Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Turn Vs Push Barrel: Modern MLB Bat Path Drills To Fix Steep Swinging Under Ball Swing

,

Discover the reality of turning the barrel vs pushing the barrel in a modern MLB bat path swing.  Learn drills to help fix a step swinging under the baseball or softball swing.

Slingshot Your Way To An Effective Barrel Path

 

 

In this video, we’ll chat about the difference between two opposing forces described in Physics as Centripetal (center “seeking”) versus Centrifugal (center “fleeing”), and how they apply to the swing.

I borrowed this ‘rock-on-a-string’ concept from Jim Lefebvre’s book The Making of a Hitter.  I understood it as a hungry 11yo hitter looking for an edge, and I think it’s still applicable now to help hitters understand their intention with barrel path.

Yes obviously, barrel path is in an arc, circle, oval, ellipse, etc whatever helps get the point across.  However, to get an optimal impact point, hitters must think in terms of center seeking versus center fleeing forces.

It’s easy to understand optimal impact points and how they relate to Centrifugal Forces (center fleeing) when looking at what the left and right “flappers” must do to hit a pinball effectively…

…think of the flappers as hitter swinging a bat.  There are optimal depths of impact – from MORE out-in-front (inner 1/3 of the plate), to out-in-front (middle 1/3), and to slightly DEEPER than out-in-front (outer 1/3).  This demonstrates the Centrifugal Forces (center fleeing) part of the barrel arc.

Centripetal Forces (center seeking) of WHEN the barrel enters hitting zone depends on pitch depth – how long the barrel stays near the rear shoulder.  And here’s the critical mass, the barrels of elite hitters DO NOT enter the zone at the same time, regardless of pitch depth.  CLICK HERE for a post clearing this up.

0 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

What Do College Baseball & Softball Coaches Look For In Recruits? | NCAA And NCSA Recruiting In 2024

Learn what college baseball and softball coaches are looking for in recruits, and what does the NCAA and NCSA college recruiting landscape look like in 2024 and beyond?

College Recruiting: How To Improve Your Athlete’s Chances (Help!!!)

 

Do you consider yourself a generous person?  Yes?  Good.  If you have any advice, be it from your parent or coaching hat (preferably college coaches who are actively recruiting), please share in the comments below the post.  If you’re just looking for college baseball and softball recruiting advice, then that’s great!  Read through this post AND then read the comments below it.  Lots of fantastic advice!

Recently, I received the following college recruiting ask from one of my avid readers, Alan Rudy:

“Hey Joey, I don’t want to step out of bounds but recruiting is wild and woolly.  Jack Renkens was invited to give a presentation at East Lansing High School where our oldest plays ball. There was a great deal of really good info in his talk and, at the end, he strongly encouraged us to join and use NCSA.  By contrast, coaches at the HS – and people like Paul Reddeck – have suggested that the NCSA can become a very expensive means of getting access to too many, too expensive meat markets/showcases that rarely pan out.

These people say that Aiden should ask himself where in the country he wants to go to school, what size of school and kind of degree programs he is interested in, what kind of social life/college culture he wants and to explore schools where he’d be likely to get on the field before he’s a junior… and then to contact coaches at those schools with introductions, links to stats and videos, sending emails from HS and travel coaches, etc.

I can’t remember seeing a post from you in this topic. If you have one, could you help me find it? If it’s less trouble do you have someone who’s approach you like that you’d be willing to share?”

Honestly, the topic of college recruiting isn’t in my wheelhouse, and is not where I put my energy.  Here was my email response:

“Alan, I appreciate you reaching out about this. I haven’t done a post on it, and haven’t really spent a ton of time researching this. Back in the day companies like NCSA were a competitive advantage, now everyone does it, so that’s why the price you pay can be ridiculous for what you’re getting. Supply and demand. That aside, I’d still work it because you don’t want all your eggs in one basket. I’d get in touch with area scouts and get an honest opinion from them as to Jack’s current evaluation. That way you know where to focus training efforts. But here’s the reality, your son cannot be ignored if you’re working the process to get to:

  • At least 90 to 95-mph Ball Exit Speeds,
  • At least a consistent 15+ degree Launch Angles,
  • Above average OPS numbers on the field, and have a…
  • Sub 7.0 sec 60-yard sprint time wouldn’t hurt either.

Not to mention a 3.5 GPA in school! These five things make it real easy for his current coach/scout to recommend him, and a college/pro coach/scout to look at him as a reasonable prospect. In the weight room, I’d work on getting him to a 400 to 500-lb dead-lift, that would help A LOT of things on the field. CLICK HERE to see what this training would look like. 

Maybe I’ll do a post on this in the future, asking for advice from other coaches out there that are doing this and are successful in promoting/recruiting players and what they’re looking for.  I hope this helps brother. I really appreciate your continued support, so whatever I can do to help you out. Happy Holidays! – Joey”

Also, I forgot to mention Brian Domenico’s National or International Power Showcase – CLICK HERE for a post I did on that.  After my attempted response on college recruiting, Alan added:

“If you do the post on recruiting, would you see if you can get stuff from coaches at DIII and II as well as I? Just as you’ve insisted that most players aren’t Albert Pujols or Giancarlo Stanton, I think too much recruiting material focuses on “IF YOU WANT TO PLAY DI!!!!!” kinds of hype and it feeds the exploitative side of your business. It is so clear that you care about the guys you work with however they end up finding success in life… but it is also clear that a lot of guys are too much in it for the glory and money.
I’ve loved the last few blog posts!”

