Guess Hitting: Right or Wrong?

Hey Guys,

A topic that comes up a lot during hitting discussion is whether to guess the pitch that is coming or whether to sit fastball and react to the off speed pitches.  The fact of the matter is that it depends on the count, the tendencies of the pitcher, and how you are hitting the baseball at the time.

In regards to count, you need to guess fastball in fastball counts, because guessing right results in BOMBS.  Counts where you are ahead are 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, and 3-1.  Sit on the fastball in those counts and punish it.  If he throws off speed spit on it. (Unless it hangs, then crush it.)

You also have to take a look at the pitchers tendencies.  If you see him throwing a certain pitch on certain counts, then get ready for it.  Hitting the baseball is a whole lot easier when you know what's coming.

The last thing you need to think about is how you are hitting at the time.  Do you always hit the fastball well?  Do you always crush hanging curves or do you look like a fool every time the pitcher goes off speed?  These are things you need to think about when you're guessing and making a plan at the plate.

Obviously, if you guess wrong you need to not swing or make an adjustment.  ONLY GUESS IN COUNTS THAT YOU WON'T BE HURT IF YOU'RE WRONG!  My recommendation would be to not guess on two strike counts.

Tip of the Day: Work on your guessing in the batting cage and try to study the tendencies of pitchers each time you watch baseball.

Until Next Time!

3 Drills You Need to Do That You Aren't

Hey Guys,

Real quick today, I wanted to give you three drills to improve your game.  They are very simple and you've heard of them, but you HAVE to start doing them.

1. The Wall Drill- Take your bat from your belly button and touch the bat to a wall in front of you.  Proceed to take a swing and not hit the wall. This drill forces you to stay inside the baseball.

2. The Patty Cake Drill- Stand sideways with a wall behind you and get into throwing position. Take your arm back as if you are throwing and high five the wall. This forces you to get your arm in proper position to throw.

3. Face Off- Get a partner or a wall and a  tennis ball. Get into a squat and hold it as you toss the ball off the wall as fast as you can.  This works your soft hands and hand eye coordination.

These drills are very simple but if you commit to doing them for fifteen minutes a day you will improve at all the aspects of your game.

Tip of the Day: When doing the wall drill make sure you keep your back shoulder down on the swing so your not cheating and pulling off to make sure your bat doesn't hit the wall.

Until Next Time!

"The Game Knows"

Hey Guys,

Okay so I've been doing a lot of baseball lately and haven't gotten to write much but let me just first say, I love all of the activity going on with your posts.  You all really care about the game of baseball and I think it's awesome.

All right enough of the gooey stuff, let's talk about baseball.  Do you ever notice that everyone, sooner or later, gets what they deserve in the game of baseball?  I'm a big proponent of, "The game knows".  Baseball knows if you work hard or don't.  Baseball knows if you want to be there or not.  Baseball knows if the umpire messed up and so on and so on.  The game always self corrects.

This being said, I hope it is motivation for you to go out and respect the game 100% every single time because if you don't the game will know and you will pay for it.

I was at a game the other day and I'm sitting in the stands watching a team pound the other.  It's 7-0 and the team that is winning lays down a bunt for a hit.  Obviously I'm not happy about that and I don't have a kid on either team.  It was completely disrespectful to the game.  Can you guess what happened next?  The player got picked off first base the very next pitch.  It was a perfect example of, "The game knows."

Another example that I have is a pitcher warming up.  The coach says to him, "You don't look like you want to be here today."  The player responds, "I don't," and walks away.  That first inning he got shelled and gave up 8 runs.

If you're playing baseball for any other reason besides the fact that you love the game, then you need to rethink playing.

I challenge you this week to go to a baseball game and watch one of the baseball players disrespect the game.  After you find your example, watch the game pay him back at some point.  Leave your stories on my blog.  We need to reteach everyone how to respect the game of baseball, before it is played for all the wrong reasons.

Until Next Time!

The Art of the Blow Up

Hey Guys,

Why don't we talk about coaching blow ups today.  Believe it or not there is a time to flip on your team, but there is also an art to doing it.

You must demand respect and discipline from your team, but you must also show them that you have their backs.

The time to freak on your team is not when they strike out or make an error, it's when they disrespect the game of baseball.  A great example of this is a player going into a base with his cleats high.  You don't let him get away with something like this.  When he gets back in the dugout, you light him up.

There's a misconception here, however.  Lighting a player up does not mean to degrade him or tear him down as a player or person.  It means to show passion for the game.  If you can show passion for the game with your attitude, you will win more baseball games because your players will have more passion for the game... Only if you also have their backs.  Which means, if a player goes into YOUR second basemen with his spikes high, you have to get fired up and show them that you have their backs.

Passion like this will create a camaraderie that will help your team overcome obstacles that other teams aren't able to overcome.

The teams that fail are the teams with coaches that freak out on their team and never have their teams' back.  They tear down their own players and never admit that they are wrong about anything.

On the other side a team with zero discipline and passion for the game will fail in the long run too.  The problem with a lot of teams today is that most coaches are one of these two extremes.

Obviously parents are a big problem when it comes to getting on kids, but if you do it the right way and still have the kid's back, the parents will enjoy the team camaraderie and winning... trust me.

If you are a coach on either of these two spectrums that I've wrote about today, you know who you are.   Consider this me calling you out as a cancer to the game of baseball.  In no way am I saying that you are a bad person or that you can't  change your ways.  Changing your ways will not only make your kids better baseball players, but it will also make them much better human beings.

Tip of the Day: Respect the game and it will respect you back.

Until next Time!

The Dreaded Post Game Speech

Hey guys,

Today I've got a coaching post.  I was recently watching a game where at the end of the game the coach stood in the outfield and went over the game play by play with his players.  If you are "that guy", please stop it, because quite honestly it's a colossal waste of time.  No kid wants to listen to the play by play.  If you win, you could care less what you did wrong and if you lose, you don't want to think about all the things that went wrong, because it's still a little sour.

This begs the question of what a coach should talk about after the game.  Let's first talk about when to address mental and physical errors.  DURING THE GAME!!!  You are a coach not a baby sitter.  This doesn't mean sit in the dugout and freak out every time something doesn't go your way.  Just offer slight bits of insight to help the players elevate their game.  You cannot do this after the game, because the players are just thinking about where the party is at or what mom made for dinner.

Now let's talk about the actual post game speech.  Make it a quick overview of the game.  Name one or two things they did well and one or two things they could work on.  Do not be boring, and do not be overly positive or negative.  The players have to see you as a good example of what a baseball attitude should be.

