ANSWERED: How to hit a home-run? Learn how to teach beginning baseball and softball kids to increase power by hitting the ball better, farther, and harder guaranteed – even for smaller hitters!
Some of you saw this video on the socials of this baseball hitting training Blaze Jordan video where he hit a couple 500-foot monster shots out of the Texas Rangers Arlington Stadium during Brian Domenico’s 2016 14u/15u home-run derby National Power Showcase:
Well, did you hear about the small-bopper who gave Blaze Jordan a run for his money?
By the way, Blaze Jordan stands in at 6-Foot tall, and 217-Pounds. And the preceding Blaze Jordan profile link may be a year or two old!
I received this email from Marty, Hudson White’s father, earlier this week:
“Hello, i just wanted you to know that i have followed you for years and teach your principles to my 14u son who just came in second place at the 15u power showcase in Arlington Texas ahead of the world champion Blaze Jordan . he also broke the world record for most consecutive home-runs in a row at 11. he was a year younger and 50-100lbs smaller than all the other contestants who were made up of the best hitters in the country. It was the most amazing thing that anyone had ever seen . i wanted to share the video with you and hopefully you can help make it go viral. all the hype is about Blaze Jordan for hitting a 503 ft home run, but for a smaller younger kid to go out and break the world record for most consecutive and beat blaze in the final round to come in 2nd place is a major feat. my son is a lead off hitter. so all hit hits were 395ft line drives. this is your student. this is the result of your teachings. i am very grateful!”
You can see Hudson “The Hawk” White is exemplifying hitting training in the Catapult Loading System: ‘showing numbers’, ‘down shoulder angle’, & ‘hiding hands’. Photo courtesy: Hudson’s father Marty.
Here are baseball hitting training summary notes about Hudson “The Hawk” White’s 2016 home-run derby performance via his dad:
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
Improve your hitting strategy dramatically by applying human movement principles.
Learn not only how and what to train but also the science behind the methods.
Speaking of baseball hitting training, can Hudson do this in a game? Here’s a 380-390 foot triple:
What’s even more amazing?!
I didn’t work with Hudson White…his dad did…using Hitting Performance Lab’s proprietary baseball hitting training.
Why is this HUGE?!
Marty is just one of the hundreds of coaches getting the same results, if not better, than I am with my own hitters – using the same hitting training process!!
So, it’s not just me, or that maybe I’m “Tony Robbins” special.
Also, if you believe this was done with a “doctored”, “hot”, or “bouncy” bat,
Here’s a comment from Kevin Freeman on Facebook:
“I know this kid personally. if all put the work in that he does it wouldn’t be so many whiny baby parents saying his bat is altered. I’ve personally watched him hit several balls over 400 ft with an old hickory Wood bat. All excuse making parents need to let their kid follow this kids work ethic and maybe they will get the recognition he does. if he hitting a -5 that is what he is supposed to be hitting at that age.”
Also, the following MLB.com video is President of the Power Showcase, Brian Domenico, talking about the contest, and around the 5:00 video mark, he talks about the bats and balls used:
Please do Hudson, Marty, and HPL a favor and PLEASE SHARE THIS baseball hitting training post on your favorite social media networks…Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
This stuff works folks. We’re producing hitters that are consistently tripling their body-weight in batted ball distance.
— Joey drops the mic —
UPDATE from June 26, 2018 email from dad…
“…This year he was a freshman on varsity at Byron Nelson High School. He was starting 2nd and 3 hole. He led all north Texas in hits most of the season and finished 7th overall with 45. He was hitting the ball hard somewhere! Hudson was named District 5-6A Unanimous Newcomer Of The Year and All – Area Newcomer of the year finishing 7th in area with 45 hits, 25 RBI, 21 runs , 16 SB.
He also just got back from the Wilson Midwest wood bat championship where he was named MVP for hitting two home runs. He went 9-18 and only 1 single. The rest were doubles, triples and dingers! Here’s his mvp interview:
Hudsons MVP interview. One day when he runs out of dingers, he might have a career at sports broadcasting, 😂 @Hudsonwhite8 https://t.co/I2RmgsZ5HP
— marty white white (@martinbwhite) June 14, 2018
He has been on a tear hitting 6 home runs in the last 3 weeks with either wood or an old rusty metal bbcor bat. Just an FYI update to all the haters and naysayers
its the Indian not the arrow. I appreciate your help and instruction. The proof is in the pudding.”
