Put simply, the stride is the swing. It’s importance to a hitters development can’t be overlooked. The two main functions of the stride is the dynamic loading and preparation for explosive movement and the positioning of the body to allow for maximum adjustments to pitch speed and location There isn’t a one size fits all […]
Using A Bat Sensor to Measure Your Swing Plane
Matching swing plane with the plane of the pitch early and a long time is important. Really important. As Peter Drucker says what gets measured gets managed. Swing plane is too important not to be measured and tracked on a consistent basis. Let’s look at how Diamond Kinetics defines approach angle The approach angle is […]
Four Feels From Two Of The Greatest Hitters of All TIme
At the foundation of my development programs, we are trying to develop speed and power. These two elements are the two things that will allow hitters to level up and open doors for them in their journey as a player. If you listen to 10 big leaguers talk about hitting you will hear 10 different […]
Develop Intent First
So much of my training time is spent trying to uncoach players or retrain movement patterns that were developed by poor intent. Whether intentionally or unintentionally coaches and parents get blinded by short-term fixes instead of long-term development. “Swing easy” or “make contact” are well-intentioned but robbing the player of the much-needed speed he or she will […]
The Book is Out on Aaron Judge
First off let me start by saying this. Anyone that has climbed to the level of the Major Leagues, much less that has had the success of someone like Aaron Judge is clearly an elite level player and is better than 99.999999% of players that ever wear spikes. I’m not here to argue if Aaron Judge […]
Using Overload Training To Remap Swing Patterns
A big part of my swing development process is the use of weighted bats that are an overload from the game weights (+12,+15,+18 in our 12-week progressions) from constraint positions to pattern an efficient rotational swing sequence. Research shows this method of using overloaded implements as the most efficient way to remap parts of a swing as they […]
Developing A Fastpitch Softball Velocity Build Program
Over the last 12 weeks, I have been testing and developing a Fastpitch Softball Pitcher Velocity build throwing program. It started as part curiosity, and part obsession with giving players answers to questions that need better answers. First and foremost we wanted to make sure we were keeping the training and athletes as safe as possible. […]
The Concept of Self Organization in Hitting
If you had told me 12 years ago when I started coaching that this would be where I am today in my coaching journey, I wouldn’t have believed you. Just like you, I subscribed to the traditional coaching models. Give the player explicit instruction on how to execute “mechanics” then hold him/her highly accountable to […]
What’s the Number 1 Problem With Hitters?
Coaching and developing hitters is a never-ending puzzle of movement problems and solutions, which is why I love it. If you have read my BIO then you already know that I am a curiosity junkie so hitting very much satisfies that need. Every hitter is exceptionally different but most of the issues I see stem from […]
Friday Mailbag 12/1/2017
What are some external cues you find yourself using the most? Good Question as you have to be very careful in balancing the line in over cueing the player at the risk of him/her becoming to internal about their swings. Cues and reminders we do use are within the broad parameters of loading such as […]