If your team happens to win the game, do not hound the kids with things they need to work on.  This is the biggest thing I've learned in my coaching career.  Nobody at any level wants to sit there and listen to all the things they did wrong when they're trying to celebrate a win.  If your team loses, still do not hound them about the things they did wrong.  Try to encourage them that the season is long and that things can turn around in a hurry.

Tip of the Day: The best coaches find the very perfect balance of discipline, intensity, and encouragement and put it all together for the perfect winning potion.

Until Next Time!

College World Series Predictions

Hey guys,

Let's start picking our winners for the college world series.  I realize the super regionals aren't done, but use your baseball knowledge and make a pick.  The winner gets a pat on the back.  Post your predictions on my page!

3 Keys To Success At Any Level

Hey guys,

I was watching a few major league games and am astounded at the number of strikeouts that occur in Major League Baseball this day in age.  It led me to thinking of the keys to being successful at any level in baseball: Throwing strikes, putting the baseball in play, and making the plays defensively.  These things aren't addressed, they're just thought of as things that should magically happen.  I don't care if you're five or in the major leagues you have to work on throwing strikes to throw strikes, you have to work on putting the ball in play to put the ball in play, and you have to work on making the plays defensively to make the plays defensively.

Throwing Strikes: I was watching a high school game this past week and watched a right handed pitcher who threw 77mph pitch a complete game shutout and toy with the best hitter in the state.  The reason he was able to have this success was that he pitched ahead.  Once you're ahead, you can go anywhere you want.  You are in control.  This takes tremendous work on learning to command all of your pitches.  As a coach, you cannot just say, "Ehh, he doesn't have very good control of his curveball."  Make him work to control it!!!  See my point?  It's something that his obvious, but isn't addressed.

Putting the Ball in Play:  IF YOU STRIKE OUT, YOU DON'T GET ON BASE.  IF YOU DON'T GET ON BASE, YOU DON'T SCORE.  IF YOU DON'T SCORE, YOU DON'T WIN.

Making the Plays: This just comes down to fundamentals.  Constant repetition is the only way to be successful at this more often.  The best teams make the least errors.

When it comes down to it, these are the three keys to being successful at any level of baseball.  The game really is simple.  You just have to let it be simple.  So when you're making your lineup as a coach or in fantasy baseball, or in a video game, ask yourself which players do these things the best and you will have the best lineup possible.

Tip of the Day: Being a coach, I'm partial to coaching tips.  Sorry.  Have your players practice these three things by making them more difficult in practice.  Speed everything up to unrealistic speeds, put players in impossible situations, and make them think at a higher level than they should be able to.  This allows the game to become easy.

Until Next Time!

Practice Schedule Model

Hey Guys,

As promised here is the practice schedule model for a YOUTH baseball team.  In no way am I saying this is the only way to practice, but if you're a first timer or are thinking of ideas here you go:

*Hypothetically your practice starts at 5:00

5:00- Run, Stretch, Throw
*The first step to having a good team is to make them disciplined.  Have them warm up the exact same every single day.  Make it routine.  Doing the little things right will lead to the big things being done correctly.

5:15- Short hops, and Rocket Relay
*Short hops are self explanatory.  Do them from the knees and from your feet.  For a rocket relay split the kids into two teams and have them get into two lines.  The balls start at one end of the line, travel to the other end and back.  You can go down and back as many times as you like.  Make sure that your players are using two hands and lining up in correct relay position.

5:45- GROUND BALLS AND FLY BALLS!!!
*You can do this any way you want, but don't have them throw..... yet.

6:00- 21 Outs
*There are 21 outs in a baseball game.  Stand in as the hitter and hit balls to all the different positions until 21 outs are recorded.  They need to be a mixture of grounders and fly balls.  Start over after every error or "should've been" out.

6:30- Hitting
*Young kids don't need to waste their time bunting and doing hit and runs and all of that.  Teach them to stay inside the ball and focus on squaring up every ball.

End your practice with some form of conditioning.  Do not make it a punishment!  This is the quickest way to lose the focus of your team.  Have them do some type of relay or competition so that they forget they are even conditioning.  

This is only one practice schedule.  There are literally thousands of different things you can do at practice, but this is one I like to go to because it pounds the fundamentals of the game.  Whatever you're doing, make sure that it keeps the interest of your players.  That is the most important thing.  At any level, the moment you lose the focus of your players you might as well just end practice right then.  The picture below shows when it is time to end practice:)

Tip of the Day: High expectations yield better results.  If you expect more from your team you will get more from your team.  Too many coaches expect nothing from their kids and it shows out on the field.  Push them, but only as far as they can mentally go.  There is a line.  Don't cross it!

Until Next Time!

The Correct Approach to Youth Coaching

Hey Guys,

I was able to watch a few 11u baseball games over the past weekend and just can't help but writing about how youth coaches are doing it wrong.  My guess is that if you are coaching a youth team you aren't losing games due to bunt coverages, first and third situations, or pickoff plays that weren't run correctly.  I had to spend 15 minutes of my day listening to a coach tell his team how they are losing games because they can't execute these things.  You're wrong!  You lose games because your kids can't catch a fly ball or a ground ball and because your team won't swing the bat.  That goes for all youth baseball coaches.  The problem isn't your 11 year old kid not performing high level things, its the fact that their fundamentals are poor.

When running a practice for young kids you need to do tons of reps of ground balls, fly balls, hitting, and base running.  Start your practice off with teaching them to properly warm up.  Make sure they are hitting each other in the chest with their throws.  Make it a game.  Kids attention spans are short.  Then go to short hops where the kids are on their knees.  After that move to ground balls, and then to fly balls.  Hit last.  Make sure the kids understand that to hit you have to get the outs in the field.  Also, in regards to the hitting approach, just let the kids swing.  This isn't major league baseball.  They don't need to be bunting and doing hit and runs and all of that upper level stuff.  Just let them hit and let them develop a love for the game.

Those are my two cents about youth baseball.  If you disagree and are one of the parents that thinks your kid is a high school baseball player when he's 11, I'd love to hear what your philosophy is on it.  Later tonight there will be a posted model practice schedule for youth baseball players (12 and under).  At thirteen coaches can start working in more upper level things into the games.

Until Next Time!

Hitting With Bryce Harper Power

Hey Guys,

Every time I see Bryce Harper strike a baseball I wonder the same thing: "How does he hit with that kind of bat speed?"  I think many hitters wonder the same thing.  There is definitely a huge element of natural talent and bat speed when it comes to Bryce Harper's hitting, but his technique is also flawless.  He does things that all other major league hitters do, but he does them better and more extremely.  According to my analysis, I can pick up three major things that contribute to his massive exit speeds.  These three things are his hip separation, his contact point, and his follow through.  These three things are parts of the swing that all players need to be working on to add bat speed and power.

