that will analyze symmetry of the body, particularly between the left and right side. As such, the focus should be in a comprehensive program that encourages complex movements, rather than isolated training of global musculature. Integrating this approach with movements that don’t simulate sport, but movements that will work to strengthen areas that are predisposed to injuries is the goal. The repetitive nature of a sport such as baseball which is typically one side dominant (high volume of work on one particular side as opposed to the other) predisposes the body to injury on the overworked side. Therefore the complex movements incorporated into a training program are designed to ward off injury by strengthening the complete body and provide balance to the body core or structure.

On the first page of this article it was written to always have a plan, and that plan needs to expand much further than sets and reps. The plan needs to focus on the development of stability, strength, and power, but this plan is determined by where you are in the training year, and the exercise selection you choose is also contingent upon which variable you are looking to enhance; stability, strength, or power.

A typical programming model for baseball would start with stability development in the early off-season, then focus on strength mid-way though, and for the last few weeks of the off-season focus on power. This power component will also be carried into the season, but will also be coupled with stability days as well. Greater detail is out of the scope of this article and will be written in follow up articles.

For practicality purposes, we will write a few exercises that would sit in a Stability Phase of the program below.

1. Single Leg Squats
2. Single Leg RDL’s
3. 222 Tempo Pushups
4. 222 Inverted Rows
5. Eccentric Pullups
6. Gray Cook ½ Kneeling Chop

These 6 simple exercises which utilize primarily body weight would constitute a great Phase 1 Stability Program. Sets and Reps should progress each week, which in turn will increase overall volume prepping the body for the next phase of training; strength development.

The sport-specific programming in my mind is still a mystery. Is choosing an exercise that simulates pitching or hitting worth its weight for a young athlete? Focusing on complex movements and total body action + stability has shown a much greater end result for young athletes in terms of performance and injury prevention. Isn’t that the goal?

Staying consistent with a simple program as outlined above, with the integration of core activation and shoulder/scapula work in your warm-up is a basic program that gives you an action plan and will keep you on the field. Most importantly, this type of program perfectly blends with your personal goals and needs, as well as your quest to reach your genetic ceiling.

And now batting... Eddie Gaedel

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:53:32 GMT

Message Board| Blog| Links Home | Fundamental Skills | HItting Drills | Mental Approach | Bat Speed Development | Coaches Corner | Video Instruction | Fun Stuff
And now Batting... Eddie Gaedel
Along with ill-conceived promotions that have backfired over the years, baseball has also been the home to many strange gimmicks, used either to hype the game or simply to gain an advantage over an opponent. None is better remembered than the one engineered by Bill Veeck when he owned the old St. Louis Browns in 1951. The Browns were floundering in last place as usual, and Veeck decided to create a little excitement.

The Browns were hosting the Detroit Tigers for a Sunday doubleheader in late August. The first game was uneventful. Then... in the nightcap, the Browns came to bat in the bottom half of the first inning. Frank Saucier was due to lead off against the Tigers' Bob Cain. Suddenly, a pinch hitter was announced, and the fans couldn't believe their eyes. It looked as if the Browns were sending a little boy up to the plate.

Pitcher Cain looked down at a batter who was just 3 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 65 pounds! He had the number 1/8 on his back. Umpire Ed Hurley quickly called time and demanded to know what was going on. The Browns' manager, Zack Taylor, came out of the dugout and showed Hurley a legal Major-League contract. It identified the batter as twenty six year old Eddie Gaedel, who happened to be a midget. With the contract legal and Gaedel an adult, Hurley had no choice but to let him hit. The fans cackled in glee.

Gaedel got into the batter's box and went into a deep crouch. Not surprisingly, pitcher Cain couldn't find the tiny strike zone, and Gaedel walked on four straight balls. The Browns then sent in a pinch runner to take his place. No one will ever know whether Veeck intended to use Gaedel in the future when his team needed a walk. The next day the American League president, Will Harridge, announced he would not approve Gaedel's contract. It was ruled that the signing of Gaedel was considered a "conduct detrimental to baseball."

As for Eddie Gaedel, who is officially credited with a single at bat in the Major Leagues, it was an experience he would never forget.

"I felt like Babe Ruth when I walked out on the field that day," he declared proudly.

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Hips - Knees & Elbows

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:22:43 GMT

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Hips - Knees & Elbows
By Buz Brundage

Lets take a look at the correlation of the back elbow, back knee and back hip in the baseball swing. It's my finding that the synchronization of these in the backside motion are critical to the success of a hitter. On the elite hitters in the game, such as Albert Pujols, these three separate parts of the body work in complete harmony. It is the 'connected motion' of the back hip, knee and elbow that drive the hands to the launch position. From "launch" ( which is basically at the point the hands catch up to the back hip once the back hip has rotated to the plate) the hands take over and attack the ball.

You will notice that the bat barrel is considerably behind the hands and back hip at this point. This is called "bat lag" and is one of the keys to bat speed. The bat is literally poised for attack at the ball. Understand that the back hip and knee are larger body parts and move at a slower rate than do the hands. This is why they must get to the "launch" position much earlier than the ball reaches the hitting zone. As the ball reaches the hitting zone the hands then take over.

Notice also that once the hip and knee get turned to the point where the player's belt buckle is facing the pitcher they are essentially done with their "part in the swing". Pujols then begins to straighten the front side knee.. this counter motion action (another example of the "pushing and pulling" taking place in the swing) accelerates the speed of the hands allowing them to power the barrel into the zone. The weight and torque of the barrel going ahead of the hands then moves the swing into the extension and follow through stages of the swing. Basically, the hands finish the swing from that point. A fraction of a second before impact... and at impact... the hands are in the classic "top hand palm up, bottom hand palm down" position. They remain that way shortly through impact ... and naturally roll due to the weight of the barrel passing them on their way to the finish.