College Recruiting: The Ask…

I’ve heard that if you want to get, you have to give, and it is the giving time of year.  To those coaches, Academy owners, instructors, and/or parents out there, can you offer any advice no matter how small, to parents like Alan?  A million THANKS in advance for your generosity… (please REPLY below in the comments)

19 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

How To Get Out Of A Hitting Slump | Heads Up Baseball 2.0 Mental Toughness Psychology Training | Dr. Tom Hanson Coaching Program

Discover how to get out of a hitting slump! Learn how Dr. Tom Hanson’s Heads Up Baseball 2.0 is second to none mental toughness training and coaching program for the psychology of baseball and softball hitters.

How To Give 100% Of What You Have Right Now To The Next Pitch

 

Click Here to Listen or Download to the podcast episode.

Tony Robbins has said that success is 80% psychology, 20% mechanics.  Certified Hypnotist and creator of the cartoon comic strip Dilbert, Scott Adams, has said humans are irrational 80% of the time, in his recent book: Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter.  We’re only rational when deciding on things like which soap to buy!  He adds that we make decisions based on emotion, THEN we rationalize.  Not the other way around.

The best athletes in the world are better at controlling the mental part of the game, and their emotions.  They focus on controlling only what they can control.  Which leads me to this interview with Dr. Tom Hanson…

I stumbled onto a first edition of Heads-Up Baseball back in 1995 when I was in High School.  It helped clear my mind of all the hitting mechanical books I was reading at the time that left me more confused than when I started.  I owe a lot to Drs. Hanson and Ravizza for helping me play 4-years of Division-1 baseball at Fresno State, tuition free.

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.

Right Course For You? Take Quiz Now

Without further adieu, here are some time-stamps to help you navigate the interview:

  • About 2:30 minute mark, Dr. Hanson talks about his experience coaching baseball at UVA and D3 Skidmore College. It’s a challenge to find someone who has a PhD in psychology and experience coaching the game at the college level.
  • About 4:30 minute mark, I talk about how I stumbled upon the first version of Heads-Up Baseball, and how the information helped me cut through the white noise at a time when I felt overwhelmed with hitting mechanics, reading every book I could get my hands on.
  • About 6:00 minute mark, what were the top two or three things you and Dr. Ken Ravizza changed in the 2.0 version of Heads-Up Baseball?  One was this idea of changing “Trust” to “Compete”. The purpose of a routine is to compete.  Give 100% of what you have right now to the next pitch.  Problem right now is players are coming to college with a “showcase” mentality.  The importance of hitters being patient AND being aggressive.  Thoughts on including quotes and anecdotes from fresh coach and player faces in the book.
  • About 11:30 minute mark, if you could direct coaches to two concepts in the book, what would they be and why?  I liked the “Heads Up Practice” Chapter, but Dr. Hanson suggested “Chapter 2: The 3 Levels of Learning to Compete”, Know it, Do it, Own it. He also recommends reading Mike Scioscia’s Introduction of the book.  The Goldilocks Golden Rule, what’s right for the hitter right now (or today – know yourself).
  • About 18:00 minute mark, Dr. Hanson talks about the importance of having a model to explain the questions that come in about the mental game.  He goes into the RAMP-C model: Responsibility – the ability to respond, choose what you focus on, great question to ask: “How did you choose to respond?”  Awareness – being conscious of and how you typically respond under pressure or when you’re hitting well, extrovert/introvert, how are you feeling right now.  Dealing with “yellow” or “red” lights.  Mission – what would you like to have happen, purpose or swing intention.  Preparation – what can I do to get myself to feel a “green” light, training in the off-season, what am I going to prepare for the next pitch or season.  Compete (changed from “Trust”) – give 100% of what you have right now to get to win the next pitch.  Nobody on the Cubs felt like they had a “green” light for Game 7 of the World Series when they win it.  Control, Plan, Trust changed to Control, Commit, Compete
  • About 30-minute mark, what have you found most valuable utilizing information in this book with your own kids while navigating the craziness of travel baseball, son C.J. is 14yo and daughter Angelina is 11yo.  First edition of Heads Up Baseball was before kids, now 20-year reflection period to version 2.0.  Before 13/14yo Dr. Hanson wanted to create an environment of fun for his son.  Helping kid fall in love with sport.  Not constantly picking the kid apart.  It’s all about Relationship building.  No matter the message, if the relationship isn’t there, then the message doesn’t have its optimal effect.  Joe Maddon talked about building relationships as his priority in first 3 weeks of Spring Training with Cubs that first year, was building relationships with players.
  • About 39:00 minute mark, can you be a coach that can stretch out of being the best at conceptualizing and doing, and get more into understanding relationship.  Knowing your players, where they are in life, and how to relate is huge with players.

Unfortunately, the phone recording app I was using cut off another 20 minutes of the interview.  Here are some nuggets that were inconveniently left out:

How to change an athlete that has an emotional “red” or “yellow” light from his book Play Big: Mental Toughness Secrets That Take Baseball Players to the Next Level. Using the ABC model:

  • Act Big,
  • Breath deep, and
  • Compete.

Dr. Hanson shared a conversation he had with Reggie Jackson, where he asked Reggie if he was confident all the time.  Reggie responded with, “Heck no!”  Reggie said he faked it a lot of the time.  Act Big.

Dr. Hanson shared a conversation between Mike Trout and Dr. Ken Ravizza.  Mike Trout likes to finish his exhale before getting in the box.  If he gets in the box without doing that, he steps out and finishes it.  That’s Breathing deep.  Mike Trout also said he likes to stride slow to the plate in order to slow down the moment.

We also talked about where you can find Dr. Hanson online and the socials:

 

Book Resources Mentioned in the Interview…

0 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Do Push Barrel Path Hitting Drills Fix Steep Swinging Under Ball Swing For Baseball & Softball Players?