First let's talk about the hip separation.  I couldn't find a quality picture of this in a Nationals uniform, so this picture is from his JUCO days.

Get up at your computer and put your body in that position right now.  Do you feel the torque that it creates.  Look at how the hips have rotated about half way, but the upper body has stayed completely closed with the hands back.  Many hitters, even at the major league level, rotate the lower and upper body almost simultaneously.  You have to create this separation in the swing to produce optimal torque.  To practice this, start your swing from this position just to feel how your swing should progress.

Now let's talk about the contact point.  Here is a picture of Bryce Harper just before he makes contact for a home run:

Notice that before contact is made he is already against a firm front side, and his back foot has been pulled of the ground from the explosion of his hips.  Many hitters don't ever get to this position, and the ones that do get to it after contact.  Here is why it needs to happen before contact:  If you do it after contact you haven't hit the baseball with maximum bat speed.  Simple physics says that you need to hit the baseball with the highest amount of bat speed you have.  This picture clearly shows Bryce Harper hitting the baseball with all of his weight transferred into the ball.

The last element of Harper's swing that creates the power he has may be the least talked about thing in hitting.  It's the follow through.  Many hitters who are taught by today's hitting coaches would end their swings where Harper is in the above picture, however look where Bryce ends his swing:

Do you see how his back shoulder is pointed to where he hit the baseball?  Contrary to popular belief, this isn't a bad thing.  Your shoulder needs to stay down on the ball until contact, but then you need to explode through the baseball with your upper body.  Surely you've heard, "Short to it, long through it,"?  How about we use, "Lower body to it, upper body through it,"?  Use the upper body to explode through the baseball.  This will take a massive number of reps to perfect, because if the timing is even slightly off you will come around the baseball and hit it very weakly.

To perfect this kind of swing, use a progression.  Start with pyramid swings.  Swing without moving your feet and keep your back shoulder down on the ball the whole time.  Next, take a regular swing, but do not finish with the upper half.  After you've taken some swings like that, go to the full swing.  Keep that shoulder down to contact and then explode through the baseball with your upper half.  This progression will give you a feel for the timing that things should happen in the swing.  You will be amazed with the power that this creates.

Tip of the Day: During season keep your repetitions in batting practice lower than in the off season.  You don't need to take 300 swings a day.  Just make sure you're keeping your swing a part of your muscle memory.

Until Next Time!

Youth Pitchers Need Help!

Hey guys,

I'm late again.  I'm finding myself to be very untimely with my posts lately.  Just like everyone, I'm getting into the heat of the high school baseball season.  It's fun to watch and much can be taken from it.  In the past week, I've had the fortune of seeing a top recruited pitcher throw, and work with a ten-year-old kid on his pitching.  And it was actually funny how similar their flaws were.  Both of the pitchers were all over the place (with the high school kid throwing 90mph though).  Many times they'd miss up and in, up and in, up and in.  Pretty soon I wanted to get out there and coach the kid on the mound, and I did coach the player I was giving a lesson.  It made me realize that two things I thought were so elementary, falling off and following through, are nothing of the sort.  Which leads me to this week's post.  Here are two drills that you MUST do with pitchers of every age.

1. The Line Drill- In some way create a line on the ground extending from the middle of your body outwards about eight feet.  Make sure that as you go through your pitching motion you consistently stay on this line.  It will help you to work in and around the strike zone more consistently.

2. The Tim Lincecum Drill- You want to stop missing high?  FINISH!!!  You want to put more velocity on your ball and less stress on your arm?  FINISH!!!  It is astounding how many pitchers will not get their back legs up and over and flatten their backs.  It's pure laziness and if you don't do it pitching you will never be successful.  Sure there are alway exceptions, but do you really want to take the chance of being an exception?  Here is what you should look like:

Look at that perfect follow through.  Notice that his back is flat and his leg is traveling up and over and, shockingly enough, will land on the imaginary line that we just talked about.  To do this drill put an object on the ground and as you go through your pitching motion, pick the object up off the ground.

Forgive me for getting a little fired up in this post, but it's frustrating to watch a top recruit throw 40% strikes, because of improper coaching.  The bottom line is work in line and follow through and you will see your pitching success become much greater than whatever it is now.  If you are already good, you'll be better.  Give these drills a try and let me know what you think.

Tip of the Day: Place more emphasis on throwing first pitch strikes.  It isn't talked about enough.  Getting ahead gives you many more things to play with in the at bat and will, in the long run, give you a better chance to win.  This is something that everybody has heard and accepts as truth, but nobody is forcing the issue.  I say it's time to start forcing it.

Until Next Time!

Two-Strike Hitting: The Correct Approach?

Hey guys,

So I promised you a post on two-strike hitting.  What brought this up is that some big time colleges, such as South Carolina are changing from the traditional, "sit fastball and adjust to the off speed" approach to something much different.  The new theory going right now is to look for the off speed and fight off the fastball.  So what's the reasoning for this?  The reasoning is that over 60% of strikeouts come from off speed pitches, so we should  be looking for them.  I, and many other people, disagree with this theory.

The first and most important problem that I have with this is that your two-strike approach should change from pitcher to pitcher and should be different for different hitters.  Many pitchers are predictable.  Some of them, you know you will see an off speed pitch when you have two strikes.  If this is the case, then why wouldn't you be sitting on it?  On the other hand, many pitchers rely on their fastball too much so why would you not be looking for that mistake fastball?  Do you see what I mean?  Those are just a few variables that can change your approach.

Now what about your hitters?  If you have a guy who has quick enough hands to fight off the fastball when he is looking for off speed that he may be a hitter who can use this new approach.  However, 95% of hitters do not have quick enough hands to do this, so they should be looking for a fastball and adjusting to the off speed on two strikes.

The moral of the story is that there is no set approach that is correct.  If you are a coach, you should know enough about the game to be able to tell you hitters the kind of approach that they should be using.  Look at the pitcher, analyze the type of hitter who is batting, and think about the situation in the game.  Then make your decision.  I'll be back tomorrow with a post that pitchers are going to want to see.

Until Next Time!

Tip of the Day: On two strikes, expand your strike zone by two baseballs outside, inside, up, and down.  Your strikeouts will decrease dramatically if you are able to do this.

Youth Hitting Coaches: Worth Your Money?

Hey Guys,

It's tough to write during this time of year, as all of you know.  Hopefully all of your weather is cooperating well and the season is progressing nicely.  I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm pumped for opening day of Major League Baseball.  Anyway, I'm going to start posting once a week to give everybody a chance to ponder what we are talking about.  This post comes from something I saw this past week.  I was in an indoor facility and saw a six year old kid working with a professional hitting coach.  Many of the older players were talking about what an awful coach he was because he wasn't saying much.  Every now and then he'd give the kid a small tip and then let him go.  Is this bad coaching?  Are youth hitting coaches worth it?