An athlete's particular hand-eye coordination become the deciding factor on how well the barrel connects to the ball. His hand-eye coordination directly relate to the timing of the barrel through the hitting zone.

it is no secret that the elite hitters are able to recognize and anticipate pitches... as a result of their personal experience with a particular pitcher... their numerous at-bats in like situations and pitch counts,etc. This "library of information" is based on a number of subconscious cues that they may pick up through micro seconds of information. Not to mention that they generally have the ability to review video files between at bats. What does all of this mean? First and foremost it assists in their timing by allowing them to rely on past performances and situations. In short, they can "look for" certain pitches. If you have a pretty good idea of what is coming it is likely that the ball will be hit very well.

Which brings me to this point: Build your swing! Make it mechanically sound. Take a look at these two frames again. They are of different at-bats... different games... different pitchers... different height of the pitch. But they are essentially the same swing! Mechanically sound. If that is in place, the player can simply concentrate on what the likely pitch is. To repeat... if you have a pretty good idea of what is coming it is likely that the ball will be hit very well!

If you consider that there are only 12 pitch counts and five of those are fastball counts (the other seven being neutral or off-speed), it shouldn't be that difficult. For more on the pitch count and the importance it has on your success at the plate review the various articles throughout this website. Clearly it is a huge factor and one capitalized on by the elite hitters.

Of course, first they built a swing...Hips, Knees and Elbows... kinda funny how they have anything to do with the swing huh?

See the Six Steps to a Sweet Swing article to help in building the swing.

For help in developing a library of pitch probabilities based on pitch count - train with the XLR8 Speed Balls.

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Pull it, Pure it and Paint it!

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:31:15 GMT

Pull it, Pure it & Paint it!

by Buz Brundage

Coaches, teaching your players to understand the strike zone and to hit the ball where it's pitched is a huge advantage for your offense. Offense is of course a key component to the game, you must score to win.

We all know that It's not always easy to keep the interest of players during practice. Having a team lose focus and walk through a practice is a sure bet your team will walk through some of it's games during the season. Good teams cannot afford that. As a Coach, you have to remain creative. Sometimes that means to simply play a game during practice. Not a "real" game, but a fun game that challenges your players and crowns a King of the Diamond.

Having a Diamond King for the day (or week) is a real motivator for your team. The King of course, does nothing but direct. Therefore, being the King means the player gets to supervise during field maintenance at the end of the day or "be the Coach" or whatever the Coach decides his/her reward is.

My favorite way to crown the Diamond King (and trust me this works for all ages, including College) is to have a hitting day. Not just any hitting day. Not the Station to Station day. . . But a "game" day. One where the real important aspects of hitting are defined, practiced and ingrained in a fun and competitive atmosphere. Teaching your players to use the whole field by hitting the ball where it's pitched is the purpose of this "game" day drill.

This "game" day will also create a tremendous unity in your team because they will be competing against each other. A major factor in team unity is derived from respect. If players respect each other's ability and competitive desire they end up having a little closer relationship as individuals and as teammates. So, what's cool about this is you not only gain that "something extra" from the "game" day... but your players will completely understand the value of the strike zone and how to use the whole field by hitting the ball "where it's pitched".

Here's how it works: You will need to separate the field into "thirds" by placing a cone (or other marker) on the grass behind shortstop and another behind where you position your second baseman. If you can enlist your local Police Department to donate some "Do Not Cross" yellow crime scene tape that would be ideal. You can roll that tape out from the plate to each marker and effectively divide the field into thirds. Plus, you can reuse the heck out of that stuff. Roll it up... Roll it out. At any rate, your field should look something like this:

I suggest you populate the field with players in their normal position as they will get plenty of fielding practice. Although, I have seen coaches simply place players in the outfield to shag. You will need an "L" Screen positioned short enough to allow complete control of the pitch location. The pitcher's job is to locate the pitch in one of the "thirds" of the plate; inner third, middle third or outer third. It's really helpful if you have one of these zone plates laid over home plate

.

When the pitcher throws the ball to the inner third, the player must PULL the ball to the 'Pull third' of the field. If the pitch is in the middle third, the player must PURE the ball to the big part of the field - the middle third. If the pitch is on the outer third of the plate, the player has to PAINT the ball to the opposite field third. I personally prefer to have the players go to the plate and receive two pitches, both in the same "third". On the first pitch I do not want the player to swing. Instead, I want him to identify the third and call out PULL, PURE or PAINT in relation to it's location. I also want him to do everything but swing. In other words, I want a good load... a good step and a good hip launch with the hands waiting to release. In addition, I want the player to call out PULL, PURE or PAINT at the precise time he would strike the ball in relation to it's location AND to visualize that ball being smoked to the target portion of the field. Visualizing is a HUGE part of this drill. You CAN ALWAYS SUCCEED IN YOUR MIND'S EYE! The more success you ingrain in your hitter's the better they will perform when they have to.

For example, the pitcher throws a pitch on the inner third. The hitter identifys it.. times it by getting the front foot down in time.. attacks it with hip launch... calls out PULL and visualizes that ball on a line drive to the PULL side of the diamond. Next pitch... same location.. he executes. Coaches, you will be amazed at the skill this ingrains in your hitters. At higher levels of skill, you may need to dismiss the second pitch and allow only one pitch and one swing per player.

