“Braves star Freddie Freeman gives in-depth tutorial on how to hit off a tee” Video
If you liked this Freddie Freeman swing analysis, then you may want to take a look at this…
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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/freddie-freeman-swing-analysis-e1570509855677.png492500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-07-19 09:45:442022-07-19 22:47:42Fix Swing Loop, Dropping Barrel, And Pulling Vs Hitting Opposite Field With Power For Baseball, Softball, & Slow Pitch | Do Stay Or Keep Hands Inside Cues Work? | Overload/Underload Bat Training Workout | Freddie Freeman & Ronald Acuna Jr. Analysis
Learn fun youth baseball and softball hitting practice plan station drills for 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 year olds, & High School.
13 Tips On How To Build A Productive Hitting Practice
My 6yo son Noah did this in his class. I love “I hit a line jrive.” So cute! 😍
I don’t have a lot of experience coaching teams like some do, but I do think I have a unique perspective on this…
Since 2013, I’ve been teaching human movement principles validated by REAL Science to local and online hitters. Over the past 4+ years I’ve been running small private group hitting lessons ranging from 2 to 6 hitters per group, for 75-minutes. And before that I did MANY 1-on-1’s.
And the last 5 years I’ve had the honor and pleasure of coaching my son’s teams (including all-stars) since 7u baseball. t-ball, machine pitch, and the transition into kid pitch. This year I was asked to part time as head varsity hitting coach for a local High School. I couldn’t do full time because I was head coach of my son’s little league team plus all my local and online lessons.
I’ve learned a lot about how to put together a productive practice for hitting, fielding, and throwing. Here are my notes – I hope they can help get you started in the right direction…
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First of all, what is one of the most important concepts to work on at practice? Playing catch. CLICK HERE for an interview with legendary Hall of Fame collegiate baseball Coach Bob Bennett, where he goes into depth on this progression-regression.
What’s one of the best drills to learning how to play catch that costs ZERO dollars, and you don’t need a partner? Check out this Tweet –
An example of best training anyone can get is right here. Kid did this for over 2 hours easily. He played various games with self. He developed more this day then any games could provide and it cost 0$. Polite young man who is passionate about game. pic.twitter.com/WpJ1d3Efr0
To make the above throwing and catching drill better? Put multiple targets (could be shapes) in different locations up and down, left and right, on the wall using frog tape.
Three hitting focuses we used with 7u machine pitch: 1) Feel what swinging “up” feels like, 2) Feel what swinging “down” feels like, and 3) Swing across their face, not chasing their face. The latter was because almost half the hitters were pulling their head. Later we added the three plate timing drill to help them understand what “swing earlier” or “swing later” means (CLICK HERE for this post which showcases the 2-plate drill – you’d add one more plate). This takes care of 2 of 3 hitting dimensions. I talk about 3-dimensional hitting in this post.
Main hitting flaws I see most often in youth hitters (based on one-on-one and group hitting lesson experience): barrel path verticals, horizontals, and timing (see 3-D hitting above), pulling head out (swing across face not chase face), stepping out (CLICK HERE for this post), fear of getting hit by the ball (CLICK HERE for this post).
If working on one or two things, focus on those specific things while ignoring any other flaws that may crop up. Get to 60-80% movement proficiency and execution on either soft toss or LIVE toss, before moving onto the next thing. Make your focuses a constant drum beat. Remember, the swing, or any other aspect of the baseball or softball game, is an elephant and you don’t want to eat it all at once!
Our challenge for 7u was one practice per week for only one hour. We did four stations (about 3 players per station): 1) Taking ground-balls while throwing and hitting multiple targets (we weaved frog tape in shape of a 1, 2, and 3 on the chain link), 2) 5 Tee swings with Hitting Jack-It weight on bat (high tee – hit it down, low tee – hit it up), 3) Ground-ball communication between corner and middle infielders, and 4) LIVE hitting on field with “soft” ball machine (to get used to machine pitch).
Depending on age, don’t overdo practice. I would force practice times into 60 to 90-mins up to age 12u. 90 to 120-mins 7th and 8th grade. 2 to 2.5-hours max in High School. And I would say no more than 3 hours in college – weights would be extra. Force yourself to pick THE most essential things to work on. Long practices at youth level scream coach doesn’t know what they’re doing, and that not using time wisely. Most likely A LOT of standing around is the culprit. CLICK HERE this post for a refresher on what most “essential” means.
