Young hitters are taught to believe that a successful at bat is one where they put the ball in play. Coaches demonize striking out, and as a result, kids are afraid to take aggressive swings that are needed for success in high level baseball and softball. As kids get older and competition gets better, contact …
If you’re someone that wants to play college softball, and you’re trying to figure out how to get there. You need to have a plan. To develop a good plan, athletes and parents must first assess the options available, next determine what path has the highest chance of success for you, and then execute endlessly. …
If You’re Softball Player You Should Probably Hit For Power Read More »
Hitting a baseball or a softball is very hard. Not only do you need an efficient rotational pattern, but you also need to hit off pitchers that are trying as hard as they can to get you out. Sometimes that means the ball will only be in the air for less than .4 seconds before …
A commonly used old school coaching idea that has bothered me for a long time is that “ground balls turn into home runs.” I’ve pulled out my hair many times after hearing things like this. But now, here I am writing an article that will discuss how, when applied right, that actually is true. Don’t …
I hear people talk about extension all the time, but rarely do I see people explain how to functionally extend and what purpose it should serve. So I thought I’d take a crack at it. Let’s first discuss how extension is typically taught. Usually extension is taught as a way to generate more power in …
The most common problem that I see in youth hitters is that they get stuck on their back leg and are unable to start their rotation quickly. This problem is fed by how frequently coaches use the cue to stay back. In my opinion, stay back is the worst cue in hitting, it’s too vague …
Probably the most hotly contested topic in hitting is the ideal shape of the swing, some say it’s down, some say it’s up. Like most things, there’s a little bit of truth on both sides of the argument. Let’s get one thing straight, right before contact, the ideal swing plane is slightly up, we see …
Almost all hitters are told to bend their knees and get in an athletic position when they step in the box. Ok great, I don’t disagree with knee bend or athleticism, but how are we defining what an athletic/functional stance/setup is? And more importantly, what makes a stance/setup functional? Let’s start with asking the …
The Way You’re Bending Your Knees Might Be Killing Your Swing’s Power Read More »