Adopt a point system of your own choosing. Players can be rotated as a group or they can simply grab a glove if they do not execute as required and rotate through the field. It is important to "Crown" the winner for a couple of reasons; Motivation and Identification. Motivation for the players to want to have the extra "perk" you have defined as the reward. Identification because in a real game under pressure the players will have positive energy and excitement that they can "do the job" ... whatever the "job" is at the plate in that situation. They will also have extreme confidence in their teammates' ability... don't under estimate this... it's huge!

This is also one of my favorite Soft Toss drills on an individual basis and helps the player identify and execute the proper swing for the proper pitch location.

I hope this helps you to BeABetterHitter!

History Dictates the Pitch!

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:03:46 GMT

HISTORY DICTATES THE PITCH

Hitting is Timing. Pitching is upsetting Timing. The core of the game revolves around the hitter and the pitcher. It has, for over a century, been the most compelling aspect of the game of baseball. As a player you should recognize that this “history” essentially dictates the flow of the game between the pitcher and the hitter.

When you are capable of evolving mentally to the point where you recognize this, you place yourself in a position to capitalize on your knowledge of the game. Whether you are a pitcher or a hitter, history dictates the pitch!

As a hitter this is an incredible enlightenment. If hitting is timing (and it is), and history dictates the pitch… you should be able to take advantage of your athletic ability and perform at above average percentiles. What does this mean? It means you should be taking advantage of the percentages inherent in the game. Your “numbers” should be better than those from a player who has not recognized that the “game” of baseball revolves around numbers. The numbers are repeated, and have been repeated… and will be repeated over and over and over. If you pay attention to this history of repetition, your “numbers” should stand out.

Let me explain. What is a Fastball count? Well, history indicates that on a percentage basis… most pitchers will throw a fastball when they are behind in the count. The key portion of that statement is “on a percentage basis”.

Well, how is a hitter judged? By his percentage of success!

If you pay attention to the numbers, they can work for you. Your numbers will improve as a result. Ever hear the saying; “man, that guy really knows the game”? You want people to say that about you. So, you have to understand the “history of the game”.

Aaaah, but… so sorry… it’s not really that easy. Knowing the “history of the game” is not just referring to the overall history of baseball. It is taking the overall history, using it to your advantage in the “present”… and then… making adjustments in the present game as a result of the history of the “present game”. Get that?

For instance, your first at-bat in the “present game” had this scenario:

One out and a runner on third base, in a scoreless game; historically, what would your job be? Hit a ball hard to the big part of the field and you can score the runner. Or, hit a fly ball deep enough to the outfield and you can score the runner. Guess who else knows this? Ya, the pitcher… the catcher… every coach on the other side of the field, etc. What does the pitcher try to do? Get you to chase something you will hit weakly to an infielder, pop up… or even better, strike you out (So, something low and likely away in the strike zone).
The Scenario continues; you are facing a fastball pitcher. You also happen to know that he has pretty good command of a slider. Two pitches to worry about. You know this because you are aware of the “history of the present game”. On the 0-0 pitch the pitcher attempts to put that fastball low on the outside corner and misses. You knew that you would likely get a fastball on the outer two thirds (overall history of the game dictates a higher percentage of fastballs on 0-0)… (Present history dictates something away from you that you can’t pull for a sac fly)… you saw that pitch from the point of release and knew it was out of the strike zone. Aha… 1 ball 0 strikes!

Can you tell me what you will get next? Overall History of the game says what? Yup… fastball, and… sure enough, something down and away to try to keep you from doing your job. The pitcher’s job is to execute the pitch. So, what are you looking for? You got it… fastball. Now, are you starting to see the pattern here? History dictates the pitch. If you know the pitch… you can be in time. Hitting is Timing!

Continue with the scenario; sure enough you get that pitch on the outside part of the plate… it is a fastball… but… uh oh, shame on the pitcher… couldn’t quite hit his spot… left it up in the zone and you roped it to right center for an RBI single.

Fast forward… your next at bat you again play the “history of the game” both past and present to assist you in picking the pitch… you are right again and bang another solid hit; 2 for 2 using good old fashion history and athletic ability. Pretty cool, huh?

Third at bat; your team is down by a run in the 7th inning, runners at the corners with two outs, same pitcher. Remember the history. Not just the overall history (which you have used to your advantage), but the present history. The pitcher, catcher and the coaches all know that you have been successful using the numbers of the game to your advantage. They have two choices… continue to play “by the numbers” and give you the pitch you should get based on the count (which over the “history of the game” proves to work in the pitchers favor)… or see if you can hit something you ‘aren’t supposed to get’.

Dig a little deeper into this and you will see that “statistically” you are more likely to receive a fastball on 2-0 or an off-speed on a 0-2 count. Why do you think those are not “always going to get” pitches? Because, on occasion the other team has to do something different based on the “present history” of the game! Whether, it is a guy like you pounding out 2 hits, or because the batter is so bad they can throw him anything and get him out. These are the “percentiles” that make up the “most likely going to get” pitch scenarios. Do you follow that? Overall history proves that if they simply stick to their guns and throw what they should throw when they should throw it “statistically” the pitcher will win. The difficulty of hitting plus the gloves in the field guarantee it!

So, back to your third at-bat; the pitcher starts you off with a nice curve ball. It drops in beautifully for a strike. As you should have been… you were looking for a fastball on that 0-0 count. The game is on the line and you want your pitch. Now the pitcher has the advantage at 0-1. Historically, you should get something off-speed, right? Should you look for it? Maybe. Is that a pitch you hit well? Have you been watching this pitcher closely enough throughout the game to recognize his off-speed? If not, the answer is … NO. You don’t have two strikes yet. Hit your pitch! What is your pitch: Fastball!

Sure enough… they are thinking of going “against” history because you have proved that you can hit the pitch that “history dictates”… here comes a fastball… BANG! Exactly what you were looking for! Home Run!