, , ,

Discover if push barrel path hitting drills fix a steep swinging under the ball swing for baseball and softball players…

The Sooner You Know ‘Swinging Down’ Can Be A Disaster The Better

The funny thing is…

That was actually ME in the above video!  This was a two tee drill video I did a long time ago for my old site SwingSmarter.com (not around anymore), between 2008 and 2010.  Like many at the time, I was taught to swing down and through the baseball my whole career.  This is where I agree AND disagree with Sean T. Plouffe’s comment to my video….

I agree, swinging down MUST not be a blanket teach, like many were taught in my era.  However, I DISAGREE with him because ‘swinging down’ is VERY helpful to pitches middle in and middle up in the zone.  And THIS is what guys like Sean DO NOT understand.  They’re just as bad as the blanket ‘swing down’ coaches, but they use the opposite blanket teach, ‘swing up’!  Click Here for a post I explain in depth why BOTH of these blanket teaches are WRONG.

Jake C.: Swinging Down

One of my HS Frosh hitters swinging down at the beginning of one of our first lessons together. We’re using the RopeBat to fix this. Photo courtesy: ME

We’ll discuss:

  • ‘That’s what he was taught’,
  • The journey that led me away from conventional wisdom, and
  • The bottom line… (how to fix)

‘That’s What he was Taught’…

Take this email I recently received from one of my readers, Bryan Nugent:

“Good morning,

My predicament is that over the last year or so I have been working with my son using your style  (catapult loading) from your book. My son is like a night and day difference when he doesn’t load like you point out. Some of my cue words I tell him are tuck, hide, see and drive.

  • Tuck – for his shoulder
  • Hide – his hands
  • See – keep his eye on the ball
  • Drive – hit through the baseball

Ok, now to the issue his baseball coach is trying to get him to have a different approach, stance and pretty much a different swing all together. From what we have been working on. How would I or what is the best way to approach the Coach and tell him to leave his swing alone in your opinion?”

And here was Bryan’s response after I emailed him a couple questions…

“Thank you for responding to my email. My son is 10. This past Saturday morning before our first pool play game we went back to the cage and got back to doing what we have learned from you. His results were outstanding including a solo shot that the opposing coach told him he hasn’t ever seen a 10 yr old hit the ball that far before.

The coach is young(23) just graduated from a local college where he played baseball. Not knocking him in any way but when talking to him he states ‘that’s what he was taught’ quite a bit. So maybe since this is his first time to coach young boys he is trying too hard, if that makes sense.

I did talk to him a little bit and told him I would bring him your book so he can see where we are coming from. Hopefully he will see there are 2 ways to skin a cat to get the same result. Which is to be able to get the kids to reach there full potential. Thanks again”

Thank you Bryan for sharing and for your continued support.  And yes, I asked his permission before sharing with you coaches.

 

The Journey that Lead Me Away from Conventional Wisdom

I can honestly say that I was where this young coach is when I first started teaching hitters.  And I know many of you coaches out there, if you’re being honest with yourself, can relate.

I had stopped seeking knowledge about the swing…stopped reading…stopped asking questions.  My mindset was VERY fixed.

Needless to say, I came to the realization that my hitters weren’t getting better.  At the time, my local lessons weren’t growing.  I was teaching what everyone in my area was teaching.  There was zero differentiation.  And you know what Mark Twain once said,

“When you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect”.

It wasn’t till about 2011 that I started asking questions, and bought Jaime Cevallos’s book Positional Hitting (who’s a good friend of mine).

Then met Chas Pippitt of Baseball Rebellion, and helped him develop an online presence in 2012.

This was a good start, but there were still A LOT of unanswered questions that I had.

You see, I found a passionate curiosity for corrective human movement science back in 2005.  I got educated by gathering a large wicker basket full of alphabet soup certifications.  In a short time, I was training athletes and non-athletes by helping them troubleshoot their mobility and stability issues to improve performance or quality of life.

This led me down a rabbit hole that went pretty deep.

When my son was born at the end of 2012, I had an epiphany after reading a couple highly influential resources.  I digested the following books over and over, using them to reverse engineer the swing from a human movement principles validated by science perspective:

 

The Bottom Line…

If you’re a young coach – or more seasoned – who still teaches swinging down on the ball, squishing the bug, and that the hips are where the power is at…I know how you can feel married to these because you’ve put a lot of time, effort, and emotion into them while coaching and/or playing.

Believe me, I felt the same way.  Looking back now, it was a form of collective wisdom brainwashing that runs rampant in baseball and softball circles.

Here’s what I found teaching young hitters to apply human movement principles that are validated by science to hitting a ball:

  • My hitters see and feel productive outcomes within a reasonably short amount of time (huge for getting them to ‘buy into’ the system),
  • The online and local lesson part of my business has increased 5-fold (the word is getting out!),
  • The coaches that learn this from me are getting the same productive results with their hitters – if not better (and their hitters are raising the eyebrows of other coaches), and
  • The best news is, the knuckleheads on social media have a VERY difficult time arguing the true science of the swing!

My recommendation is this:

  • Educate yourself like I did with previously mentioned books,
  • Question very things you teach by asking, “What don’t I know?”
  • Do swing experiments like I do to see if a hitting mechanic is inferior or superior to its counterpart (CLICK HERE for a post on how to do this), And…
  • Above-all, be big enough to swallow your pride, regardless of how many years coaching or playing, or if you had the privilege to coach or play at the highest level, and admit you may be wrong.  Because let me tell you, many are, so you’re not alone.

Rest assured, if I can change, then so can you.

Believe me, your hitters will THANK YOU.  Learning can start when ignorance admits its ignorant. You don’t know what you don’t know, right?  Well, now you do 😉

2 Comments/by
Youth Baseball Coaching 101 For Dummies: Mistakes To Avoid For 10u, Middle, & High School

Youth Baseball Coaching 101 For Dummies: Mistakes To Avoid For 10u, Middle, & High School

Discover youth baseball and softball coaching 101 for dummies.  Learn what coaching mistakes to avoid for the 10u, middle school, and high school levels…

Coaching Baseball: Why We’re Failing

 

 

This article will highlight one of the scientific principles of successful learning, according to Peter C. Brown’s book Make It Stick.  FYI, this will work for coaching softball as well.