This hitting coach was the coach of none other than major league star, Todd Helton.  I'm going to say that he knows what he's doing.  So why isn't he constantly bantering the youngster?  It's very simple and we see it all the time.  Parents, SHUT UP!  When your kid is six years old, it is not your goal to make him mechanically perfect.  Your goal is to teach the kid the basics, correct any major flaws, and teach him to love the game.

In that particular hitting lesson, the coach was simply working with the kids hand-eye coordination and letting him get a feel for hitting the baseball squarely.  To answer the question of whether a hitting coach is worth it at that age, my advice is yes.  It may not do much of anything in his younger years, but developing a relationship with a coach over the years will allow him to become a better hitter in the long run because nothing will be left unsaid.  The bottom line is at that age let the kids swing the bat.  Of course we need to correct any major flaws, but most importantly developing hand-eye and bat speed.  In my next post, I am going to talk about an approach at the plate that is frequently talked about.

Until Next Time!

Tip of the Day: When you're practicing with your kids or by yourself, do things to challenge yourself further than the game of baseball will.  For example, take a batting practice with plastic golf balls and a stick, and watch your batting average sky rocket.  Also do things that make it fun.  Invent games, go with a classic game of wiffle ball, etc...

P.S. I am trying to put together a hitting program that will solve all parts of hitting.  I'd like to get some commentary on what you think hitters would like that to entail!

Hand Placement: Right or Wrong Answer?

Hey guys!

I know it's been a while.  Sorry I've been super busy.  A question I've been getting a lot lately is, "where should my hands be in my stance?"  This is an issue that is never truly touched on by hitting coaches.  Too many coaches tell you that there is a right place and want to clone you as a hitter.  There is no right place!  As long as your hands end up in the same load position I talked about in my earlier post, it doesn't matter.

A tip that I can give you, however, is to put your hands where they feel the most powerful.  You want to feel the strongest that you can in  your swing, which will in turn make you the most comfortable.  It all goes back to that.  Comfort.

I know that this is a short post, but for those of you that were wondering about this very question, I hope that this helps.  Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions that you have.

Tip of the Day: Make sure to swing the baseball bat everyday.  Whether you are hitting a ball or not, you need to ingrain the swing into your muscle memory.  Even if it's just 30 dry swings per day, think about how natural the swing will begin to feel.  This will allow you to spend more time focusing on the most important thing: seeing the ball and hitting it!

Until Next Time!

Rotator Cuff Exercises with Bands

Okay,

So I promised you that I'd have a new article coming out on band exercises.  Band exercises are the single most important thing you can do with your arm to keep it healthy while gaining strength at the same time.  Arm care is truly a daily time commitment.  Give it ten minutes a day and you'll be amazed at the difference you will see in both how great your arm feels, and also how strong it is.  Here are some exercises: (there are literally hundreds, but here's a few)

1. Internal rotation- This is, as the name states, an exercise that works the internal rotator muscle of the rotator cuff.  Have the band off of your hip with your elbow tucked into your hip, then pull the band across your stomach (inward).  Do two sets of ten of this exercise.

2. External rotation- This exercise is the opposite, working the external rotator muscle of the rotator cuff.  Have your arm in the same position with the band, but this time pull the band outwardly.  REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR ELBOW TUCKED!!!  Do two sets of ten.

3. Forward Pushes- This exercise is designed to target the muscles in the front of your shoulder.  Put your arm out to the side at shoulder height and make a 90 degree angle upward starting at the elbow.  From here simply push your arm forward and keep everything else still.  Do two sets of ten.

4. Backward Pulls- Simply do the same thing as forward pushes, except in the opposite direction.  This works the muscles in the back of the shoulder.  Do two sets of ten.

5. Throwing motions- This one is self explanatory.  Just go through your throwing motion.  All this is designed to do is to loosen up the arm.  Do two sets of ten.

Like I said, these are just a few.  If you want more exercises, or have pain in a certain place, don't hesitate to let me know.  I'd like to help with any of the certain problems you are having with your arms now that the season is here.  I apologize for not getting some illustrations of these, but I struggled to find any good ones.

Tip of the Day: Use a heavy band one day, and a light one the next.  Alternate each day.  This will be even more rehabilitating to your arm than just using a heavy or just using a light one.

Until Next Time!

Keeping Your Arm Healthy

Hey Guys,

I will have an extension of this post coming soon, but I'm going to talk about how to keep your arm healthy throughout the season.  The secret is BANDS!  If you're not doing them, you need to start.  I know you've heard it a million times, but its true.  They will help to rebuild what you lost in a day of throwing and they will  help to strengthen your arm without actually throwing.  I will have a post coming soon on certain exercises to do.  Some of them are very common and others are a little different and target the muscles that protect your arm.

Tip of the Day: When you're throwing to get loose before practice or a game, increase your distance with an arc on your throw, and come back in on a line.  This will allow you to see what you have in your arm that day, and also allow you to throw at your pique velocity day in and day out.

Until Next Time!

The Five Tools

Hey Guys,

This post is for all of you out there who are either serious about baseball and playing at a high level, being recruited to play in college, or have a kid that wants to play in college.  I want to put to rest all of the, quite frankly, bull crap that is fed to parents and kids when it comes to recruiting.  I have talked to many college coaches at a very high level and studied the tools of many top recruits of all time, so I'm pretty confident that these are correct. (100% confident)  What the scouts like to look at is the five tools; speed, arm strength, defensive ability, hitting for average, and hitting for power.  I'd like to go through all of them and explain where your kid needs to be.

Speed- Regardless of what you are told, there is no leniency on your time based on your position, except for pitchers and a STUD catcher.  Otherwise, you need to be able to run.  To get a lot of good looks from coaches and scouts you need to be below a 7.0 as an outfielder and it really depends on how you are as a player for the other positions.  I have seen shortstops that run 7.3s playing at D1 schools and catchers who run 7.9s playing at D1 schools.  It just depends.  This dependency does not mean leniency.  It's not, "Oh well he's a catcher so he doesn't have to be fast," it's, "he's an awesome defensive catcher, so we will sacrifice some speed to have his glove."

Arm Strength- When looking at your arm strength, they are looking at carry and velocity.  It is possibly the single biggest killer of kids getting recruited.  D1 pitchers are normally throwing in the upper 80s and higher, but there are exceptions due to how good of "stuff" a guys has.  Catchers need to be able to put it down to second at 76mph or higher.  Infielders need to be in the mid 80s or higher across the infield, and outfielders really need to be able to throw it.  Most guys you see are bringing it upper 80s and higher out of the outfield.