Is this an unlikely scenario? Not really. Watch baseball and you will see this scenario repeated time and again. It is the “history of the game”… both overall history and present history. If you are paying attention to the “game” you can play it like this more often than not.

What do you think that will do for your numbers? You got it; it will make you one of the percentage leaders. Isn’t that how we judge good hitters? 

The Best Batting Tip

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:31:20 GMT

The Best Batting Tip
by Buz Brundage

If I told you that the only thing any coach ever cares about is your production as a ballplayer what would you say? I mean, in the end... at the end of the season... look back and tell me how productive you were with two outs and a runner in scoring position. Or, how often did you knock the runner in from third base with less than 2 outs? Or, how many times were you able to move that runner up a notch so your teammates behind you in the lineup could hit him in?

In the end, my friend... it's all about how you produced.

That's in the end. How do we get there comfortable enough with our performance that we can look back and say... Ya, that is the formula for success. If I just keep doing that everytime, in the end... my production will be respectable and I will be a valuable part of my team. No matter what team that is!

Well, here is your best batting tip ever; Leave the inner third of the strike zone alone!

Let me explain:

1.Fewer pitches are thrown to the inner third of the strike zone than any other location.

2. Even fewer of those are actually strikes.

3. Most are simply "a purpose" pitch designed to get you out with "the next" pitch in the sequence.

So, if you are a numbers guy... and friend, baseball is a numbers game... it is only logical to use the numbers in your favor. If most of the pitches thrown for strikes are from the middle third of the plate and away... look for them!

Have a plan!

Until you have two strikes on you, you can completely dismiss anything on the inner third! Well, not completely... you may be in a premier hitter's count and have a good feeling on the sequence of the pitches.. and "know" you are getting one on the inner third. Or, you may be so completely confident because you have been stroking balls from the middle third away... and are so locked in with confidence... the pitcher can throw anything at all and you'll rope it somewhere. That confidence comes from success. And I guarantee you will have success more often (statistically) if you will just concentrate... have a plan... to hit the ball on the outer two thirds of the strike zone to the big part of the field with less than two strikes on you.

Oh, gosh... almost forgot... there is one more benefit to this approach; Ever hear the saying "Keep your hands inside the ball"? Yea, guess what... if the ball is in the outer two thirds of the strike zone.. automatic! Your hands are automatically inside the ball. Think about it. The preferred and most successful manner of hitting the ball consistently is what.... keeping your hands inside the ball! The most strikes are on the outer two thirds of the plate. Hmmmm... something says the numbers are in your favor. What is productivity judged by? Yea... numbers.

So, bottom line is this; If you go to the plate with "the best hitting tip ever" as your plan... at the end of the season you will be able to look back and say... I like that approach. It works. It makes me a valuable member of my team, somebody the coach and teammates can count on with every single plate appearance. Plus, it's really very simple to have this approach on every pitch. One pitch at a time.

Here is your Plan:

1. Hit "What you Want" until you have two strikes.

2. What do you "Want"? A strike on the outer two thirds of the plate.

3. Something you naturally are able to hit with your "hands inside" the ball.

4. Hit "What you Can" after two strikes.

5. The strike zone finally gets expanded to include the inner third.

6. Don't discount that on hitter's counts.. or at-bats of extreme confidence.. you can "look" for inner 1/3.

7. Especially if outer two thirds approach has already produced a couple of great ab's in the game.

It's no surprise that Barry Bonds himself was struggling with hitting home runs in his attempt to catch Hank Aaron. Guess how he hit his 755th? Yea, opposite field on a 2-1 count. Hands were naturally inside the ball and bang! History is made!

Crush the Mistakes

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:34:03 GMT

CRUSH THE MISTAKES

One of the great barometers for a hitter is his ability to really tee off on pitches that look like they should be crushed. You know the ones I’m talking about. Say you are watching a Major League game on the tube, your favorite team is up to bat and your favorite player is in the batter’s box. The count goes to 3-1 and you are just waiting for that pitcher to make a mistake with his fastball. You know he wants to paint a strike somewhere and keep the ball out of the fat part of the plate, but as you watch the pitch release it is about as straight a fastball as you have ever seen… right down the center cut of the plate. Your eyes get big… and you know your favorite player’s eyes are big! He swings… and man oh man does he ever crush that ball waaaaaaay out of the ballpark.

A good hitter’s motto and one of the best compliments a hitter could ever receive: Crush the Mistakes.

How do you think that happens? Luck? Not likely. The more you hit, the more at bats you have, the more instruction you receive, the more likely you will begin to recognize the importance of looking for your pitch in your zone when you are in a hitter’s count. Then, because you are ready… you can take advantage of those mistakes when the pitcher tries to paint a corner and misses by about 4 inches. Yea, those 4 inch mistakes leave the ball right down the heart of the plate. You must be ready for them. You must take advantage of them. You must Crush them!

There is one constant ingredient in every great hitter; they understand and take control when they have the advantage. It’s not unlike a boxing match, if you think about it. The great fighters are able to capitalize on every little tiny mistake of their opponent. It doesn’t come by accident. It happens from training and imbedding the proper thought processes for each situation. You could go a step further and say that soldiers do the same in war. Ty Cobb was quoted as saying that baseball was a lot like war and that the hitters were the heavy artillery. Can you see where his mind set was?

What do you need to work on to develop this type of mind set? The same things police officers, war heroes, great fighters and great hitters work on; mental preparedness for any possible situation. You have to visualize situations, all types of situation that may arise.