UPDATE #2 from May 4, 2019 email from dad…
“He finished regular season number 8 in texas in hits, number 6 in extra base hits , and number 1 in doubles. Thats 4a,5a,6a. He’s number 2 in extra base hits in 6a and number 1 in doubles. And thats in arguably one of the top 5 toughest districts in the nation with 2 state champions from last year. The 6a champ and last years 5a champ moved up to 6a. Those coaches of the 5a state team go on an on about what a huge difference in competition in 6a where every team has 4 dudes.”
‘21 Hudson White ties up the game with a 3 run homer. Bobcats were down 0-6 and came back. Score was 6-6 at the end of 7. They came up short after 8 and the series is now tied 1-1. Come out tomorrow at BNHS @ 1pm to cheer them on. #txhsbaseball @Hudsonwhite8 pic.twitter.com/L4MoPauw2i
— ByronNelson Baseball (@baseballbyron) May 4, 2019
I would like to know what balls and bats those guys are using. They don’t sound like BBCOR bats (probably non bbcor and shaved) which would equate for more than 100 feet of added distance but impressive never the less, I imagine those balls are wound super tight as well with very low seams, just hard to believe kids under 16 are hitting balls further than college guys doing the homerun derby, who I might add did not use BBCOR bats and I don’t think anyone hit a ball 500 feet. I remember a kid hitting a ball, 398 with wood and 468 with Metal in one of the power showcases. That is a difference of 70 feet. I know it’s a show but when we talk about kids hitting balls 500 feet or 300 and something at are not using bbcor or wood we can’t really compare them to college and pro guys.
Brad,
I’m with you about the bats… It seems like bats have come a long way… I wished we all just used wood bats… Where I live I play in a community softball league and they just have leage bats… I was ignorant to all the new bats and more importantly what people are doing ( cheating) to the bats to give them an edge… I always thought if you can hit you just need to hit and if you buy an expensive bat or doc a bat your not fixing your swing… I told one parent after I was examining his sons swing a few tips and afterwards he asked if he should invest in a top if the line bat… I said, don’t dare buy a top of the line bat until your son produces a good swing…Do you want your son’s swing to be the key or the bat… Get the swing than and only than invest in a good bat… And always swing a wood bat…
Now as too the monster shots… Your right if the bats and balls are not the same than the comparison is not equal but still as you said there production is still impressive…
But Brad, you just have to take me on faith and just start looking into it…I think “The swing” is just about out… If you read or listen to Joey’s teaching it’s right on target with all the human movements… You’ll be surprised what the swing can do when looking at ball distance…. Remember Mantle was 5’10” 195 and on record with longest HR and Arron was 175….And the 80’s and 90’s messed everyone up… And its nobody’s fault but the science and instruction just wasn’t there… Many were debating facts… Debating facts! While looking at slow motion video and trying to stay with a picture while the answers were not in the picture or outcome but in the ink or the set up ( approach)… For example the tee is a perfect example… It’s funny how some say I’m not a kid so I don’t need a tee.. Others brag about doing t-work… The standard T is for only super specific work…It places the ball at a location where you would never start your swing and the standard T even places the ball on top of the holder… The standard T is for super specific advanced drills….the back spin tee is better but still for advanced drills since the ball is already at contact prior to the start of the swing…
Now we know better… We don’t debate facts but ask to put the facts in the proper context… We no longer spend all day looking at slow motion to figure it out… We know that we have to spend the time looking at set up ( and nobody seems to have slow motion of set up and nobody seems to even point out the movements people make during set up) and slow motion gives us the clues that displays or produces our set up… So we don’t look to the end or the middle of the swing for instructions….we look to the end to figure out if we started correctly… We reverse engineer it… That’s the trick that the ones that know know… It’s reverse engineering not trying to make it LOOK the part…And we now know the swing starts way before the bat ever moves…And Thomas Myers gave us the tools to see the internal and Joey uses Myers tools (teachings) to figure it out and teach us what he noted… The fact is the swing is out or will be out very soon….
Joey taught me some movements that I couldn’t explain and that filled a void in my understanding… Joey is teaching that it’s not “God given” or “natural”… The high level swing is in all of us… And perhaps many had it and never got the opportunity…The great ones or the ones who had the swing use there body differently (internally do things differently) that causes the proper firing of our chains… And most of them don’t even know it… Looking from the outside does nothing as we can move our body parts in a plurality of ways… Joey is teaching us the specific movements… For free too… Thanks Joey! Well I’m sure he’s holding back some…Joey??????? Be the Tesla of instruction ?….