One of the best bang for your buck hitting drills EVERY coach MUST have in their hitting stations is overload training. CLICK HERE for an interview post I did with the father of over/under load training applied to baseball and softball hitters.
Any coaches have any other advice on how to put together a productive practice for hitters I didn’t mention? Please share in the comments below… (Thank you in advance!!)
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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Noah-Picture-e1557378589345.jpg329500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-07-19 09:15:152022-07-19 17:54:06Fun Youth Baseball Softball Hitting Practice Plan Station Drills For 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Year Olds, & High School
Debating the intricacies of hitting a baseball (or softball) can be as bad as discussing religion or politics. This is why we look to proven human movement science first. Hitting a baseball NOT easy, but we can make it easier. It has a lot of failure built into the fabric. The objective of every coach, instructor, or parent should be to build as many “fail-safes” into the system as possible.
We’re going to explore the following, as they relate to impact:
Perry Husband & Effective Velocity,
90-Degree Angle to the Spine Rule NOT True?
University of Miami Study: The Biomechanics of the Baseball Swing
Conclusion…
First I want to start by setting the table…
Perry Husband & Effective Velocity
“Pluses” take-away from hitter’s reaction time, “minuses” add to hitter’s reaction time (images are pitcher’s POV). Photos courtesy: HittingIsAGuess.com
The one thing I like about Perry Husband’s contribution to hitting a baseball is he goes by “data, not feelings”.
He’s made a science out of a hitter’s reaction time. Perry Husband has accumulated, “Over 10 years of study and testing of amateur hitters and two years of intense study of major league at bats in a 4 million plus pitch database”. At his site Effective Velocity, Perry Husband explains his Effective Velocity system for pitchers:
“The Downright Filthy Pitching Series is a very in depth study of speed as it relates to the hitter’s reaction time. Initial velocity is the speed of the ball as the radar gun sees it, perceived velocity is the speed of the ball as the mind’s eye sees it and Effective Velocity is the speed it actually is. Effective Velocity (EV) is the initial velocity plus the location effects of the pitch due to different locations having different reaction times…A 90 MPH pitch can and does equal many different speeds, depending on where the pitch is located. “
His data (photo above) suggests that a hitter has to be quicker to pitches up in the zone, and in. And pitches down in the zone and away, give a hitter more time to adjust. Perry Husband reports from his findings:
“Did you know that the highest exit velocities off Major League hitters’ bats come off the pitches in the lowest part of the strike zone? How about that the most homeruns hit are off pitches at the very bottom of the strike zone as well?”
Over the past year, I’ve softened to some of Perry’s hitting a baseball mechanics. His information is vital to understanding if…
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
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90-Degree Barrel Angle to the Spine Rule NOT True?
Giancarlo Stanton: 90-degree barrel to spine rule. Note: outside pitch slightly up in zone. Photo courtesy: MLB.com
CLICK HERE for the post that explains this Rule. The preceding post link refers to the barrel, not the front arm to spine angle. There are FOUR ways a hitter gets to pitches at the top/bottom of the strike-zone, and/or inside/outside of the plate…
Tilting at the waist with the upper body (the lower the pitch, the more the tilt),
Another reader got upset saying that I’m teaching two different swings. And enlightened me about his extensive study into the brain, and that taking a bent arm from the initiation of the swing and changing the shape to straight is impossible for the brain to do. Click Here for a conversation Perry and I had on the arm bar.
Remember, Perry Husband said that the highest ball exit speeds and home-runs were off of lower pitches? Do you think it could be because the front arm was able to extend at impact? Creating a longer lever and allowing for a smooth transfer of bat speed (angular velocity) into ball exit speed (inertial force). These are fundamental rules in the Conservation of Angular Momentum.
Look, if our goal as coaches is to get hitters 100% on-time, 100% swing effective, then we must take a serious look at the front arm bar. High exit velocity is key to batted ball distance, and without it Launch Angles alone won’t score more runs. Besides, how many commercial and/or passenger airplanes get off the ground without high horizontal velocity? CLICK HERE for an interview we did with Perry Husband about his system.
One last thing to look into hitting a baseball…
University of Miami Study: The Biomechanics of the Baseball Swing
Josh Donaldson game winning dinger high inside pitch. Photo courtesy: MLB.com
Major shout out to one of my readers and local lesson parents, Nieszka, for bringing this to my attention. This study was done by Dr. David Fortenbaugh at the University of Miami (CLICK HERE if you want to download the 200+ page pdf). Here’s the gist of how the study was put together:
Study Objective: to compare swings against pitches thrown to different locations and at different speeds.