Have you ever heard a player describe a tremendous at bat in a game winning situation, one where he came out on top? Has it ever sounded something like this: “Yea, I remember when I was a kid in the back yard playing whiffle ball with my brother. We used to pretend it was the bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, runner at 2nd and down by a run over and over until one of us hit a homerun to win the World Series!” That is a form of visualization and mental preparedness. You have to see yourself succeed in these situations. Actually doing it physically, even in a play situation is tremendous for your memory and plants the seeds for success in those situations as they occur in your real life.

Not to mention there are dozens of fabulous CD’s available that help you develop this mental skill. Two that immediately come to mind are the The Hitting Zone and Mental Visualization CD from Alpha Achievement and the Quality At Bats CD from Steve Springer. Both of these CD’s are available in the HittingStore. The great thing about them is you can plug them into your CD player on the way to your game. I have seen tremendous success from some of my players after just such a trip. Yea, like it or not, I controlled what they listened to. I plugged in one of these CD’s on the way to the game and lo and behold, one or more of the players in my car had an awesome day at the plate. They work because the mind is a powerful tool and cannot differentiate visualized success from real success. The same positive reinforcements occur in the memory banks from either source. So, let me ask you… why wouldn’t you listen to something like this if it simulated the real thing?

If the more times you experience a situation leads to a greater recognition of the opportunity at hand… which generally leads to success, why wouldn’t you want more opportunities to experience something? Take advantage of the many tools out there to help you in your hitting, especially in the mental aspect. You want to have supreme confidence that you will succeed when you are in an advantageous situation at the plate. The more times you have succeeded… real or imagined, the greater your chance to repeat the same results.

If you are going to Crush the Mistakes you will need the experience of recognizing and taking advantage of your situation. You need to be relaxed and confident as though you have done this same exact thing on thousands of occasions. You need to look for your pitch in your zone up until you have two strikes… when you get it you simply cannot be surprised and miss! You must be prepared to get the mistake and Crush It! Just like you have done thousands of times in your backyard and even more in your mind!

If you are one of those hitters that is in a 3-1 count and says to himself, “oh, he isn’t gonna give me anything here. It’s a hitter’s count. He’s gonna nibble.” You are the same guy we all look at and say, “how the heck did he miss that ball right in his wheel house?”

Pitcher’s make mistakes, just like everybody else. In fact, have you ever tried to hit a target with a 90mph pitch from 60 feet? Even if you are Roger Clemens you are likely to miss by a few inches. You have to look for your pitch in your zone. When you get it you have to Crush It. You have to be ready for the mistake… look for the pitch in your zone and Crush the Mistakes!

Short To The Ball

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:08:50 GMT

A Baseball Hitting Drill designed to teach the player how to be Short To the Ball and Long Through the Ball using the most innovative hitting tee on the market.

The Babe's blooper is perfection!

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:09:27 GMT

The Babe wasn't exactly perfect. See how his childish blooper led to one of the greatest performances in baseball history!

Dynamic Warm Up - by Dana Cavalea

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:56:45 GMT

Site Advisor Dana Cavalea walks you through the most effective and Dyanmic manner of preparing your body for a good workout or game. If you don't know how, maybe you should take a look.

Building A Solid Foundation

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 18:22:25 GMT

When it come to developing a good stance, there are two very important factors that need to be expressed. The purpose of the stance is to afford you the best opportunity to see the ball. Secondly, to have enough balance so that you can take a mighty swing at the ball, giving you the best opportunity to hit the ball hard somewhere. The two actually go hand in hand. That is, if you are in good balance then there will be less of a chance that you are moving your head around during your swing. If you are not moving your head, then you will see the ball better and naturally have greater success hitting the ball. Having said that, that’s not the see we are talking about just yet. Head movement, and its effect on your success as a hitter will be discussed in detail later.

Avoiding The Inside Pitch

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 18:20:56 GMT

More often than not, a young hitter's lack of success at the plate can be directly attributed to his fear of being hit by a pitched ball. Let's face it, in the Little League Majors Division, a big 12 year old can throw the ball extremely hard from 46 feet. This can lead to intimidation, a very real fear of being hurt and a lot of weak swings that result in strike outs!! The diminishing confidence that follows continued failure in front of the coach, histeammates, friends, Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa can only hurt the player's next appearance at the plate. All this from being afraid of the ball.

A good coach knows that this spiraling effect needs to be curbed right at the beginning. A good approach is to immediately demonstrate the proper way to avoid being hit by a pitch. The knowledge of the proper technique can do wonders for a player's self esteem, not to mention his playing ability. Confidence is one of the key factors in a successful at-bat. If a player confidently approaches the plate looking for a pitch to hit instead of being hit by a pitch, he has already increased his chances by leaps and bounds.

With this in mind, take the time to learn the proper technique of Avoiding The Inside Pitch. It will make you a better hitter!

My preferred method of teaching this technique is to use the softer IncrediBalls made by Easton . With these balls the coach can actually "plunk" the batter a few times without injuring him. It is important for the player to be hit a few times in order to accept the fact (psychologically as well as physically) that :

1.) It doesn't hurt that bad.
2.) The pain does go away.
3.) The proper technique allows for even less pain

Have the player enter the Batter's Box. Stand a few feet away from the player with an IncrediBall (or other soft ball) and hold the ball up. Walk the ball to the plate on an inside path toward the batter. This will give the player a good visual picture of the pitch he wants to avoid. The "walking" of the pitch effectively slows down the action enough to instruct the player in the proper steps to avoid the pitch safely. As the ball is nearing the plate have the player verbally alert you the moment it is apparent the ball is going to be too close to him to be a strike and a pitch he wants to avoid. You can use the command: "NOW!" The coach should stop at this point. Instruct the player to do the following:

1.) Immediately turn his upperbody (from the waist up) away from the pitch.
2.) The head and shoulders act as one unit turning away.
3.) The shoulder nearest the ball should rise up a little to protect the face.
4.) The elbows drop in close to the sides to protect the ribs.
5.) The chin dips down to the chest to protect the neck from a direct impact.
6.) The bat lowers directly in front of the players upper body.