In my research, I’ve uncovered THREE ingredients to coaching baseball:

  1. Study and apply scientifically proven human movement rules,
  2. Use sticky coaching strategies proven through empirical research, and
  3. Provide necessary feedback mechanisms to stay on track.

We’ll be attacking one of today’s major dilemmas in youth hitting – how do I take my players’ refined “batting practice” swings into the game?  The problem is in how we train young hitters.  We’ll talk about:

  • The myth of “massed practice” to long-term learning,
  • The fine art of variance as a teaching tool, and
  • How-to INFUSE variance into hitting practices.

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.

Right Course For You? Take Quiz Now

The Myth of “Massed Practice” to Long-Term Learning

What is “massed practice”?  It’s when we work on one thing, say hitting to the opposite field – for an entire practice.  For example, in Peter C. Brown’s book Make It Stick, he talks about an experiment the Cal Poly University baseball team ran.  They split the hitters up into two practice groups.  Group One did massed practice by hitting 15 fastballs, then 15 curve-balls, then 15 change-ups.  Group Two practiced hitting each pitch at random.  At the end of the experiment, Group One did better in the short run, while Group Two did better in the long run.

Why?

Because Group Two practiced how they’d play, and played how they’d practiced.  We may gain immediate gratification from coaching baseball using massed practice, but we fall short in the long run, because hitting pitches in a game is so varied.  We need to practice, what Peter C. Brown calls, variance when coaching baseball.  It’s more frustrating this way, but the results are worth it.

 

The Fine Art of Variance

I know this might sound like a no-brainer.  But it’s NOT.  I’ve fallen victim to massed practice too!  We’re taught to strengthen weaknesses.  If a hitter has a hard time hitting to the opposite field, then dedicate a whole practice to opposite field hitting.  The outcomes in batting practice are immediate, but as the empirical research says, the results are fleeting.

Another study mentioned in the book, split up a class of grade-schoolers into two groups.  Group A practiced throwing beanbags into a bucket three feet away.  Group B practiced throwing beanbags into two buckets, one 2-feet and another 4-feet away, and with NO 3-foot bucket.  At the end, they were all tested throwing beanbags into a 3-foot bucket.  Any guess who did better?  Group B.

Why?

Their brain had more points of reference to pull from.  “Throw a little farther than two, but less than four.”  Whereas Group A had only one option.

 

How-To INFUSE Variance Into Hitting Practice

There are so many ways to do this, so I’ll only mention the few that have worked for my hitters.  Here’s what coaching baseball using the variance hitting strategy looks like:

  1. Un-Weighting Part-1 – fix stride foot at Fight Position (watch video above for demonstration)
  2. Un-Weighting Part-2 – un-anchor back foot during Final Turn (watch video above for demonstration)
  3. Varied Pitches Off Batting Tee – after every swing move the tee either up or down, and/or pull side or opposite side setup (watch video above for demonstration).  Rarely place ball over middle of the plate.  As beanbag study suggests, if hitter can hit inside and outside pitch correctly, then they’ll be prepared to hit the pitch down the middle.
  4. Timing The Pitch – Every five swings or so move the L-Screen forward or backward to simulate a change in fast-to-slow pitching and vice-versa.  I find that after footwork, timing is the next most difficult concept to master.

We’re failing as coaches because we aren’t mixing it up enough.  Practice how you play, and you’ll play like you practice.  Myself and the Hitting Performance Lab community would love to hear your thoughts on coaching baseball or softball using variance.  Any other ideas?  Please post below…

22 Comments/by
Stop Late Swings! Simple Baseball & Softball Batting Drills to Dramatically Improve Hitting Timing

Improve Hitting Timing Problems: Drills To Fix Late Swings In Baseball Or Softball Game

,

Learn how to improve hitting timing problems using simple drills to fix late swings in a baseball or softball game.

Hitting Timing Drills: Get Rid Of Hitters Feeling Dominated By Upper Level Pitchers Once And For All

 

 

In this timing hitting drills post, I’ll be addressing the following reader question…

“How to teach fearlessness when facing upper level pitchers and timing the hard throwers?”

We’ll be addressing the following in the above video:

  • Barry Bonds one step towards machine after every swing,
  • Two or three-plate drill, and
  • Develop hunting approach at the plate…

 

Barry Bonds One Step Toward Machine After Every Swing

  • CLICK HERE for a link to get more information on the golf whiffle ball MaxBP pitching machine at The Starting Lineup Store.  Get 15% OFF by using the: GET15OFF coupon code at checkout.

 

Two or Three Plate Drill 

 

Develop Hunting Approach at the Plate

0 Comments/by
How to Get Private Baseball Hitting Lessons Near Fresno Clovis Uncovering Secrets of Youth Swing

Private Hitting Lessons Near Fresno Or Clovis, CA For Youth Baseball & Fastpitch Softball Beginners

, ,

Discover where to find the best private hitting lessons near Fresno or Clovis, CA for youth baseball and fastpitch softball beginner hitters.

Part-2: Dramatically Reduce Time To Impact Without Losing Power

 

 

Here’s Part-2 – a continuation of – a three part series showcasing a local lesson of mine…

I get questions every week on how I’d run a practice or one-on-one session.  This is an over-the-shoulder look.  The main objective of this video series is to demonstrate how I use some of the “sticky” coaching principles covered in this post, and in my new book The Science Of Sticky Coaching: How To Turn Ordinary Athletes Into Extraordinary.