AA-level Minor League Baseball players (n=43) took extended rounds of batting practice in an indoor laboratory against a pitcher throwing a mixture of fastballs and changeups.
An eight camera motion analysis system and two force plates recording at 300 Hz captured the biomechanical
data.
The swing was divided into six phases (stance, stride, coiling, swing initiation, swing acceleration, and follow-through) by five key events (lead foot off, lead foot down, weight shift commitment, maximum front foot vertical ground reaction force, and bat ball contact).
Twenty-eight kinematic measurements and six ground reaction force measurements were computed based on the marker and force plate data, and all were assessed throughout the phases.
The findings?
According to the Study:
“A large number of biomechanical differences were seen among the swings against various pitch locations. More fully rotated positions, particularly of the pelvis and bat were critical to the batters’ successes on inside pitches while less rotated positions keyed successes against outside pitches. The trail and lead arms worked together as part of a closed chain to drive the hand path. Successful swings had the trail elbow extended more for HIGH IN and flexed more for LOW OUT, though batters often struggled to execute this movement properly. A distinct pattern among successful swings against fastballs, successful swings against changeups, and unsuccessful swings against changeups was witnessed; namely a progressive delay in which the batter prematurely initiated the events of the kinetic chain, especially when unsuccessful in hitting a changeup.”
Hitting a Baseball Conclusion
So, let’s tie up everything we talked about in hitting a baseball…
On pitches low and/or away, the hitter has more reaction time (Perry Husband research), so tilting at the waist (on lower pitches) and extending the front elbow to impact is key (90-degree barrel spine rule). And because the outside and lower pitches will be hit slightly deeper than inside and higher pitches, the trailing elbow will have more bend in it at impact (Miami Study).
There can be a harmonious relationship between an arm bar, and consistency getting to pitches up and in the zone. CLICK HERE for this post that gets into the different “catcher’s gloves” on how to do this. HINT: it has to do with the “belly button” catcher’s glove.
Readers, I want to hear your thoughts on hitting a baseball in the Comments below…
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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hitting-a-baseball-robinson-cano.jpg415525Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-07-11 09:15:432024-10-24 16:49:40How To Swing Bat And Hit Baseball Softball Faster, Farther, & Harder Every Time | Beginner Practice At Home Hitting To Increase Bat Speed, Power, Exit Velocity & In Certain Direction
Discover the perfect baseball and softball swing plane trainer, bat path truth, and barrel turn hitting drills for contact, power, and quick hands. Does a one size barrel path fit all pitches? What is the performance consequence of a deep barrel turn on an inside pitch? Or what is the effect of swinging up to an elevated pitch?
Best Hitters Baseball Barrel Path – Do We Have It All Wrong?
Khris Davis is 5'10" with a ton of power. How does he generate it?Sean Casey shows how his back elbow and bat path help him get it done.
Posted by Diamond Demos on Tuesday, September 18, 2018
…And I’m sorry. But I will say this, most are being misled on the best hitters baseball bat path. The principle you’ll discover shortly also applies to fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball.
In this best hitters baseball barrel path post, we’ll look at:
…according to Diamond Demo video above: “Breaking down Khris Davis”.
We published last week’s Khris Davis swing analysis post because of the Diamond Demo “Breaking down Khris Davis” video. The overwhelming response I received from readers sharing this video with me truly validates the Catapult Loading System seen in the best hitters. Don’t think so? Take a look at the following split screen snapshots from the above video (recognize ANY of the hitters??)…
Observe stride landing positions of JD Martinez, Aaron Judge, & Jose Altuve – ‘showing numbers’, ‘downhill shoulders’, & ‘hiding hands’. Photo courtesy: Diamond Demo video “Breaking down Khris Davis”
And,
Check out stride landing positions of Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, & Mike Trout – ‘showing numbers’, ‘downhill shoulders’, & ‘hiding hands’. Photo courtesy: Diamond Demo video “Breaking down Khris Davis”
We won’t spend a lot of time rehashing last week’s post, BUT I do want to bring up an important point that was talked about in the above Diamond Demo segment. And it has to do with best hitters baseball barrel path…
Starting at about the 2-min, 15-second video mark, and continuing to the end, they talk about this idea of Khris Davis getting his barrel in the zone early, and keeping barrel in the zone late. And this is where I’ve lied to you for the last 5-years! I used to teach my hitters this same one-size-fits-all SUPER deep barrel path. But what I found was this IS NOT true of the best hitters baseball bat paths…
SCIENCE-BASED TRAINING:
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WHY Hitters Baseball Current One-Size-Fits-All SUPER Deep Barrel Path Approaches are Losing
Let me tell you a story of how I stumbled onto this principle…
In January of 2018, I was working with one of my hitters, who has been working with me since he was 7 years old. He’s 15 years old now, in the 8th grade, and consistently hits with a low to mid 80’s Ball Exit Speed off the Backspin Tee, using a wood bat.