But… Don’t be surprised that some kids are hitting bombs…There are many things to take from all this… 1) it’s really complicated and looking at slow motion for days will not get you there… 2)… Muscle memory is a bitch… Like Ruth said… Get them young but get them on the right path or else they could very well be done or at least would have to work 3 times as hard to fix there problems…3) believe that we all can do it and if you can’t ask what am I doing or thinking that is different… Remember it’s complicated…
And yea we can’t compare apples and typewriters… But having different equipment was noted and true… But the fact is this is apples to oranges… These kids are crushing it because the equipment might be different but there on fire and crushing it… And it’s not the equipment… It’s very similar but it’s that they have awesome swings…
Alright I think Joey Hates when I do this…I know I took forever to say… Don’t miss the biggest point… These kids are killing it and we should ask what are they doing that I’m not…And most have expensive bats and some stupid asses are messing with there bats… But most players don’t have their swing… Believe me that’s the most important thing here…. They see ball and hit ball from within ( like catching it and compressing) while others see ball and try to hit ball from the outside ( through it like slapping)…. Alright I’m out… And I’m still surprise I don’t get any feedback or difference in opinions….
Yea… Joey I think I should take a break until I can limit my comments… Also nobody seems to respond to my comments In any way… Alright I’m Out… Hope all is well…
~DM
DM… I am bored so I will reply to your post, I don’t see a big difference in the swings of the 80’s and 90’s compared to the 60’s or now. I think Bob Horner hit some huge bombs, his swing doesn’t look that much different to guys today. Eric Davis one of my favorites I thought had a nice swing but hitting coaches said it wasn’t. Put him next to a guy today I don’t see any difference mechanically. Not sure what the distance of balls can be contributed too but I know one thing, I can count the guys I faced throwing 90 mph on one hand in college. There is no way the 90 today is the 90 I saw. I set the pitching machine on 90 and at 50 years old can hit almost every pitch at 60 feet something I could not do without starting early or a little luck in college.
Now you have hs kids throwing “90”. I would love to find a radar gun they used in the 80’s and compare it to what they are using now. I think today’s speeds are registering about 6-8 mph faster than they used to be.
On hitting what I think has changed is people teach it differently but I think the good players just knew how to move and did all the stupid drills in BP and in the cage and let their bodies take over in games and hit naturally.
Brad, I agree…I think a majority of Big Leaguers just “figure it out” on their own. The only reason natural explosive human movement would change is because coaches instruct players out of this natural movement. This is a pandemic at the lower levels. So unfortunately for most young players, we’ll never see their true potential.
When I compare the swings in the eras… I’m talking instruction….No matter the instructions, they will be players who figured it out… Some will make it and others will get the wrong instruction at some point… A slump or a big ego coach…Who knows…Maybe some will have it and never use it…As for knowing the swing… Well if you know it you should be able to teach it or at least explain it….Theres a difference in doing and knowing…Many greats are on record with there comments…Many have written books…. I know a few things… I’m certain the new science has made things clearer than ever…
Djura
Some nice swings! Joey question… As we know the back foot is working in 3-DIM (multiple actions with overlap)…
Do you see the hop? Think of basketball players…Many people incorrectly say bend your knees…jump…Well that DEPENDS but if you have a slight bend you can hop meaning your really pushing down and just hopping back up in a quick reaction with a near perfect chain if done correctly….My idea is, in the swing, the hop is held and than released…Don’t ask me what holds it and releases as we are apparently past that ?…?…I know I said I’ll put the pinch away… It’s just so complicated but perhaps your right it’s more of a switch but for another time…
Now released is a special word in baseball and I think the release of the bat head is also a 3-DIM thing as I mentioned before…
What say you? So what I’m saying is a hop (among other actions) is built in and released…. Do you understand the hop, you have to have really strong feet which means direct connections… You did body work so I hope you see what I’m saying…By the way this is in connection with strong feet…. I hope you see where I’m going…Funny we always hear people say strong hands (really strong hands/forearms and arm line slings right but really the finger tips to the elbows) … But we never hear anything about the feet… The feet sets our axis and connects us from the glutes ( among other muscles) to the ground… But what about strong feet meaning from our TOES (notice the caps) to our knees which gives us a link from the floor to our glutes like a spring…
So why no noticing of the feet… What says???? Why aren’t more concerned with our feet????
So Im trying to shead some light on a few things…and I hope you do your magic and communicate anything you have not noted already in your teachings and find interesting…
Obviously the hands and feet are much more important than most know… The only issue is many people have there hands and feet built in and don’t even know it… That’s probably the number one thing…Many have it built in and don’t know it and worse feel like they have to explain what there doing if asked…I think the whole natural or God given thing has to be erased in people’s mind… If you can’t teach people do what you do than you don’t know how you do it and that’s ok as you built it in with tons of practice… Still it’s a problem if you can do it and don’t know how… Any slump can be the slump that ends it all…
Oops I when off in a tangent again… Back to work for me… Later.
Like always any comments would be appreciated..
~DM