In case you missed the background information of Part-1,

Zack is a 14-year-old hitter from Visalia, California, which is approximately an hour drive from me.  And this is the first time I worked with him since about a year ago.  We’ve had about half a dozen session together in total.  And what I like about Zack is he asks a lot of really good questions during our sessions.

And before we started this session, Zack was having a challenge with hitting line drives.  He was either hitting the ball on the ground or non-productive balls in the air.

DISCLAIMER about the video:

  • Fortunately the video quality is great because Dad used his GoPro, but unfortunately I wasn’t mic’d up, so the audio isn’t like some of my other videos.
  • We’re at a public High School on a Saturday afternoon, so there are other team noises, bird sounds, emergency vehicles, etc. going on in the background that can be distracting.

Sadly, a few coaches on the socials will be overly critical of this hitter, and I’m asking you to suspend judgement.  The purpose of this video IS NOT about being overly critical of the hitter’s swing, it’s about the demonstration and use of sticky coaching principles.

Swing and coaching suggestions are welcome, but be nice coaches.

Now, for those coaches looking to learn and help their hitters get better…ONWARD…again!

A typically lesson I do, is organized like the following, from start to finish:

  1. Dynamic warm-up,
  2. Beginning Ball Exit Speed readings,
  3. Record and analyze current swing,
  4. Lesson, and
  5. Ending Ball Exit Speeds readings.

Part-2 lands you at #4 above.

What you can look out for in above video

  • Talking about lowering Zack’s hands to not get above armpit line to landing – benefits of (about 1-min mark),
  • Why a “flat bat” at stride landing can feel heavier than a more vertical bat. Center mass of bat in relation to center mass of hitter (about 4-min mark),
  • Getting into a more Hunched or Hollowed Position at the start of the swing. CLICK HERE to see tips and benefits of the Hollow Hold from BreakingMuscle.com, and CLICK HERE for the Hollow Hold exercise Zack did during warm-ups (about 9:30 mark), and
  • Intro to the first time working out new hitting material, varying the “Wrist Snap” using the red ankle resistance band – THANK YOU LEE. Objective with Wrist Snap is to snap over the red band and to hit the ball as hard and as far as you can. (about 16:00 mark)

Also, when it comes to sticky coaching principles, notice how I:

  • Move the tee positioning around after every swing (both high/low and inside/outside),
  • Vary soft toss heights and depths,
  • Vary mechanics on certain swings in a 5-swing round (I call these Varied Rounds), or practice one thing the whole round (I call these Block Rounds),
  • Ask quite a few feel, visual, and/or audio feedback questions AFTER round is over (think of it like a hitting quiz),
  • Keep my mouth shut during the 5-swing round (little to no feedback from me),
  • Don’t make Zack take a lot of swings during our time together,
  • Chunking certain movement together, so they don’t seem like separate pieces,
  • Have him change his bat size during rounds, and
  • Work with him on simplifying the juggling of a couple different mechanical cues.
4 Comments/by
Hip Mobility Exercise Program For Better Baseball & Softball Pitcher Hamstring Flexibility

Best 16-Week Hip & Shoulder Mobility Exercise Program For Baseball, Softball, & Pitcher Athletes

,

Discover the best 16-week hip mobility, shoulder mobility, and core stability exercise program for baseball and softball athletes, in addition to pitchers.

8 Exercises To Help Fix Hitting Imbalances In 16-Weeks

In this post, I want to answer the following reader suggestion for future content on the HPL  blog:

“Exercises for imbalances created by hitting.”

I include the following corrective exercise strategy in The Truth About Explosive Rotational Power online video DIY hitting course.

And part of The Feedback Lab online video lesson program is prescribing a formulation of these exercises depending on what I see that’s possibly limiting range of motion for my local and online hitters.

A little background on my 10+ years in the corrective fitness industry:

  • Certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM),
  • Certified with Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) through NASM,
  • Certified through the Functional Movement Screen (FMS),
  • Yoga certified through YogaFit, and
  • Youth Fitness Specialist (YFS) certified through the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA).

In Baseball & Softball, Imbalance is Not Only Tolerated, but Promoted

I was a right handed hitter and thrower for all 17-years of my playing career ending at Fresno State.

You don’t go to the gym and pick up a 30-pound dumbbell, do 100 bicep curls with your right arm, and then go home…do you?

People would think you’re nuts!

But think about what we have our players doing on the diamond…

How many swings and throws does a baseball or softball athlete take everyday, or at least every practice, without doing the same amount of repetitions on the opposite side to balance out?

It just doesn’t happen this way, right?! At least if we’re like most hitters that don’t switch hit.

My best friend and teammate, who was a switch hitter in college, would argue hearing me say this, but…

The ONLY advantage a switch hitter has over a dominant side hitter and thrower, like me, is a more balanced body.

The advantage IS NOT seeing a breaking ball “come into” the hitter.

Ted Williams and Babe Ruth did just fine batting left handed their whole career.  And I think Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, and Jose Bautista will do just the same batting right handed for the rest of their careers.

However, when it comes to body balance, all these hitters NEED to be doing something else to counter-balance the imbalance inherent in baseball and softball.

 

The Hitting ‘Governor’

What happens is what I call the Hitter’s ‘Governor Affect’.  Bus engines have what’s called a Centrifugal Governor in the engine to keep the bus from going too fast.

Here’s an example of how this works…

One of my other good friends who played baseball at Pepperdine, demonstrated this with his 2001 Chevy Silverado…

In the summer, we were in his truck driving to Calabasas for a party at his apartment with his roommates, when he said, “Watch this…”, and proceeded to put his pedal to the metal…

I saw his odometer climb until it approached 90-mph on HWY-101, when the engine automatically down shifted, and I saw the odometer drop 20-mph in the matter of a few short seconds.  CRAZY!  At the time, I never knew anything like that existed.