His mechanics are pretty clean compared to my other hitters. At the time, I was teaching my hitters the same one-size-fits-all SUPER deep barrel acceleration path, as many of you are now. One day, we were working on hunting pitch zones, inner third pitches specifically, and he responded,
“Coach, I don’t feel like I can get to that inside pitch effectively. Am I showing my numbers too much?”
This got me thinking, so I jumped on Twitter to look at the best hitters baseball bat paths. Specifically, I was looking for hitters, like the ones on the split screen images above, crushing 94-mph+ on the inner third of the plate, and guess what I saw??
The ones who demonstrated the Catapult Loading System principles well (namely ‘showing numbers’), still did so at stride landing on inside heat! Did you catch that?! ‘Showing numbers’ was irrelevant to crushing the inside pitch.CLICK HERE for a post I did debunking that. So what were they doing different on the inner third?
It had to do with what we call hitting a different “catcher’s glove”. I won’t go into the details of that here because I already did at the following post titled:“Accelerate Barrel Rearward Like Mike Trout”. The best hitters baseball barrel path isn’t about a one-size-fits-all approach to all pitches and timing.
Here’s the DANGER for hitters using a one-size-fits-all SUPER deep barrel acceleration approach…
Signs that pitcher’s are smartening up to countering this seemingly effective low in the zone barrel approach? Pitchers are now using this, which Perry Husband calls Effective Velocity (EV), to exploit hitters with longer barrel paths.
In short, 2018 homers are down, in addition to having a few months in the season where overall offensive strikeouts outweigh hits in the Big Leagues. This is troubling. To give a clue, check out Perry’s video explaining why Chris Davis (Orioles) is having issues with this one-size-fits-all barrel path…
If hitting coaches don’t smarten up to this soon, then they’ll be rendered obsolete, irrelevant to the hitting community, and ultimately out of a job. That’s not an exaggeration, and is where the puck is going, believe me. Now, let’s look at the behavior of different “catcher’s glove” approaches on inner, middle, and outer third of the plate pitches…
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Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
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On time to deliver the backside through the direction of the ball. He lands a little open all the time, I think he opened more here based on anticipated pitcher release point. Rotate on a line. pic.twitter.com/tiAiYF2Org
Now, how do we train this? I’m going to give you two complimentary drills we use to sync the optimal “catcher’s glove” with the proper direction of force (See – aren’t you glad you read my post to the bitter end!?):
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
Click button below to access FREE video that has been downloaded over 20K times!
MLB Network and Alex Rodriguez swing analysis interview with New York Yankees player Giancarlo Stanton as he talks hitting approach. Learn concepts applicable to High School pre game routines.
I can’t believe I missed this Giancarlo Stanton swing breakdown video. I remember how on fire he was July of 2018, when he made a certain change to his stance.
Also, other information people search about Giancarlo Stanton (as of July 2022): he’s 32yos, batting average is .245, he’s 6-foot 6-inches, and is American: Irish American, Puerto Rican, and of African American descent.
Here are some thoughts and time stamps from the above video…
At the 0:45 minute mark, A-Rod makes the observation that Giancarlo Stanton works hard. Before, during, and after games, like A-Rod says, “Almost working too much.” I don’t agree with that. As long as the player digs the hard work, and works on the right things.
At the 1:00 minute mark, Giancarlo Stanton gives a little insight into his approach at the plate. Focusing on what he expects to see from the pitcher. I’m assuming this is based on data collection. Pitch patterns and sequencing. Based on what the pitcher is trying to do to him. “Altering” Stanton’s homework a bit. Wants the video analysis he watches to be as fresh as possible, so at least 30-mins before going out to the game.
At the 1:45 minutes mark, A-Rod asks how Giancarlo Stanton’s hitting strategy changes based on ballparks – in reference to his trade from Marlins (big park) to the new Yankee stadium (small park). Is he trying to lift more or just hit line drives? Stanton says he’s still trying to hit line drives. Still have to put barrel on the ball for the short corners. A-Rod tells Stanton that when he used to hit there, he’d pick out sponsorship signs as targets to drive to. Act like a fairway and have targets? Giancarlo Stanton said he likes the bullpen and Toyota sign as a target at Yankee stadium (RCF) – keeps him “inside the ball”. Gives his hands a chance to strike, and get good barrel on the ball.
