As coaches, we have to use everything at our disposal to help our players. It’s no longer acceptable (or shouldn’t be) for a coach to casually chirp out cues based on what they see in batting practice. Players deserve a deeper look and a more comprehensive approach in their development. I realize that every school, program, or team has different tools and information available to them. But whatever we have, we should use. Take a look at my process with one of the players I work with. He plays in the MLB so obviously he and I have access to a lot of information but you can always scale this process down and use what you have available to you. Hopefully it’ll help you shape your process with your team/players.
Start with the data
Data isn’t biased…I am. I try to remind myself of that. Of course, we have to interpret the data, understand its context and give it meaning but I like to start here as it keeps me as unbiased as possible. The data I’m referring to is in game data. After all, isn’t that what matters the most? For professional players, you can scour baseballsavant.com for literally hours. Again, I want to know everything I can about a player especially their strengths and their weaknesses. From the data, I create a report of what I think the player should be aware of.
Then fill it in with context
While I love data, I’m not willing to trust it just by looking at the numbers. I want the context of what the data is saying, which means I want to watch every at bat. I start with a wide angle view as I don’t want to miss the forest for the trees. I’m watching body language, approach and the general outcome of the at bat. But then I zoom in with specifics with things like swings decisions and mechanics. For the swing decisions, I pair video with the in game data of baseball savant. For the mechanics, I use the centerfield camera view of the game or I simply ask the player to send me some video. Often times the video I ask for is of the negative results. I can get the positive result videos fairly easily from the TV broadcast instant replays, plus I think that the negative results often provide more information. I then date, label and store each file so I able to reference it whenever I need to. For this part, I trust my instincts and experience to come up with a list of strengths and weakness based solely on the things mentioned above. Then, I pair up the context with the data report that I already created. When the two line up, I generally start to trust the information. If there are any discrepancies, I’ll dig deeper into the data or the video to be as sure as I can be that I’m on the right track.
Don’t forget about the person
The final piece of the context is what the player is thinking or feeling. It’s important to remember that every player is more than just data and video. Their thoughts and emotions can have a big impact on their season. I generally try to keep notes throughout the season to match cues and feelings with mechanics, pitch selection, approach and the data. If you have the ability to be there with the player day in and day out, that’s obviously the best but all of these things can be done remotely. All it takes is a simple thought and something can change for the better or for the worse so I do my best to stay on the same page.
The other data
A lot of players and coaches also have access to what I call swing data. This includes things like Blast, Rapsodo, HitTrax, KVEST, force plates, etc. This data gives us the fingerprint of a player’s swing. It allows us to unbiased in our mechanical approach plus it gives us access to information that we’ve never had before. These tools have the ability to “see” things that weren’t possible before. Plus we can track a player’s progress more objectively. However, it’s important to remember that this data is usually collected in a practice environment and that all players do not swing the same way. For example, I’ve been told that JD Martinez’ kinematic sequence isn’t ideal when he’s using the KVEST. The question is, does it matter? The person I spoke with argued that JD Martinez could be even better but my first question was, what if that is what makes JD Martinez great? Don’t get me wrong, data is an amazing tool but I caution against using it blindly or teaching to the “technology test.” The real test is and will always be in the game.
Create a plan
From all of the information above, I’ll start to make a plan for the player for the off-season. I usually do this by myself at first because I don’t want the player to have to sort through everything. I only want them to know what they need to know or what they want to know. Of course, they can and should be a part of the process as much as they want to be. Every player is different here so it’s best to be flexible. The plan basically details any pertinent information from the data, along with videos and any other information showing them what I came up with as far as things we want to focus on. Then it lays out drills and daily routines. After the plan is made, we’ll sit down and discuss everything. They always have the final say…after all, it’s their career.
Implementation in the trenches
I’ll start by introducing all of the drills to the player and make sure they are executing them properly. I want them to know what it feels like but also what to look for if they videotape themselves. This is especially important because I’m not able to be with the player everyday. As they learn the drills and are making the adjustments, I want to keep track of how they are feeling and if there is anything they notice. You have to remember that players at this level have a great feel/understanding of their swing. While we see things, they typically feel things and have been doing so for a long time. They also have the biggest advantage of all because they are in the box and have years of experience that they can look back upon. As coaches we should tap into that information and listen to their thoughts and feelings throughout the entire process. As the off-season progresses so should the intensity and the environment. It’s great to learn something from a drill but it has to be put to the test and challenged in a more game-like setting.
Managing the season
If we’ve done our job well, the player should be ready for the season. No adjustment or off-season routine can ever guarantee success. Rather, its job is to give the player a foundation to take them throughout the season. They should have a good idea of what they need to stay on top of and better understand themself as a hitter. There will be times of struggle and there will be times of success but we shouldn’t be worried about either. It’s about having a plan and executing it to the best of their ability. It’s our job as coaches to stay ready by tracking the data, watching the at bats and checking their mechanics and approach. Have some feel and know when to reach out and when to hang back, when to alter the plan and when to trust the process. This is the true challenge of a hitting coach, not only to use everything at your disposal but know when and how to use it. Good luck!
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