Our brain does the same thing to our bodies when there’s a hip mobility, shoulder, or ankle mobility issue.  Sometimes there are more than one issue that needs to be addressed, in order to raise the limit of the brain/body’s own Centrifugal Governor.

 

How-to Fix an Imbalanced Athlete?

I’ve mentioned in a past post, the SIX most balancing disciplines to participate in are:

  1. Martial Arts,
  2. Gymnastics,
  3. Olympic Lifting,
  4. Yoga,
  5. Dance, and
  6. Swimming…

What if your hitters haven’t participated in any of these athletic endeavors for at least 3-5 years?

I’m presenting a 16-week corrective exercise program helping to make dysfunctional movement functional, in baseball and softball athletes, enabling them to move better, and as a result, will perform better.

This is NO joke!

Ask any bone Doc why they’re getting an increase in injured baseball and softball players over the past decade, and I bet you they’ll say overuse and imbalances.  Studies and research are showing that present day athletes spend 85% of their day sitting!!

AND, the sport of baseball and softball isn’t known to be the most active of sports.  Awhile back, I read another study that accumulated all the ‘active’ movement time in a 6-inning game, and I remember it concluding a total of about 4-minutes…

That was shocking to me!  I didn’t realize how ‘lazy’ my favorite sport was.

But that’s our reality, so we have to take care of our athletes…

Here’s the 16-week program to getting young athletes to move better, so they perform better (in order of highest to lowest priority)…

Weeks 1-4: Hip & Shoulder Mobility

Passive Leg Lower
  • Do once daily,
  • Weeks 1-2: 2 sets X 12 reps each leg, AND
  • Weeks 3-4: 2 sets X 15 reps each leg…

 

 

8-Way Shoulder Circles
  • Do 2-3 times daily
  • Three circles clockwise and counterclockwise at each shoulder position
  • Keep reps slow and controlled…

 

 

Weeks 5-8: Rotary Stability (Braking Systems) & Core Stability

Bird Dogs
  • Do once daily,
  • Add band resistance if necessary,
  • Weeks 1-2: 2 sets X 12 reps each leg, AND
  • Weeks 3-4: 2 sets X 15 reps each leg…

 

 

Super Plank
  • Do once daily,
  • Weeks 1: 1 set X 30-45 second hold,
  • Weeks 2: 1 set X 45-60 second hold
  • Weeks 3: 2 sets X 30-45 second hold
  • Weeks 4: 2 sets X 45-60 second hold, and
  • CLICK HERE for the Plank-Up progression if needed…

 

 

Weeks 9-12: Ankle Mobility & Glute Activation

Ankle Circles
  • Do 2-3 times daily
  • Three circles clockwise and counterclockwise at each ankle position
  • Keep reps slow and controlled and reach into those ‘corners’…

 

 

Single Leg Floor Bridge
  • Do once daily,
  • Add band resistance if necessary,
  • Weeks 1-2: 2 sets X 12 reps each leg, AND
  • Weeks 3-4: 2 sets X 15 reps each leg…

 

 

Weeks 13-16: Hurdle Step & Squatting Patterns

Super Mountain Climbers
  • Do once daily,
  • Incline to regress OR decline to progress intensity,
  • Weeks 1: 1 set X 30-45 seconds,
  • Weeks 2: 1 set X 45-60 seconds,
  • Weeks 3: 2 sets X 30-45 seconds, and
  • Weeks 4: 2 sets X 45-60 seconds…

 

 

Squat Pattern Progression
  • Do once daily,
  • Weeks 1-2: 2 sets X 12 reps, AND
  • Weeks 3-4: 2 sets X 15 reps…

 

2 Comments/by
Hitting Training For Baseball & Softball Swing Trainers | Hitting Performance Lab

Softball Hitting Slump Psychology: How To Get Out | Mental Toughness Coaching Training Program: Heads-Up Baseball 2.0 By Dr. Tom Hanson

Discover the psychology of getting out of a softball and baseball slump.  The best mental toughness coaching training program on the market starts and ends with Dr. Tom Hanson’s Heads-Up Baseball 2.0!

Tom Hanson PhD. Interview: How To Build Mentally Tough HittersDr. Tom Hanson: Heads Up Baseball

You guys know Dr. Tom Hanson right?!

He wrote an impressive book on the mental part of hitting with Ken Ravizza called Heads Up Baseball 2.0 in the 90’s, which both authors will be releasing a 2.0 version very soon.

This was one of my favorite books when I was playing back in the day 😀

And by the way, just because fast-pitch isn’t mentioned, believe me, his psychology principles work for softball as well.

For those not familiar with Dr. Hanson’s background, here’s a short bio, he:

  • Played baseball through college, got my Ph.D. in Education specializing in sport psychology from the University of Virginia in 1991.
  • Was UVA’s hitting coach for three seasons.
  • Was a tenured professor and head baseball at Skidmore College (NY)
  • Worked full-time as New York Yankees mental game guy in 2001.
  • Has coached in the Angels, Twins, Rangers, and other organizations.

The above video is Dr. Tom Hanson going over what the “Yips” are, and how to fix them.

Without further adieu,

Here is the…

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.

Right Course For You? Take Quiz Now

Interview with Dr. Tom Hanson…

If you were to train me for four weeks for a HUGE tournament and had a million dollars on the line, what would the training look like? What if I trained for eight weeks?

1. Take my full Play Big assessment so we can see with precision:

  • How clear your thinking is on the 6 dimensions;
  • What motivates you;
  • Your behavioral style (so I know how to coach you and see what style you’re likely to play best at).

2. We review your results and determine how to best leverage your strengths and address holes in your game.

3. We would co-create a training plan tailored to you.

4. Having been doing this for 30 years I have a lot of tools. Some normal like goals, breathing and visualizing. Some pretty far out such as “tapping”, where we leverage Chinese-based meridian in your body.