At the 2:44 minutes mark, A-Rod asks Giancarlo Stanton about the change in his stance – to more closed. Why did he do it? It keeps his direction towards the bullpen. Less chance to pull off – shoulder and hip.
At the 4:00 minute mark, Stanton is asked what his ideal pitch and location is. Slightly in from middle and 92-mph, 4-seamer, straight. Interesting to note, Perry Husband has said a majority of pitchers throw to 88 to 93-mph perceived velocity. They throw to barrels by slowing their fast stuff down and speed up their slow stuff – based on pitch location and sequencing. I’m not shocked Giancarlo Stanton picked 92-mph, regardless of FB, CB, CU, etc. It’s ideal timing zone of most Major League hitters.
At the 5:20 mark, A-Rod asks Giancarlo Stanton how he hits Jacob DeGrom so well. And btw, DeGrom does well with Effective Velocity according to Perry Husband. Be patient and lock in what Stanton is trying to do, not what DeGrom is trying to do. Sometimes you’ll get what you want and sometimes not. He’s thinking right center against DeGrom.
🚀 Unlock the Secrets: FREE VIDEO on Mastering Powerful Oppo Field Hits & Pulling
Are your hitters struggling to effectively hit to the opposite field or pull the ball with power? Discover our breakthrough techniques now!
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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Giancarlo-Stanton-Swing-Breakdown.png280500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-07-05 09:00:242022-07-05 18:46:09MLB Network Swing Analysis: Player Giancarlo Stanton Talks Hitting Approach | High School Pre Game Routines For High School Baseball & Softball 2022
Watch Albert Pujols talking about how to teach swing drills off hitting tee, place hitting outside pitches to opposite field vs pull, and keeping the hands inside out for baseball, slow-pitch, and fast-pitch softball players.
Albert Pujols Hitting Mechanics Video Talk
In this Albert Pujols hitting mechanics talk, some questions Pujols and Harold Reynolds answer:
Albert Pujols & Harold Reynolds Interview, MLB Network 30 Clubs in 30 Days. Photo courtesy: MLB.com
Hitting ball off same spot off tee or vary?
Dangers of a purely opposite field approach…
When is using ‘hands inside the ball’ okay?
Hit top part of the cage of the back?
How many swings until you should take a break to reflect?
Inside pitch barrel path: is it different than away?
At the 0:10 second mark, tsk, tsk…notice Harold Reynolds isn’t following the 4-foot social distancing rule!! (for those watching this well after the craziness of the Coronavirus has passed – lol).
At the 0:30 second mark, interesting Pujols talks about building a consistent swing, hitting off the tee in one spot. He references variance training with some hitting coaches moving the ball up and down, in and out. I do agree with him, but it depends on the end result. If you’re just introducing a new hitting mechanic, then keep the tee in one spot. If you’re looking to deeply embed a well worn hitting mechanic, then variance or chaos training is key.
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.
At the 0:45 second mark, Albert Pujols talks about setting tee up slightly off center of the plate towards outer part. He likes to work gap to gap and not force or push the ball to right field. He mentions if he focuses too much on right field, then he gets under the ball too much.
At the 1:30 minute mark, Pujols dispels the myth of “staying inside the ball”. He says of course you’re inside the ball…you don’t see hitters EVER getting their hands outside the ball. ‘Hands inside the ball’ can be a great cue for those hitters doing the opposite – casting barrel early. It’s not a perfect cue, but may work in some cases. Then to throw gas on the fire, he mentions ‘knob to the ball’. Real v. Feel. There’s a reason you keep hearing this kind of stuff from guys like Pujols, A-Rod, and Bonds. It has to do with top hand dominance and pronation. We call it the “wrist snap”.
At the 2:00 minute mark, Albert Pujols talks about working on the liner, not trying to hit the top part of the cage. He picks a spot in the cage he wants the ball to travel. External cue. He wants the ball to come off the bat as high as the tee is set. Harold brings up that some people are teaching to hit the top of the cage (I used to be one of them!!). But Albert plays the politician and comments that he doesn’t want to say what those coaches are doing is wrong, but that he wouldn’t teach that. And right now, I’d agree with him.