Defensive Ability-  This speaks for itself.  You need to be able to make the routine plays and the spectacular plays.  What nobody ever talks about, however, is that you need to look smooth.  Too many players say, "I make way more plays than Johnny, and he's going to a D1 school and I'm not.  It's not fair."  Well, odds are you are lacking the other tools, and you probably look like a robot while making those plays.  You have to make it look easy at whatever position you play.

Hitting for Average- The scouts aren't looking for a guy who can bat .600.  They're looking for the guy who can consistently put balls in play with authority.  In a game this speaks for itself,  but at a showcase it doesn't.  Too many kids at showcases go and hit 300 foot fly balls and think they're impressing everyone.  If you're that person, stop it!  Coaches want to see line drives  and gap shots, not fly outs.

Hitting for Power- This is a very subjective tool, and it's always based on how the player plays the other parts of the game.  But, for the most part the scouts are looking for a guy who can drive the gaps consistently, and contrary to popular belief they do like to see a guy who can hit the ball out of the ballpark.  You don't have to be a home run hitter, but the coaches will be more impressed with the kid who can do it.  It's just a fact.  That doesn't mean stand up at the plate and take donkey hacks and try to hit home runs every time.  Just hit it with authority and things will work out.

Pitchers- Location, location, location.  Unless you're a 90s guy, you better be able to throw the ball through a dixie cup.  If you are in the 90s, then they're a little more lenient, but you still need to throw strikes.  Also, you need to make sure that you have two effective off speed pitches.

Many kids don't like to hear about the five tools, because it makes them feel like a bad baseball player, but that isn't the case.  It's rare to see five tool guys.  If you're not a five tool guy focus on making your strengths as polished as possible, and make your weaknesses your strengths.  If you guys are interested in knowing about divisions 2 and 3 comment on this post and I'll gladly put out a supplement to this post.  I just wanted you guys to have an idea about where you should strive to be.

Tip of the Day:  During training, try to stay away from football type lifts.  They produce strong, but slow muscles that are not beneficial to baseball.  Make sure that you are doing explosive workouts, and you'll be shocked to see how much all five of your tools improve.

Until Next Time!

"Spark": A New Hitting Term?

Hey Guys,

Today I've got an awesome new hitting drill for you.  I do a lot of video studying to try and figure out the best ways to hit with power and consistency.  While watching the videos, it's always fascinating to me how some of these guys can hit the ball the way they can.  Recently, I was watching a video of Babe Ruth hitting and was shocked at how he stood with his feet together.  It begged the question, "why did he stand this way?"  I thought about it for an entire day, and here's what I came up with:

I think that his stride that he took got his hips moving towards the baseball and due to the laws of physics they were able to explode quicker, because they were already moving. (An object in motion tends to stay in motion)  Think about this.  Who are the guys that don't stride?  Pujols, Mcgwire, Edmonds, maybe some others.  What do those guys all have in common?  They are all freakishly big and strong.  The guys who are not as big and strong have to get their hips moving before they actually begin the rotational part of the baseball swing, because they aren't strong enough to start them up without a "spark" as we will call it.

Think about Ken Griffey Jr.  He's one of the greatest home run hitters of all time, and the man was NOT strong.  He squatted only 300 pounds, and could only bench about 200 pounds, but he could hit 500 foot home runs.  Why?  He was able to "spark" his swing by going from a narrower stance with a stride to let his fast twitch muscles and hips work with more efficiency.  It's really an amazing thing.

So here's the drill:  We are going to call it the "Sultan of Swat" drill.  Stand with your feet together in your stance, then take a stride and take your swing.  You can do it off the tee, in batting practice, or anywhere you want.  It seems too simple, but you'll be shocked at how this gets your hips into your swing, and how much more power it will produce.

Moral of the story is, unless you are unbelievably strong and quick, you need to "spark" your swing with a stride, a leg kick, or a toe tap, or something of that sort.  We need to get away from the no stride theory.

Tip of the Day: The reason many kids and players are attracted to the "no stride" plan is because, quite honestly, it's easy to time up the pitch when you're not doing something with movement.  Get in the cage and get the timing down to have some sort of spark in your swing.  It will not fail you.

P.S. This completely contradicts one of my earlier posts where I endorsed "no stride" as one of the load styles.  I no longer think that it is effective.  This may go against what some coaches think, but I think that the laws of physics speak for themselves.

See how Ruth stands with his feet together,
and Griffey has his feet slightly wider than
shoulder width?  They use a "spark"
(a stride for both of these hitters) to get their
hips moving into the swing.  I think that the
results for both speak for themselves.












Until next time!

Dealing with Frustration: Focal Points

Hey Guys,

Some of you may have heard of this, and some of you probably haven't, but this is another piece of valuable information regarding the mental game.  It's called a focal point.  You may see it commonly used by many major league baseball players.   That split second where they step off the mound or out of the box and look what seems like off into the distance, they're actually focused on something.  When you feel yourself tightening up with frustration, find something that you can stare at.  Think of only that thing.  It may be the logo on your bat, the top of the center field fence, or your shoelaces.  Whatever it is, make sure it is taking your mind off of the adversity.  Many people who try to read sports psychology think, "Well, if I just learn this one technique I'll be fine, because all the techniques do the same thing."  My opinion on that is, you're right.  Sports psychology does try to do one thing; help you deal with adverse situations, so that you can get the most out of your performance.

Let me pose this question.  There are two baseball players.  One has three major league tools, and the other has four.  Which player is the better baseball player?  Seems like a pretty simple question right?  Well it's the same thing with these mental techniques.  The player who has the most mental tools will be able to resort to different ones when they just don't have what it takes to perform one of them.  For example, let's say you've been struggling on the mound so badly that you can't even visualize yourself doing well.  It will happen.  And if you think it won't or that it doesn't, then your visualizations aren't as realistic as they need to be.  Anyway, when you're at that point with the game, you need to be able to turn to another arrow in your mental quiver to lock you into the game mentally.  Do you see what I mean?

Baseball is a reactionary sport.  You do not need to be thinking about the task at hand to hit a baseball, or throw a pitch.  You should've have done it enough in practice that your body knows how to do it.  The problem is that as humans, we like to think of the worst things that can happen.  So the next time you get those thoughts, or frustration step away and focus on something else that takes your mind off the task at hand. Then, get back into the game and REACT.

Tip of the Day: Focus on something that is at every ball park.  The human brain/body does better with routines.  If your focal point is different every game, your mind will begin to wander.  For example, Evan Longoria focuses on the top of the foul pole in left field every time he needs to get away during the game.

Thanks!