5. We have some training you do each day for about 20 minutes, then specific things to do while you are practicing baseball. There isn’t a mental game and a physical game — they are one. So I’d teach you to practice that way.

 

What makes you different? Who trained you or influenced you?

I’m different because:

  1. I have a relentless curiosity on how to do things better;
  2. I have a liberal arts back ground. That means I’m trained to see how different things are related. I pull things together from different worlds;
  3. I’m open minded. I look all over the place for approaches and techniques to help people. I’m a learner, not a knower.

 

What are your favorite instructional books or resources on the subject? If people had to teach themselves, what would you suggest they use?Dr. Tom Hanson - Play Big: Mental Toughness Secrets That Take Baseball Players To The Next Level

Hmmm…

 

What are the biggest mistakes and myths you see in hitting? What are the biggest wastes of time?

Hitting coaches most often operate with an inadequate model of what they are working with. They operate too often as if they are working on a machine, not a person. Sure they have some sense of the mental game, but there is sooooooooo much more going on than their operating model accounts for.

You can’t just see a “flaw” and correct it without affecting the whole “organism” — the player may be mad at you for it, may think about it too much, may now be doing something his dad told him to do the opposite, etc.

The key is that coaching happens in a relationship. It happens in an emotional context. Relationship enables or disables coaching. Mechanics are just a part of hitting; what you see in a hitter isn’t really what’s happening with that hitter.

You may think you know what he’s doing but you may not. I’ve finally found a coach I’ll let work with my son because I saw how he:

  • Coached for my son’s benefit, not his own
  • Talked and built a relationship and some understanding before he did anything else
  • He watched him hit for a while before he asked my son a few more questions. He was coaching my son the human, not the boy hitting machine.

 

Who is good at hitting despite being poorly built for it? Who’s good at this who shouldn’t be?

No one. The “built for it” means they’ve got great hand-eye athleticism. You can’t hit without that. Body type is a smaller part of it, so there can be wide variance.

 

Who are the most controversial or unorthodox hitters? Why? What do you think of them?

I don’t know.

A really good hitter is able to take in info from hitting coaches (or other sources) and integrate it with who they are. The hitter is responsible for his own swing.

I expose my 13U son to many approaches, well, some, and he knows he has to work out for himself how he hits best. I don’t want him swinging and then looking at me, or another coach, to see how it was. HE needs to know.

A hitter must soon get to where coaches are resources for him, not authority figures dictating his swing. As parents we need to find places where that is.

 

Who are the most impressive lesser-known teachers?

I’d say me.  I’m sitting on a lot of good info but not putting myself out there. I coach a lot of executives and love to watch my own kids play.

I will shout out Ken Ravizza. He’s awesome. He and I will be launching Heads-Up Baseball 2.0 in the next month or so. Get on the early notice list here:

http://headsupbaseball2.com/

 

Have you trained others to do this? Have they replicated your results?

No. That’s coming pretty soon.

The best way to expand your model of what you’re working with (a human, not a machine), might be to take my assessment. It gives you feedback on elements of “human” you didn’t think about before, and certainly didn’t think you could measure.

Read a lot, be a learner.

…

Thank you Dr. Tom Hanson for sharing such great insight and knowledge!

Remember guys, knowledge IS NOT power…it’s POTENTIAL power.  Please put Dr. Hanson’s work to use.

Here’s how you can stay updated with Dr. Hanson:

Please direct any questions or comments to Dr. Tom Hanson below…

5 Comments/by
Multi-Sport Vs Early Specialization: Why Bad, Dangers Of, & Injuries In Young Child Athletes

Multi-Sport Vs Early Specialization: Why Bad, Dangers Of, & Injuries In Young Child Athletes

,

Learn more about multi-sport versus early sport specialization…why it’s bad, the possible dangers of early sport specialization, and injuries found in young child athletes who specialize in one sport.

The Biggest Lies In Early Sport Specialization

I may be shooting myself in the foot on this one, but I feel it is my duty to educate parents and coaches that today, early sport specialization is an epidemic among younger athletes.  And it’s caused by a paper tiger need to stay competitive.  Nothing fires me up more than coaches NOT allowing their players to play other sports throughout the year.

In this post, I’ll address these three things:

  • Smart Coaches Focus on Long Term Athlete Development,
  • Stop Early Sport Specialization, and
  • Why Early Specialization in Baseball or Softball May Be Dangerous to an Athlete’s Health.

 

Smart Coaches Focus on Long Term Athlete Development

I feel bad for oblivious parents in youth baseball and softball nowadays.  Their motivation to “catch-up” to the competition is HUGE because they don’t want to see their child sitting on the bench.  And rightfully so.

So, what is a parent to do?  Spend $100-200 per month on a travel team that promises tournament play every weekend, plus three practices during the week…all year long!  The goal is reps, reps, reps.  That’s how they see getting to the 10,000 hour mark of sport mastery.

I’m here to tell you this approach is VERY misled.

When I hear this, I see these parents spinning their tires.  Sure, they may get to those 10,000 hours, but at what cost?

And does it really take 10,000 hours?

You’ll find out shortly…

Be honest with yourself,

Do you subscribe to the 10,000 hour rule of “the more reps the better”, I talked about earlier?  You’ve read The Talent Code right?

Well, like 3-times NY Times best selling author, Tim Ferriss, says in the video above, most of the time people are spending their 10,000 hours of “deliberate practice”, practicing the wrong things.  In this since, it’s not how you study, but what you study that counts.

What do we study then?

Human movement rules that are validated by science.

It’s doing the right things, and then doing those things correctly.

So, what does Long-Term Athletic Development look like?

It’s diversifying an athlete’s movement background early on.  Let’s look at a Scandinavian Study that will shock you…

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.