At the 3:00 minute mark, Harold asked Pujols if there’s a rhythm to working on gapping the ball, and Pujols says he tries to hit 3 or 4 in a row, then take a break to reflect on the feeling. He tries not to rush when working out. He tries to take his time. Process what he just did. Great advice!
At 4:00 minute mark, Harold asks Albert about his inside approach. How to hit the inside pitch. Watch how Pujols demos his barrel path to get to it … barrel above hands? This Adam Eaton video reveals the same thing. Interesting huh? We call this knocking the “belly button” catcher’s glove off. He says he’s just reacting to the inside pitch. Typically, he’s looking out over the plate. He doesn’t try to focus on one area of the plate. He looks middle, then adjusts in or out from there. Definitely works for Albert. And Mike Schmidt also talked about it in his book the “Mike Schmidt Study”. Only downside is when pitchers start using EV tunnels Perry Husband talks about. It’s easier to cover middle in/out/up/down (50% of the plate), based on pitcher’s pattern. Obviously, this is more effective the better the pitcher is.
At 5:00 minute mark, in the above Albert Pujols hitting mechanics video, Pujols talks about keeping his shoulders “square” or keep front shoulder pointing at “400-foot” mark in straight center. Not to close shoulders off. Albert never really did ‘show numbers’ much, but he does a lot of other things right.
At 6:00 minute mark, Pujols talks about not getting “taller” to get to the pitch up in the zone, but to stay sink down and use hands to get to it. Again demonstrates keeping barrel above hands. We talk about getting shorter and staying shorter. And middle in, middle up pitches are addressed by knocking off belly button catcher’s glove or telling hitter to keep barrel above hands. Real v. Feel. Now, this isn’t actually what’s going to happen. The result of this hitting cue is a tighter, shorter, more compact barrel path. Much needed closer the ball is to the hitter or the eyes. He talks about using his legs to get to pitches down in the zone.
🚀 Unlock the Secrets: FREE VIDEO on Mastering Powerful Oppo Field Hits & Pulling
Are your hitters struggling to effectively hit to the opposite field or pull the ball with power? Discover our breakthrough techniques now!
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https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/albert-pujols-hitting-mechanics-e1584392758126.png390500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-07-01 09:15:372022-07-01 21:34:14Albert Pujols Talking How To Teach Swing Drills Off Tee, Place Hitting Outside Pitches To Opposite Field Vs Pull, And Keep Hands Inside Out For Baseball, Slow-pitch, & Fast-pitch Softball
Some interesting things in swing analysis: Float, Fall, Barrel Path – CB down/away v. FB mid/up (and late), how well he matches plane of pitch (tube)
CLICK HERE to view the size and metrics data on FanGraphs.
In looking at the Josh Bell image, it’s interesting to note how Josh Bell’s barrel path line intersects the plane of the pitch line. Hitters that match the plane of the pitch line better will inevitably have higher batting averages and less strikeouts.
We teach our hitters to match the “tube”. Imagine the pitch being thrown through a tube, and the hitter’s goal should be to hit the ball back through the tube. Based on pitch height. If the pitch tube is set at four-feet off the ground, then the ball must come off the bat four-feet off the ground. If tube is set at one-inch off the ground, then ball comes off bat one-inch off ground.
If the hitter doesn’t hit it through the “tube”, which the best in the world miss the tube 80% of the time (league averages: 20% line drive rate, 38% fly-ball rate, and 43% ground-ball rate), then they make adjustments using the principle of paradoxical intention.
Consider the following…
Grab 'Finger Pressure' Video
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
Click button below to access FREE video that has been downloaded over 20K times!
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Line-Drive-Hacking-With-Josh-Bell-Swing-Breakdown-e1563425526448.png281500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-06-28 09:15:422022-07-01 22:22:17Josh Bell: Improve Attack Angle And Ideal Home Run Launch Angle For Baseball & Softball | Building Faster, Flatter, & More Powerful Bat Path To Fix Choppy & Uppercut Swings
Check out this Barry Bonds swing training to get more power video for baseball and softball hitters. Learn how to use swing plane barrel turn versus hands tipping* drill.
Baseball Hitting Tips Video: #1 Long Ball Secret
…we’re going over how
To use the body – not the hands – to get “on-plane” with the pitch,
Barry Bonds makes hitting the long ball look easy, and
Most young hitters get the #1 long ball secret wrong (and how to correct it).
A few weeks ago I worked with a 12-U Little League team from Bakersfield California called the Sliders. They recently came to Fresno for a tournament and DOMINATED.