All of the above actions take place in one simultaneous motion as the player is rotating away from the pitch.

Now, continue walking the ball toward the hitter and show him how protected he is while in this position. Walk the player through this sequence a few times until they feel comfortable with the maneuver. Once they tell you they are ready to move to the next step then proceed with the following drill.

DRILL
Kneel about 20 feet from the player. With an IncrediBall (or other soft ball) begin softly tossing the ball into the strike zone. Let the player know before hand that he may be hit by a pitch, albeit a soft one. Instruct him to turn away from the pitch, in the manner he has been taught, the moment he identifies the pitch as being one that may hit him. Conversely, have the player yell out "NOW!" when he recognizes the pitch as being a strike (this is a great tactic to help a player recognize a pitch he can hit). Throw a few soft strikes and then progressively move the pitches closer and closer to the player until you finally strike him (aim for the buttocks). Praise the player for every pitch he properly turns away from (or properly calls a strike - purposefully throw a few outside pitches to see if he mislabels them as strikes).

If at any time during the instruction the player reverts to the age old "jumping back with the hands in the air" technique of avoiding a pitch, immediately stop and have the player freeze in that awkward position. Then walk the pitch up to him and show him how vulnerable he is to injury in that position.

Continue with the drill until you see the player begin to naturally turn away from every pitch that is questionably inside. Repeat the drill periodically, even when you know the player is completely comfortable with the technique. I guarantee you will see a tremendous increase in the player's confidence and performance as he masters this very important fundamental skill.

The Football Change -- A Hitters Defense

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 18:19:54 GMT

Football Change.. that's what. Football what? Football Change. It has also been referred to as Football Curve. It is a devastating pitch that hitter's should learn to immediately recognize. It not, you will likely have a very difficult time laying off of this pitch. If thrown by a Right Handed Pitcher, the ball falls away from a Right Handed Hitter. It looks like a fastball, has a fastball arm speed... comes at you like a fastball. The only problem is, It's not a fastball. It's a Football Change and it completely disappears right at the front of the plate. I scoured the internet to find any photos of this grip. Unfortunately, I could not come up with any. So... I made a few myself. I have to ask you to please excuse the pictures from inside the house.. my socks, etc. :-) As for you Pitchers out there. These photos should show you how to grip and throw the pitch. I personally like to have my thumb on a bottom seam and the top seam resting between my index and middle fingers. You may want to experiment with a few different positions. One important fact about the pitch: Do NOT slow down your arm. Throw it just like a fastball. Full fastball arm speed. You will have to experiment to find out your release point. But, when you do it is a devastating weapon. Especially to your 3, 4 & 5 hitters in the lineup. You know, the guys that like to gear up and drive your best fastball. Surprise! It only looks like a fastball. The Football Change does NOT act like one. The best part about it is .. no stress.. none.. nada.. zip.. zero.. zilch. When you throw it right. There is no difference between the fastball arm action. Just do not rotate the wrist trying to provide spin (slider). Simply let the ball slip out of your hand with fastball motion. The fact that there are more fingers on the one side of the ball creates more friction at the release. This automatically causes spin. You don't have to try to create it. It's automatic. Just throw it. Pretend you are Matt Leinert throwing to Reggie Bush. Just throw it as hard as you can. Let the ball come out on it's own. For you hitters. You had better learn to recognize the grip early. Stay Back .. Wait.. Wait.. Wait.. if it gets in your zone and is UP.. give it a rip if the count is in your favor. If it isn't up.. you better lay off. It will disappear on you. AND with it your average will too! Hope this helps you to be a Better Hitter (And Pitcher!)

Conditioning for the Modern Day Ball Player

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:03:44 GMT

This is a topic that is often left up to guess work and is really one in which could create a stronger athlete later in the season if this program is devised correctly. The biggest misconception, when it comes to conditioning, is that sweat and ballplayers that are keeling over have just been through a quality conditioning session.

If we actually break down what conditioning is meant to be we would arrive at a simple definition:
To increase the current work capacity which allows the athlete to train at a higher level with less strain on the cardiovascular system of the body.

The determining factor that will allow a coach to see whether or not his athletes are in shape is their ability to get their heart rate down at a rapid pace, a.k.a. recovery heart rate. Now this statement doesn’t mean we should run our ballplayers for 1 or 2 miles and then see how fast their heart rate drops.

When it comes to actually devising a conditioning program there are several variables that we need to keep in mind:

Machine Training vs. Free Weight Training.. Train to Move!

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:02:36 GMT

Many people that I come across always ask me about this so called “debate” on machine training vs. free weight training, which one is better? In my mind there really is no reason for debate. If you carefully analyze sport, and compare and contrast it to the training methods in which you are using, you will be able to answer your own questions to this non-debatable subject.

Whenever I get the opportunity to speak with Coaches and Athletes alike, I always encourage them to become analyzers, not just programmed robots that listen to everything their Coach or a so-called Professional tells them to do.

So let’s stop for a moment and think logically about sport. As far as I know, a majority of sports are played in the upright standing position, yet, when we walk around a weight room, most of our training is done either seated of laying down.

Baseball Strength Training

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:01:04 GMT

A baseball training program should incorporate a strength training component. Strength is crucial for baseball success. The two primary reasons for this are to develop explosive power and to protect against injury (especially arm injuries).