Right Course For You? Take Quiz Now

Stop Early Sport Specialization

Early Sport Specialization

Photo courtesy: IYCA.org

Wil Fleming from the International Youth & Conditioning Association (IYCA), which I’m a member of, put out a post that highlighted a recent Scandinavian Study that several researchers (Moesch, Elbe, Haube and Wikman) published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Sport Science.

The researchers asked elite athletes and near elite athletes to answer questions about their experiences in athletics regarding their training and practice throughout their career:

  • The near-elite athletes actually accumulated more hours of training than the elite athletes prior to age 15.
  • By age 18 the elite athletes had accumulated an equal number of hours training to the near elite athletes.
  • From age 18-21 elite athletes accumulate more training hours than near elite athletes.
  • Elite athletes said that they passed significant points in their career (first competition, starting a sport) at later dates than the near elite athletes.

What the Scandinavian Study suggests is early sport specialization was found to be a likely predictor of classification as a near-elite athlete.  According to the aforementioned IYCA article link,

“Despite much evidence that early specialization can lead to higher levels of burnout and dropout, many coaches still believe that the only way athletes can reach 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is to begin specialization at an extremely early age.”

What’s more…

According to David Epstein, in his book The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletes, it’s a hardware AND software issue.  Not just nature OR nurture, but both!  You can’t have the latest greatest software on a 5 year old computer, just like you can’t have the latest greatest computer running Windows ’98.

Young athletes MUST develop the hardware early, between ages 10 and 15 years of age, which means playing other sports that aren’t one-side dominant like baseball/softball, golf, or tennis.  Ideally, Martial Arts, Dance, Gymnastics, Swimming, Football, Basketball, etc.

This updates the hardware.

Then, from 16 to 18 years of age or so, it’s smart to start specializing, so the athlete can update their software for that sport.  From David Epstein’s research, athletes that generalized early on, did better at the sport they specialized in later, than athletes that specialized in the same sport early on.  The latter may have more sophisticated software, but their running it on a 5 year old computer.

Here’s evidence, validated by science, that the 10,000 hour deliberate practice rule can be misleading.  The key is a well-rounded movement experience for young athletes, at least if you want to give them a better shot at achieving the elite athlete status.

This is Long-Term Athlete Development in a nutshell.

Why Early Specialization in Baseball or Softball May Be Dangerous to an Athlete’s Health

Tommy John Surgery

Photo courtesy: Health.HowStuffWorks.com

This was my story with baseball…

I played 17 years of baseball as a right handed hitter and right handed thrower.

At the time, taking reps on my left side, to me, was a complete waste of time.

Imagine going to the gym everyday and doing one hundred-fifty bicep curls with a 30-pound dumbbell using your right arm only.

This next statement will get me in A LOT of hot water with my switch-hitting teammates…

But switch-hitting DOES NOT give as big a competitive advantage that everyone thinks.  Of course, switch hitting from the standpoint of a coach writing a competitive lineup, or that switch-hitters are more balanced athletes from a human movement perspective, sure.  But not to the performance of the individual hitter.

Before you get upset, think about it…

Did Babe Ruth feel the need to switch hit?  How about Ted Williams?  Do you think Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, or Andrew McCutchen feel the need to see a breaking ball “come into” them?

No.

A hitter will collect data and make adjustments accordingly, whether they’re facing a righty or lefty pitcher.

Not only is baseball or softball one of the most imbalanced sports you can play, but it’s also one of the least active, next to golf.  I read or heard a study somewhere that analyzed the action in a 7-inning baseball game, and on average, a player will have 4-minutes of real activity.

Now, that’s saying something about the state of this sport!

Heck, want to know my thoughts on the increase in pitcher Tommy John surgeries?

Check out this post from Grantland.com titled, “The Tommy John Epidemic: What’s Behind the Rapid Increase of Pitchers Undergoing Elbow Surgery?”

Is the cause:

  • Low/high pitch counts?
  • The move to the 5-man rotation?
  • Faster arm speeds?
  • The angle of the elbow during the throw?  OR,
  • “Unnatural” torque produced by the body in an overhand throwing position (versus underhand)?

In the grand scheme of things, I believe it’s none of these.  The damage is being done much sooner than this.

The damage is being done when young athletes are choosing (or being forced, in the case of less informed High School coaches) to specialize in one sport.  The above bullet points are just the straws that break the camel’s back…or ahem, elbow.

I ask all my new hitters what other sports they play or participate during their hitting evaluation.  Here is a list of sports developing a diversified (GOOD) or specialized (BAD) movement athlete…

GOOD (well rounded sports):

  • Gymnastics (recommended),
  • Dance (recommended),
  • Martial Arts (recommended),
  • Soccer,
  • Football (everyone but kickers and quarterbacks), and
  • Basketball.

BAD (one-sided sports):

  • Baseball/Softball,
  • Football: kickers and quarterbacks,
  • Tennis,
  • Golf,
  • Volleyball (serves and spikes), and
  • Olympic Throwers & Shot Putters.

Okay, so what can you do if you’re a parent or coach stuck in this rat-trap?  Three things:

  1. On the 10,000 hour deliberate practice rule – it’s not about reps, reps, reps.  It’s not how you study, but what you study that counts.  Make sure the hitting information you’re learning is validated by science.  For coaching resources, look into the IYCA I mentioned earlier, and the Positive Coaching Alliance.
  2. Early Sport Specialization – DON’T do it!  The Scandinavian Study proved that young athletes who specialize early will most likely experience burnout and dropout, along with limit the level they can achieve in their sport.
  3. Higher Injury Rates – you’re making a BIG mistake when you decide to play only baseball or softball.  Make sure to play other balanced sports that I mentioned in the “GOOD (well rounded sports)” section above.
8 Comments/by