One of the moms Sheri – her son is Alex in the above video – emailed me a testimonial:
“The boys won first place! Ben, Paul and Dylan hit their first home runs ever! They went undefeated for entire tourney! We’re going to round table pizza to treat all the boys!”
The three young men who hit their first home-runs had worked with me for the first time, a week before the tournament. Now, this wasn’t all me, but wasn’t a coincidence either. Before I worked with them, all three boys naturally had a little forward momentum working for them. And, Sliders Coach Justin Karr has been working the baseball hitting tips system with his team for over a year now.
In the baseball hitting tips video, Barry Bonds gets on plane with the pitch very well by lowering his body. He does this by creating an “L” with his back leg to and through contact. Whereas the moment Alex’s front heel hits the ground, he ‘stands up’ causing ball flight to be low. Alex would have to get “on-plane” with his hands, which is very inconsistent.
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.
NEED: light exercise band with handles, AND decent sized carabiner,
Loop exercise band handles to carabiner, then to chain link fence, OR
Parent/Coach holds exercise band handles, and finally
Have hitter loop band under armpits.
In the baseball hitting tips video above, I mentioned breaking the swing apart into two steps:
To the Fight Position (landing), and
The Final Turn.
You’ll see Olympic Hammer Throwers lower their backside as well. This enables the release of the hammer at an optimal forty-five degree angle. CLICK HERE to watch a World Record holding Hammer Thrower lower his backside while rotating.
*On the hands tip drill… As my dad always told me growing up to not jump for the bells and whistles of a new car because it’s another thing to go broke and you have to fix it. Just the bare essentials. Consider this AthleticsNation.com post titled: “Josh Donaldson: Changes in approach and mechanics”, where they compare his 2013 to 2014 seasons. The conclusion as to why his 2014 numbers were down versus 2013 was because of the barrel tip (over-emphasized in 2014).
Sure the hands barrel tip can get momentum going, but I have yet to be convinced that the risk is worth the reward.
Grab 'Finger Pressure' Video
Frustrated with fixing BAT DRAG? Beat it!
Swing Study reveals how majority of hitters are correcting 'racing back elbow' bat drag within 1-2 weeks WITHOUT overhauling swing mechanics OR buying fancy and expensive hitting aids.
Click button below to access FREE video that has been downloaded over 20K times!
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Barry-Bonds-Hitting-Training-To-Get-More-Power-For-Baseball-Softball-How-To-Swing-Plane-Barrel-Turn-Vs-Hands-Tipping-Drill-e1659462413276.png280800Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-06-28 09:00:372022-10-10 20:56:54Barry Bonds: Hitting Training To Get More Power For Baseball & Softball | How To Swing Plane Barrel Turn Vs. Hands Tipping Drill
What college coaches and scouts look for in baseball or softball player recruits and what are the chances of getting a scholarship in 2022-2023. Learn some parenting advice from Coach Mark Gonzalez about how to get your son or daughter noticed and does your kid have to play travel ball?
GoBigRecruiting.com says this about the chances of getting a scholarship… (true for baseball and softball)
“There are only about 300 division one programs, and they all only have 12 scholarships. With hundreds of thousands of HS softball players out there, the odds are less than 5%.“
“You Can Have Average Mechanics and If You Have A Good Approach, You Can Still Be Successful” – Mark Gonzalez Dad Advice on How To Hit a Baseball
How to hit a baseball interview with super parent Mark Gonzalez, and his 7+ tips for other parents out there raising an athlete in a competitive sports environment.
In this how to hit a baseball post interview with Mark Gonzalez, aka East Bay Mark – @NorCal_Trojan on Twitter, and inspirational parent coaching his High School Junior hitter, joined me on the Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast and here’s what we covered:
What do you find to be the biggest mistake, one or two mistakes on how to hit a baseball that you see out there?
Was there an aha moment at some point where you finally said Oh, you know what, I might be over overdoing this being the helicopter parent?
“You can have average mechanics and if you have a good approach, you can still be successful…”
Is how to hit a baseball all about hitting dingers and doubles?
What ever happened to playing Whiffle Ball in the street, and can kids learn anything from video games?
What things have you guys been doing on the recruiting side?
“If this college wants a certain type of hitting approach and if that’s the hitting approach you really don’t like well maybe that’s not the school for you…”
Any other how to hit a baseball parting thoughts that you would give to those parents out there with freshmen, sophomores, juniors in high school, coming from a dad who’s coaching their own kid?