Many players neglect to develop explosive power. The reasons for this are varied. Some don't know how. Some have tried lifting weights, and become injured (doing the wrong kind of baseball weight training). Some don't think it's important (guess again!).

In baseball training, little things add up to make a huge difference. If you add even a small increase in your power, your game will improve in all areas.

The Hitting Position

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:59:35 GMT

Okay, now that the lower part of your body is squared away and you understand how to stand and the necessity for good balance, let’s put the weapon in your hands and get into the hitting position.

Assume the basic stance position with your weight balanced and your knees slightly bent. Now, gripping the bat properly, raise your hands up so that the top hand on the bat is just above and in front of your rear shoulder. The knob of the bat should be pointed down, toward the plate. The rear shoulder should be raised just slightly higher than the front shoulder. Your head should be turned toward the pitcher and looking out over the front shoulder, putting both eyes to work for you. This position is the proper hitting position. From here you are balanced, athletic and prepared to adjust to the path of the ball as it come to the plate.

Earlier I mentioned the word "style." No where is it more likely to be seen than in a batter’s box. Everyone has their own "style." Just as we each have our own "style" of walking, talking, dressing or even standing. You name it, virtually everything we do in life, we do with our own "style."

The Top and Bottom Hand Swing

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:58:16 GMT

The top hand on the bat is the "power hand" in the baseball swing. It starts out on top, trails the knob of the bat and lower hand as the hands "go to the ball," and eventually becomes the "lower" hand on the bat just before and during impact. The wrists then "roll over" just after impact and the top hand then leads the hands into the follow through, up and over the front shoulder.

A good way to get the feel for this hand action, is to pick up a small, light bat and hold it in your top hand only. Hold it properly in the fingers of the hands and in the proper hitting position. Simply place your other hand across your chest to get it out of the way. Imagine a baseball sitting on a tee about waist high and slightly in front of your front leg. Take your bat directly down to that imaginary ball without rolling over your wrist.You should be able to see your fingers and the barrel of the bat should still be pointing somewhat to your rear at an angle. This is a result of taking "the knob of the bat" to the ball. (This is almost the point of impact). Keeping your fingers visible, flip your wrist slightly to bring the barrel of the bat down to the point of impact on the imaginary ball.

Your Legs are Your Lifeblood

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:57:06 GMT

Regardless of whether you're a position player or a pitcher, your legs are your lifeblood. And, for successful, injury-free performance, they need both stamina and power. They need the stamina to endure 9-inning games and 162-game seasons and the explosiveness to run, hit and throw with power. Remember, all actions in baseball, not just running, start with your legs. The forces used in hitting and throwing, for example, don't originate in the arms and hands. They originate in the legs and are then transferred through the trunk to the arms and hands where they are applied to the bat and ball. Likewise, getting out of the box, charging bunts, backing up bases, going in the hole, stealing second and getting a jump in the outfield all require explosive action by the legs.

Start by building stamina. All too often, we are consumed by the need for speed and power and fail to build or maintain a solid fitness base. Successful players spend hours per day executing explosive movements in practice and game situations. Doing multiple, all-out repetitions without a solid base increases the risk of injury to the muscles, joints, connective tissue, tendons and/or ligaments. The first goal of your leg program should be to prevent injury - the second goal should be to increase speed and power.

Coiling And Uncoiling

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:54:14 GMT

Much has been said about Bat Speed and how to develop it. Although it is obvious that the size and strength of the individual swinging the bat has a direct impact on the swing speed, there are certain mechanical factors involved that also have a significant impact. Given two individuals of the same size and strength, it is entirely possible to have two vastly different bat speeds registered simply as a result of how the bats were swung. Even if both participants are swinging as hard as possible.

That being said, let's turn our attention to the sequence of photos involving the legendary Henry Aaron. In the photos to the left, it appears that Henry hits a tremendous homerun to left field on an inside pitch. On the right, he hits a tremendous blast to right field on a pitch to the middle portion of the plate. Although the camera angles are minutely different, it does not appear that Henry changes much at all in the two swings. In fact, to the untrained eye, there seems to be no change in the upper body action. If you look closely however, you will see something remarkable…. Bat Speed and how to get it!!

Graduating Bat Weights

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:52:56 GMT

This is the key to creating quickness. The wrist roll exercise is to develop strength which is important, but this is the secret.

If you have been playing baseball for a few years, you probably have a few different sizes of bats laying around in the garage. Go get them. They are your tools for success. Ideally, you need at least three graduating sizes of bats. A tee-ball bat (maybe 16 oz. in weight), a Little League bat (approximately 20-23 oz. in weight), and a Senior League bat (about 27 oz.). You also need a weighted bat, or a device to weight your heaviest bat such as a "donut" or "power fins". Additionally, you need an extremely light bat, such as the mini collector bats. If you can’t get one of these, you can use a cut down piece of broom stick. You have to have this progression in order to make this system work.

Set your "tools" in progressive order near you from lightest to heaviest. Begin with the middle bat, taking some smooth, easy cuts. Just loosen up. Take about 15-20 cuts like this and get your muscles prepared to work. Do a little stretching, make sure your muscles are prepared before you stress them.

Okay, you are set to begin your workout. Again, with the middle bat, get in a fundamentally sound stance and imagine a ball in your power zone. Take a solid, balanced, but powerful cut at that imaginary ball. Concentrate on your rhythm, your cocking, your timing kick and exploding your hands to the ball. Exaggerate squashing the bug and the follow through. Concentrate on finishing balanced. The perfect swing, that’s what you want every time. Repeat this 10 times. Set the bat down and graduate to the next heaviest bat. Repeat the same process. Set that bat down and progress to your weighted bat. Repeat. Concentrate on doing everything perfect. Now, start back down the line of bats. When you get to that super light bat, you should be swinging with tremendous speed. Bat quickness! Rip those hands through the strike zone with all of your might! Again, do not forsake form. Drill the proper form into your swing by concentrating on doing everything correctly. Finish balanced, every time.

