Old Cues #1: Staying Back

Newer coaches like to dispel older teachings in the game.  I agree that some cues are probably better left in the past.  However, if you look deep into some of the older cues you can find a lot of truth in them.  With modern high speed video and technology we can...

You HAVE to do this!

Are you SURE? When suggesting or training for a change you should be as sure as you can be that it’s going to help a player.  Like I said in “A deeper look…what players deserve” you have to take everything into account (game results, tech, video,...

Can we train hitters to be elite problem solvers?

This is a follow up to the post, “Just one hit a week.”  In that post, I made the point that being an elite problem solver might be the difference when it comes to the best in the game compared to their peers.  In other words, they are able to...

Just one hit a week…

Remember the line in Bull Durham where Crash goes on a rant about one hit a week?   “You know what the difference between hitting .250 and .300 is? It’s 25 hits. Twenty-five hits in 500 at-bats is 50 points, OK? There’s six months in a season. That’s about...

A deeper look…what players deserve

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...

Social media breakdowns

It’s easy to find people breaking down professional hitters or hitters they see on social media.  Don’t get me wrong, this can be a great way for coaches to collaborate and learn from each other.  It can also be beneficial to the player because they can...

You have to hit it where it’s pitched

Or do you?  At all levels of baseball and softball you can hear this statement being repeated.  But I wanted to know if it’s true or not.  I’m not debating whether or not it’s a good thought process.  Many successful players have said they try to use...

What makes a hitter great?

Have you ever wondered what TRULY makes a player a great hitter?  It’s probably an impossible question to answer.  Is it a players size and strength?  Is it their swing mechanics?  Could it be their vision?  What about their mental approach?  All of those things...

Defining the at bat and its variables

This post was inspired by the book “Training Talk” by G. Martin Bingisser.  The book was comprised of conversations with some of the world’s best coaches in track and field, soccer, football and rugby.  If you haven’t read it, it’s...

Getting on plane – It’s not that simple

It sounds simple enough.  If we can get our bat on plane with the pitch as long as possible, we’ll have a better chance of making consistent solid contact.  Well, it turns out it might not be that simple.  Let’s dig a little deeper and figure out what it...