Where can people find you Coach Mark and powerful BONUS tips???
CLICK HERE to download and save the how to hit a baseball transcript PDF.
Enjoy!
About travel ball, nowadays it’s a good idea, but in my opinion it doesn’t have to be all year round. Get kids playing other sports in the off season if you can. Above all, make sure they’re working on the right things, and then working on doing those things right. Also, here are two other helpful recruiting links:
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/how-to-hit-a-baseball.png423800Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-06-21 09:00:292022-06-22 16:11:10What College Coaches And Scouts Look For In Baseball Or Softball Recruits & Chances Of Scholarship 2022-2023 | Parent Advice: How To Get Son Or Daughter Noticed & Do You Have To Play Travel Ball?
One can learn a lot from this Hammerin’ Hank Aaron swing on YouTube – how to hit your first home run. Hank Aaron stats and watch an episode of the Home Run Derby Game Show from 1960 where Hank battles Al Kaline!
Method that Helped Hank Aaron Consistently Hit Dingers…
But before we get to the 1960 Hank Aaron Home Run Derby Game Show episode and what we could learn from his swing and how to hit your first homer, I wanted to share the epic 715 home run video called by the late Vin Scully…
1960 Home Run Derby Game Show where Hank battles Al Kaline… (ENJOY!)
Note the elevation of Aaron’s rear foot at impact. Photo courtesy: YouTube user ItsZaneV2
According to Baseball-Reference.com, Hank Aaron averaged almost 33 homers over 23 seasons (755 all-time homers). And at ONLY 6’0″, 180-pounds, I would say that’s quite an accomplishment!
The above 24-minute video is a home-run derby hosted by Mark Scott. You can purchase the Legends Home Run Derby 3 Volume Set (I only see volumes 1 & 3 though) on Amazon to watch it on your TV.
This particular one pits Hank Aaron against Al Kaline. I wanted to get your reaction on some of the swings, but before I do that…I figured some of you wouldn’t have time to watch the whole 24-minutes, so I included some time-stamps below for quick reference.
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.
MS comments on AK’s swing: “crowds the plate, closed stance” (2:53) – notice how he steps in the bucket
HA asked to comment on AK’s swing: “sweeps at the ball” (3:01)
AK describes HA’s swing: “relaxed, waits till last minute, ‘pops’ his wrist into the ball and it really jumps” (6:25)
MS comments on AK’s swing: “long stride”, then HA adds: “get out there, get that ball, that’s what you’re suppose to do” (7:43)
HA homer chest view (10:33)
HA gapper back view (11:15)
HA gapper – fly out – to left center, back-chest view (14:33)
HA homer, chest view (14:45)
HA homer, chest view (15:05)
HA homer, chest view (18:05)
Note Hank Aaron’s early on pitch-plane barrel. Photo courtesy: ItsZaneV2
Interesting to Note…
How far and high Hank Aaron’s back foot comes off the ground during his turn
How much forward momentum both hitters get
How early the barrel starts on the pitch plane
How much both hitters get on their front sides…
And here’s a Hank Aaron swing analysis video I did that’s very popular on YouTube…
'Add 40-Feet' To Batted Ball Distance
Swing Study reveals how tens of thousands of hitters are adding 40-feet to batted ball distance by using one simple strategy.
Click the button below to access the FREE video that's been downloaded over 30K times!!
https://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/hank-aaron-barrel-path.png355500Joey Myershttps://hittingperformancelab.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/hitting-performance-labs_c90c0362088ef1d3d528f3078f4f8ac1-300x75.pngJoey Myers2022-06-13 09:00:442022-08-28 21:43:29Hammerin Hank Aaron YouTube Swing: How To Hit Your First Home Run | Stats, 715, & Game Show Derby Video 1960
weight on bat (high tee – hit it down, low tee – hit it up), 3) Ground-ball communication between corner and middle infielders, and 4) LIVE hitting on field with “soft” ball machine (to get used to machine pitch).
book is great for winning coaching principles as a whole.
,
seen in the best hitters. Don’t think so? Take a look at the following split screen snapshots from the above video (recognize ANY of the hitters??)…
principles well (namely ‘showing numbers’), still did so at stride landing on inside heat! Did you catch that?! ‘Showing numbers’ was irrelevant to crushing the inside pitch. 
also talked about it in his book the “Mike Schmidt Study”. Only downside is when pitchers start using 
(I only see volumes 1 & 3 though) on Amazon to watch it on your TV.