Mental Game: Visualization

Hey guys,

So let's talk about a very important part of the mental game today: visualization.  Many people view visualization as a lie, so let me first tell you some of the athletes who use, or have used it.  Jack Nickalus, Mark Mcgwire, and Albert Pujols are just a few that use or have used this technique.  It works.  You hear too many times that baseball is 90% mental, but then little to no time is spent practicing the mental part of the game.  If you truly want to be good at this game then you need to spend time working on the mental part.  Today I wanted to give you guys a routine that will allow you to do things you never though possible.

Here it is:

You're all familiar with the showcase workout.  You know, catchers throwing to second, blocking balls, and receiving pitches, then taking BP?  Or outfielders throwing to third, then home, and then taking BP.  Well here's a secret: Before you go to sleep every night, go through one of these showcase workouts in your head.  I'll give you a more specific catchers' example:

First, throw 3 balls to second base, then 3 to first and 3 to third.  Then go ahead and block your balls, and receive.  Now, move on to your batting practice.  Make sure that all of these things in your head go perfectly.

However, that is not it.  If you are a position player, take at-bats off any pitcher you can think of.  If you are a pitcher, face the toughest lineup you can face.  Put yourself into adverse situations, but don't even think about failure.  Overcome all adversity with all of the confidence in the world.

This all seems very simple, but it really does work.  Your mind is the most powerful thing in sports.  It can either take you to the major leagues or end your career.  My next few posts are going to be about different parts of the mental game.  I hope you enjoy them.  Please let me know what you think!

Tip of the Day: Make your visualizations as realistic as possible.  See yourself going beyond things that you have done before.  You truly can add distance and miles per hour to your ball, just by seeing it happen over and over in your mind.  You will begin to believe that it's routine, if you do it enough.  The more vivid your visualizations become, the more benefit your game will see.

Thanks!

The Lost Art of Bunting

Hey guys,

Today let's talk about something that people either really love, or really hate: Bunting.  Whether you like it or not, it is a skill that needs to be taught, and can win you baseball games.  Most of the coaches out there right now will say, that the game has changed due to the new bats, and they're right.  Here's where they are wrong; You can still increase your batting average and score more runs than you did in the past with the new bats.  You must be able to incorporate the threat of small ball into your offense.  I didn't say that you have to play small ball, you have to have the threat.  Now, of course this means that yes you will have to play some small ball to plant that seed in the other teams mind, but hear me out.  As a team, you can kill a teams will with a well placed bunt.  It can start a rally, it can force an error, or it can even win a game.  Moving runners through the means of bunting is way more effective than trusting your team to mash the whole season.  If you bunt during bunting situations, and have guys that can bunt for a hit, it will move the defense up in the infield.  Whether the coach tells them (he probably will), or not they will subconsciously move forward in the infield to make the play on the bunt.  This will raise your team batting average and allow you to take bases on teams that shouldn't be taken, because the team is out of position.  And here's where I get the, "small ball is for babies" and "I want my kids to have fun" stuff.  Well first of all, my team is still going to hit the hell out of the ball, and second of all your kids will have fun when they're winning and scoring runs.  How can my team still crush the ball if I'm playing small ball?  Because, it's just like anything in life.  The more things that you have to think about, the more likely it is you'll mess something up.  If you can put the threat of small ball into the defense's mind, now everyone is watching for it, including the pitcher, who will in turn throw more dead red fastballs than normal, because he isn't 100 percent focused on the job at hand.  If you have the chance, watch Vanderbilt play baseball.  They do a perfect job of this, and in turn score a lot of runs, and play a very fast paced game.  The quicker your offense moves, the quicker the defense moves, and the quicker errors, bad pitches, and bad throws happen.  Try this philosophy.  You'll be surprised at how quick the game gets going, when you're running all over the other team, and if you're a guy who loves hitting (like me) you will see a lot more mistakes that you can hit out of the yard because of it.

Now let's talk about how to bunt.  There are three key things to remember:

1. Start with your bat high in the zone, so that all you have to do is bend your legs to get to a lower pitch.

2. Keep the bat flat.  The old "keep it at angle theory" will result in too many missed bunts.

3. Divide that bat into thirds for maximum bat control.

Notice that in the above picture, this batter is doing all of these things.  He is also playing for a major league team.  This is how they do it, so this is how every player should do it.

This topic angers a lot of coaches, so I apologize if you disagree with this theory, but it will work.  You will score more runs, and you will hit for a higher average.  Baseball is changing, and if you don't evolve with it, you will die out.

Tip of the Day: The more players that you have that can bunt and/or bunt for a hit, the better the above philosophy will work for your team.  Make sure that every kid is able to bunt, even if he is your four hitter and will probably never bunt.

Until Next Time!

Outfield Made Simple

Hey guys,

So here's a question I get all the time, and the people who don't ask it really don't know how to teach it anyway.  "How do I make my outfielders better at their job?"  Now, obviously this applies to the people living somewhere they can't be outside in the winter.  Much like throwing to get better at throwing, there is no better way to get better at outfield than to take outfield practice.  But, there are many ways that we can make our kids better outfielders.  I find that the most successful way to train an outfielder when you don't have access to a baseball is to make the kid a wide receiver.  That's right, throw him a football.  After learning that Giancarlo Stanton was a wide receiver, I never have changed my method and it works.  My team tracks down everything.

Here's the deal:  You have to challenge them athletically.  Make them do things that they aren't comfortable doing.  Put them in positions they aren't comfortable in.  When you do this, the game will come to them much easier.  I like to use a progression:

1. Play regular catch but throw it at the kid hard and move his hands around.  Really challenge him.  Make the catches as hard as you can make them without making him move his feet.  He should be standing in an athletic position not moving.

2. Now move them out in front of you in a punt returning position.  Throw/kick the ball up to him and move him side to side.  DO NOT LET HIM CATCH IT LIKE A PUNT!!! MAKE HIM CATCH IT OVER HIS HEAD!  During this one keep everything in front of him so he's moving in to catch it.

3. Now have them stand ten yards in front of you with their back turned.  As you throw the ball at them, say "ball" and have them spin around and catch the ball.  Have them spin to both sides.  We are now getting to the part of the progression now where it's time to make them uncomfortable.

4.  This one is awesome.  Put them on their butts facing you, and throw the ball high and reasonably far, according to how athletic they are.  Right when you throw the football, they must get up and track it down.

5. For the final part of the progression just have them run routes, but challenge them.  Don't try to hit them with a perfect pass every time.  Make them run, dive, and jump.  Make it a point that if they can get under the ball and not catch it on the run to do so.  Even though we are using a football, it's still baseball practice.

Don't make it militant.  Have fun with it.  Make it a competition, things of that sort.  Another thing that will make this the most fun with them is to do it in awful weather conditions.  Take them out in the snow, the mud, and the rain and let them go nuts.  They won't even think of it as practicing baseball.  It's one of the old "back yard" ways of getting better at baseball.

