A Class Act.

Yesterday, the Boston Red Sox performed one of the classiest acts I have ever seen.

Nomar Garciaparra, the former Six-Time All-Star Shortstop, Two-Time A.L. Batting Champion (1999, 2000), and 1997 A.L. Rookie of the Year,  signed a One-Day Minor League Contract with the Red Sox in order to throw out a ceremonial first-pitch to his former teammate (at both Georgia Tech and with the Red Sox) Jason Veritek, and then retire as a member of his old club, the Boston Red Sox. 

In a day and age full of "what have you done for me lately", it is so nice to see General Manager Theo Epstein, Owner John Henry,  and the entire Boston Red Sox organization understand that there is in fact, a heart underneath all those uniforms, and do what is right in remembering one of their greats with this fitting farewell.

What Are "Power Stations" and Why Are They Important?

Yesterday, I was working with a young hitter who had a tendency to hit the ball off the end of his bat. The reason...His middle "Power Station" was out!

"Power Stations" (simply put) are a hitter's front shoulder, front hip, and front knee. If any of these three are "out" (or pulling away from the pitcher), then the hitter loses power.

Take a look at this picture of the Mick. This is what lining up your "Power Stations" for maximum power looks like.

If a hitter's front shoulder pulls out, so does their head.  If a hitter's front hip juts out (or in South Georgia terms, his or her fanny), so does his or her direction and momentum back to the pitcher.  And if a hitter's front knee takes off, so do their hips.

Make sure your young hitter understands how important his or her "Power Stations" are.  And let 'em know, if they get all three lined up, there is no doubt they'll "LIGHT UP" the next pitch!

What are "Power Planes" and Why Are They Important?

Power Planes are extremely important in creating a powerful swing at the plate!  And yet, very few hitters understand and do it correctly.

The best way to understand and explain this "Principle" of Power Hitting is to show you the below photo of Alphonso Soriano. 

 

If you'll look (now hang on...this is dealing with Geometry), draw a straight line 1) through Alfonso's shoulders and 2) then his hips.  As you can see, Alfonso's back shoulder is higher than his front shoulder and as a result, his back hip is higher than this front hip. (Or in coaching terminology, his backside is higher than his frontside.)  This is what allows Alphonso to drive down "into" the baseball, rather than "collapse" with his back side as his swing begins.

When you are teaching a young hitter how to set up in the box, make sure to take the time to teach proper "Power Plane" Positioning if you have a young hitter who is looking to 1)  increase his power or  2) fix "collapsing" with his back side or "dipping" with his back shoulder.  

Is It Okay to "Guess"? YES!!!

Ted Williams, the greatest hitter of all time, said the exact same thing in The Science of Hitting (p. 29) and yet, hardly anybody does it.  I very rarely run across a kid who is willing to "sit on a curve" or "set a pitcher up."  And now, looking back on my own pro career, I really wish I had done this more. 

A hit is a hit whether you were sitting on a curve or waiting for a fastball.  And yet, hitting coaches everywhere teach their kids the old tenant "sit on the fastball, adjust to the curve." 

Looking for a certain pitch in a certain zone is "guessing", or if you would like a better term that makes more sense with today's hitters, "anticipating".  Simply put:  If the pitch is there and you're looking for it, you crush it.  If it's not, you take the pitch and wait for another.  This is what we all do in 2-0, 3-1 counts.  We look for our pitch.  Well, if that's true, then why don't we sit on a curve in a curveball count? 

Because we, as hitters, are afraid to look bad...Once upon a time, I had an old coach who used to say "you can't play this game scared."  Amen, brother.  Remember, you get THREE strikes in this game, not ONE.  Walk up there, look for your pitch, and take a chance on being great!  As hitters, we can always "sit on the fastball, and adjust to the curve" later in the count if and when we get two strikes.
  

How do I change my kid's "Spinner" into a "Hammer"?

Unfortunately, most kids who think they are throwing curves today, throw "spinners".  Their elbow drops and they "cast" the ball towards the strike zone, in an effort to throw the breaking ball for a strike.

Problem is...The best hitting coaches in the game today teach their hitters that if the ball "pops" or goes "up" out of the hand, it is a "hanger" or a "spinner" and will soon find a nice resting place over the outfield wall!!! (BTW, if you are teaching your own son hitting, that is the ONLY pitch that moves "up" out of the hand and is easily recognized, once you know what to look for.  All other pitches have a "downward" or "straight out" action.)

In order to teach your son how to convert his "spinner" into a "hammer" (and have much more success with his breaking ball), show him this picture of John Smoltz at release.

John's chest is directly over his front knee at release.  This is THE key.  And the easiest way I have found to teach this is to have your young hurler mentally picture "pulling a string" attached to the middle of his chest at his release point. 

This way, the chest almost always extends over the front knee once they "pull the string", and the breaking ball will break hard and down in a "straight out" of the hand manner!  

And your son will now be known for having a "Hammer" for a breaking ball and can put the "Spinner" back where it belongs...(in the tackle box!)

  

  

A Terrific Start!

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to be able to attend Jamie McMillan's very first Collegiate game.

If you aren't aware of who Jamie is, he is the Big Guy featured on the Pitcher's Nightmare Swing Trainer Instructional DVD.

Here's a great shot of him warming up with the PNST On-Deck last night.

His team, Georgia Perimeter College, won the game 11-5, and J. Mac went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's in his very first game!

Not a bad way to start what looks to be a terrific Collegiate (and hopefully, Professional) career.

Way to go, kid!

Why Are Some Hitters Great in B.P. and Gross in a game?

Today, I want to introduce many of you to the "Yes, Yes, No" Principle, or thought process. 

When the pitcher releases the ball, each and every hitter's initial thought should be "Yes" or "Swing".  This will allow him or her to flow into their trigger in a very aggressive state of mind, or in other words, "hitting" rather than "analyzing".

At the half-way point, the hitter should still be focused on "Yes" or "Swing".  This will allow him or her to continue into a transfer of their weight (through their heels) and ready to fire the hands and hips (initiating the swing process), again, aggressively, rather than from a position of indecision.

It is at this point the "No" or "Don't Swing" of the thought process is utilized.  If the pitch is a poor pitch to hit, the hitter should immediately (internally) think, "No" or "Don't Swing" and take the pitch.  However, if the pitch is a great pitch to hit, he or she will be in an aggressive position, and will think "Yes", or "Swing", with the result being a perfectly timed, terrific swing on a perfect pitch to hit!

Without you realizing it, your kids do this already in Batting Practice.  They are relaxed.  They are programmed to be aggressive, and their timing and thought process is "Yes, Yes, Yes or No."  However, once the game begins, more often that not, I see kids thought process become the opposite or "No, No, Yes", meaning they are not aggressive in their initial thought process, they analyze rather than cut loose, and unfortunately, make their decisions late on balls they should be crushing.

And that is why some kids are great in B.P. and gross in a game.

Take a moment to teach your kid(s) the "Yes, Yes, No" principle.  The smile on his or her face will be worth it.