The Wrist Roll

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:51:41 GMT

To develop a quick bat you must have strong hands, wrists and forearms. Some hitters are blessed with these attributes naturally. Others will need to work on getting stronger in this area. I will say this, if you have naturally strong hands, wrists and forearms, you would be silly not to improve on what you already have. You could be that much farther ahead of your opponent.

Have your father head to the hardware store and buy a piece of wood about 18" long and approximately 3-4" in circumference. It must be cylindrical. You also need about a 4' piece of nylon rope. Drill a hole in the center of the wood and insert the rope. Tie a knot in the end of the rope to keep it from slipping back through. On the other end of the rope tie a loop. Go to your local sports equipment store and purchase a 2 ½ pound dumbbell plate and a 5 pound dumbbell plate. Slip the looped end of the rope through the center of the smaller plate and then slip the wood handle through the loop in the rope. You now have the perfect device to build strong hands, wrists and forearms. The entire device shouldn’t cost more than ten dollars to make. But it is invaluable to your development as a hitter.

Weight Back Drill

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:39:01 GMT

The batter stands about 20 feet away from the pitcher. The pitcher takes a tennis ball and bounces the ball so that the ball ends up in the strike zone. With bouncing the balls the hitter will tend to jump out on his or her front foot. This drill will allow he or she to stay back in the load and keep his or her weight back so that they can explode on the ball. This drill really works because not only will it keep their weight back, it allows them to see it come out of the pitchers hand just like they were pitching an off speed pitch.

Vision Drills

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:37:55 GMT

As you may notice in the numerous articles appearing on this site, we are big proponents of seeing the ball well. You must see it to hit it! There are many drills that have been around baseball for years and years that deal with seeing the ball, tracking the ball, identifying pitches, etc. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Shadow Drill

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:36:57 GMT

We all know how difficult it is to hit a baseball. Every hitting instructor worth his salt acknowledges the importance of a steady head during the swing. The reason is simple: The eyes are the source of information for the body. The information we see (the approaching pitch) must be as accurate as possible in order for us to put an accurate swing on the pitch. If we have excessive head movement then the information we receive will be distorted and therefore an accurate barrel to the incoming pitch will be nearly impossible to achieve.

The Power Bat Drill

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:35:24 GMT

The purpose of the Power Bat Drill for a baseball player is much the same as a boxer using a heavy bag to train with. Boxers learn how to develop power in their punch by trying to power through the 120-200lb heavy bag. Baseball players learn to develop power in their swing by hitting through a heavier object than a normal 5oz baseball. The result is the same for both athletes…

The Rolly-Polly

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:34:14 GMT

This simple little drill is an outstanding tool to help the player to make more consistent contact with the baseball. Designed to ingrain the proper path for the lead hand to attack the ball, it also develops proper top hand action. When correctly employed, the drill helps the hitter to understand the role of each hand during the swing. A hands only drill, the drill promotes active hands and wrists in the hitters swing. As you will see, the player also gets instruction on when to hit the pitch in relation to the pitch location; inside, outside or middle. To add even further instruction into one drill, the player gets feedback on where the bat strikes the ball; top, middle or bottom. All in all, this is an outstanding hitting drill and one which is not well known or practiced.

Inside-Outside Tee

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:33:07 GMT

The use of an "inside-outside" tee is invaluable in learning to hit the ball the opposite way and/or pulling the ball. To properly set up this drill, place the ball on the "inside," approximately 8-10" in front of the plate and the ball on the "outside," right on the outside edge of the front corner. The "inside" ball should be about 4-5" higher than the outside ball.

The Soft-Toss Drill

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:32:15 GMT

The soft-toss may be used to work on pulling the ball, it can also be used for hitting the opposite way. The "tosser" must be a safe distance to the rear of the hitter. The hitter must not peak. The "tosser" tosses the ball from the inside of the plate diagonally across to the outside. The hitter picks up the ball with his peripheral vision and "tracks" the ball with both his body and his eyes to the hitting zone.

Chair Drill

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:31:16 GMT

There's one more drill to emphasize the importance of the hands to the ball. This drill can be incorporated with a soft toss, if you choose, but is very effective even without the luxury of hitting a ball during the drill. Find yourself an old plastic chair, or a bucket with a lid, and sit on it. Lock your ankles around the legs of the chair or base of the bucket. This is to anchor yourself into the chair. We want to eliminate the lower body action in this drill.

Fence Drill

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:29:50 GMT

The next logical drill to reinforce the proper hand action is swinging the bat with both hands. Here is a drill that will help you to get the right feel for the proper path of the bat to the hitting zone. Remember, all of the essential fundamentals discussed earlier must be adhered to; grip, stance, pre-swing, rhythm, etc., during these drills. Stand facing a fence, holding your back arm straight out so that the tip of your fingers just touch the fence. Now, with bat in hand and utilizing the proper fundamentals, swing the bat through the hitting zone, concentrating on taking your hands "to the ball."

The Soft Tap

Sat, 07 Jul 2007 04:18:55 GMT

Enlist the help of your father, mother, brother or a friend. You will need a whiffle ball or other soft ball. Have your training partner toss the ball up softly in front of you. From a good, fundamentally sound batting stance, try to hit the ball with the knob of your bat. Take the knob of the bat directly at the ball and just tap it. Be sure to incorporate your lower body action into the drill. Repeat until you are proficient and are using smooth, rhythmic motions to the ball.