Work on their speed too.  They won't like this as much, but it's something that has to be done.  A sub 7 sixty runner will never hurt as an outfielder.  Also, a cannon arm won't hurt either.  Get them on the bands, and actually throwing the football if it's too cold for baseball.  It won't put the same stress on your arm.

Guys, nobody likes to go out into the elements and practice baseball, but that's where THE PLAYER (not the parent) needs to decide how far he wants to go in this great game.  The guy who wants to play in the big leagues and means it when he says it will be out there running, and catching the football when it's ten degrees.  That's just a matter of mental toughness.

Tip of the Day: Expect to catch every ball as a player.  Don't get into the excuse game of, "I couldn't get there" or "I slipped".  Catch everything.  Don't let anything drop!  It's unacceptable and games are won and lost in the outfield many times.

Until next time!

What Are You Focused On?

Hey guys,

Let's talk a little bit of pitching today.  What do you guys focus on while your pitching?  Most guys are only focusing on the glove, but I say that to be as accurate as possible you need to become even more focused.  According to Psychologists, the more laser focused on the task at hand you are, the more successful you are going to be.  That being said, you need to be able to have that focus, and still be able to play the game around you (base runners, signs, etc...).  So the question then becomes, what do you focus on?  The answer is very simple.  Focus on one of the letters on the logo of the catchers mitt on the inside.  Focus on throwing it through that target, and you will be shocked at how much more accurate you will be.  This was a very short post, but one of the more valuable ones.  Try it in your next throwing session and let me know what you guys think.

Thanks!

Making a Successful Lineup

Hey guys,

Sorry I've been away for a while.  I've been super busy.  In today's post, I want to talk about something that is a little different in the minds of other coaches than it is in mine.  Too many youth coaches and even high school coaches have no idea how to make a batting order.  You see 95% of teams with their order going from best hitters to worst hitters and that just can't be the case if you want maximum production from your lineup.  What I want to do is just go from spots one to nine in the order and describe the types of hitters that should be in these spots.  Here we go:

1- Most coaches get this one right, because it's easy.  You want a guy with great discipline, speed, and contact abilities in your lead off spot.  It also won't hurt to have a little power here.  Nothing shuts a pitcher down more than a double in the gap to start the game.  The main thing is he has to be a ball player.  He has to be able to do everything with the bat.

2- This needs to be a guy who can go the other way well.  Hopefully your leadoff man is on base and the 2 hitter has the chance to move him over or drive him in.  He needs to have the ability to play small ball and it doesn't hurt to have speed.  Once again, this guy needs to be one of your more rounded baseball players, at least in the hitting department.

3- He needs to mash.  Strikeouts are at a minimum, average is high, and power production is high.  This is your team's best hitter.

4- Similar to the 3 hitter, but your cleanup guy has a little more leeway for strikeouts and maybe a little lower average.  Only slightly!

5- Another power guy, but maybe not polished enough to be in the 3 or 4 slots.  He might have lower power numbers, but make sure he can get hits, because this is not a place where you want outs.

6- Do you have that guy on your team that when he hits it it goes, but otherwise he strikes out?  We all do, and this is the spot for him.

7- Contrary to popular belief this is your weakest hitter.  It's a great spot for him, because more often than not your 7 hitter isn't starting or ending an inning.  Have a guy who can bunt here.

8- Here's where I get a little weird, but it's proven many times to work in my lineups.  I have my second  leadoff man in the eight spot.  If you don't have a guy with speed, have a guy who doesn't strikeout in this spot.  He needs to have a high on base percentage.

9- Obviously this is your second 2 hitter.  The purpose of the 8 and 9 spots being a second 1 and 2 hitter is that you are rolling the order back over.  The key to the big inning is being able to roll the order back around.  You see most coaches body language change to, "well crap, this inning is done," when they get to 8 and 9, but the key to burying a team is to have a strong bottom so you can crush them with your top again.

Try this type of lineup out.  You can literally try it anywhere; fantasy, video games, little league games, or anywhere else you are making out a lineup.  It will give you the most statistical production every time.

Tip of the day: Make your lineup according to the talent that you have on your team.  If your team doesn't have the talent to produce the order above then don't waste your time.  Just get the most production you can out of the top of your lineup.

Thanks!

The Types of Loads

Hey Guys,

As promised, I wanted to tie the different types of loads into the last article.  The type of load that you do is a timing mechanism.  It really serves no other purpose.  There is no answer to, "what's the best load?"  Some guys like to be real quiet in their swing and others like to be very loud.  It just depends on you and the type of hitter that you are:

The Stride:  The most common of the loads; You see most guys use the stride as their load because they are able to easily get into the athletic position we talked about in the last article.  This load can be performed out of an open, closed, or square stance.  You simply stride your foot forward.  You can look at many major league hitters on Youtube, but I think the best is Albert Pujols.  Many people think that he is a no stride guy, but he actually does take a small stride.

No Stride: This is a more uncommon load, because most hitters do not have the athleticism to get their hips loaded while not taking a stride.  To perform this load, you have to take your hips back away from your front leg to be able to properly use them in the swing.  This load can only be performed out of the square stance.  A great guy to watch for an example of this load is Jim Edmonds.

Leg Kick: Guys with good balance can use the leg kick in which the leg is pulled upward off the ground and then put back down.  The difference between this and the stride is that the knee is pulled upward in the leg kick.  This load can also be performed out of any of the stance styles.  The guy to watch for an example of this load would be Alex Rodriguez.  He does an awesome job of staying balanced so he's a good one to look at.

Toe Tap: A very athletic load that really gets your hips working in the swing.  It can be performed out of any of the stance styles.  In this load the front foot travels backwards, taps the ground, then gains ground forward. (hence toe tap)  The most legendary of the toe tappers is Sammy Sosa.  He performed the load out of an almost square stance.  If you want to watch a guy perform it out of an open stance, the Chipper Jones is your guy.

These are just the most common loads. You can do anything you want to get your hips ready to hit on time with the pitch, but these are the ones that we see all the time in hitters.  Make sure that the load that you choose to use is something that will not disrupt your timing.  It has to be comfortable and natural for you.  A load that is not comfortable with will lead to a lower batting average and less power.  I can promise you that.  Try them all out and let me know what you guys think.  I'm glad to help with any video analysis or anything like that for explanation.

Tip of the Day: Know and accept your athleticism.  Too many guys think that they are way more athletic than they are.  In relation to the load the less athletic guys need to go with the quieter loads.  It doesn't mean that you won't hit as well, it just means that timing up a pitch isn't as natural for you.  You won't see very many of the less athletic players using a toe tap.  For example, Albert Pujols: He's the best pure hitter in the game right now, but he is not as athletic as many of the other players in the major leagues, and it shows in his load.  He's a simple stride guy.  But him knowing and accepting his athleticism has led to his unprecedented success.

Hope it helps!  Until next time!

Is There a Correct Stride Length?

Okay,

So today I wanted to talk about something that is taught a whole bunch of different ways out there.  The stride length of your load phase.  Now there are a lot of new school thinkers popping up around there that are teaching what I am (which is right), but there are still the old schoolers who think that there is an answer to the stride length.  It really isn't clear cut.  The stride has to be different for every hitter.  It drives me crazy when I listen to hitting coaches preach a 3 inch stride or  a six inch stride or a no stride approach.  How about we let the hitter do what works for him, but perfect it?  Now, I am not saying that every stride you could possibly think of is good.  There are definitely some things to watch out for.

The No No's:

These are a little off topic, but it's never too early to eliminate these awful habits.  I will talk more about these and tie all of it together with a later piece on the different types of loads.

1. Bat wrap- Too many guys think because a couple of major league hitters can get away with wrapping the bat way around their head that they can do the same.  Most of the time, you can't.  It's no secret that it lengthens your path to the ball.  Unless you're an absolute stud, I would recommend that you stay away from it.  And even if you are that absolute stud, I'd tell you to kick the habit because a top level pitcher will get you out 99% of the time.

2. Too much Negative movement of the Head-  I'm not saying that you don't need to move negatively into the ball, because you definitely do.  But do it with your hips.  Have your hips travel backward in your load and try and keep your head movement as minimal as possible.  The rock-back loads are fine, but once you start letting your head travel way back and then forward again, you will find yourself not squaring the ball up as much.

3. Keeping Your Front Foot Closed-  Yep, I said it.  It may be the most controversial thing that I preach, but give me a minute and it will make sense.  My theory is load with your big toe pointed at first base. (slightly open) Why?  It allows your hips to travel a few inches further around your axis of rotation. (the line down the middle of your body that you rotate on)  If you don't think that those extra few inches will give your more power through the baseball, let me pose you this question.  Does a shot putter keep his front foot closed as he throws the shot put?  No!  He gets everything that he possibly can out of his hips and lower half.  Obviously, we can't spin around like shot putters, but I think we can get a little more out of the lower half by opening it up slightly and allowing it to rotate further.

*I struggled to find a hitter in the load position, but here's a picture of Prince at contact.  Look at that front foot pointed right at third base. (It would be first for a righty)



The Stride:

Like I said before, there are too many hitters trying to clone the load phases of swings.  Hitters need to stride based on how their stance is.  The proper stride length is actually very simple.  Narrow stance hitters such as Babe Ruth or Ichiro will take a rather large stride, possibly a foot or more.  Moderately wide hitters such as Alex Rodriguez or a guy like Manny Ramirez will take a middle of the road stride, and a very wide hitter like Albert Pujols will take little to no stride.  The common denominator is that they all load to the athletic position.  You know, stand like you're guarding someone in basketball, then pick up the bat.  That's the position where your body produces optimum power.

The Main Point:

The main point is that there is no set in stone way to get to the athletic, loaded position.  No matter what hitting coach tells you there is, it's just flat out wrong.  I touched on the phases of the load very little, but will put out another piece on the different types of loads to tie this all together.  I wanted the main focus to be on the stride.  Try these different things out, see what works for you, and mash the baseball.

Tip of the Day: Find a stance and a stride that you are comfortable with and go with it.  Do not constantly change the stance and the stride, because it will constantly change the muscle memory of the swing.  Chances are if you had a bad day, unless you have severe problems, it wasn't your stance or your stride that caused it.

Thanks!

Okay,

So I promised a good pitching article today so here we go:

It's a great way to increase your velocity and control.  The secret is throwing away the balance point.  This old school way of thinking is flat out wrong.  The pitching motion needs to be one fluid motion.  Sure you have to be balanced throughout your motion but stopping with your leg up in the air is just pointless.  It all goes back to the old "an object in motion tends to stay in motion" thing.  Well it's true.  If you're stopping in your motion at any point you are shutting down your velocity and may throw off your control depending on how balanced you are in your "balance point".  If you have an old school coach teaching this, I am not saying he's a bad coach, I am just saying try it.  Try taking all the jerks and stops out of your motion and see what you think.  Let me know.  Give me some feedback.  It's a theory that I want some feedback on other than the new school guys that are teaching it.  Please feel free to post questions on my page.  I'll be back next time with an article on the stance and stride in relation to hitting.

Thanks!

Tip of the Day: The best thing for your arm health and developing arm strength is long toss.  There is no secret to adding strength and keeping your arm healthy.  THROW!  No weight program will help you develop arm strength.  I don't care what they tell you.  If you live in an area where you can't throw all year round then get ahold of an orthopedic band and work that rotator cuff.  That's the second best thing you can do for your arm if you can't throw.

Until next time!

Hey guys,

I apologize for the long break.  With the holidays and everything else, I have been very busy.  Today I wanted to talk about a very important aspect in the game of baseball.  No it's not about hitting or pitching or defense.  It's about translating your off the field behavior into your on field play.  I have heard too many stories lately of guys in all sports lately making horrible decisions off the field that affect their play and many times end their career.  Often times the guy who does things right off the field goes forgotten.  He's not the cool kid out at parties and hanging out with all of the best looking girls.  No, he's the freak who stays home and studies so he can have a better future.  He's the guy who spends hours in the cage rather than hours out doing stupid things with his friends.  That guys goes unforgotten, maybe for a long time.  If you've seen the movie "Trouble with the Curve" you'll understand my reference.  Bo Gentry is the all star ball player in the movie wanted by all the big league clubs.  Quite honestly, he's a pest.  He's got all the tools, but is a horrible teammate and acts like a jackass off the field.  Forgive me, but I only remember him as "peanut boy" is the kid in the movie who works for his mom so much and studies so much that he can't play baseball, but secretly he pumps 95 from the left side.  It's a perfect example of the forgotten, and in this case, not even known worker.  And of course in the end Gentry pays for his act with peanut boy striking him out time after time and signing a pro contract.  For all you kids out there that want to act like an idiot, but then get paid the big bucks for whatever it is you dream of, ask yourself this: Who do I look up to?  More often than not, you find kids looking up to the guy who does it right off the field, because he's having the most success, not only in his profession, but in his life as well.  I'm sorry that I had to stray from baseball a little bit, but it was really on my mind and I think it can be very beneficial to any aged player.  I'll be back tomorrow with a piece on pitching that you won't want to miss.

Thanks!