Our
Philosophy
If you view a
Major League Baseball
game, you will see 18 hitters in the lineup, all with different
batting
stances. The players will have slightly different
techniques, styles and movements. They are the best players in the world
and they are unique in their approach, each with an assortment of nuances and
habits.
The differences are often glaring to the
professional eye. Take the two 2009 MVPs and compare Joe
Mauer to Albert Pujols in technique, stance and
approach. You can see major differences in their batting stance, stride,
swing and finish. Both are tremendous hitters who have had incredible
success. However, they are distinctly different, even though they yield
similar results.
Yet, some
hitting instructors insist on teaching a rigid form of hitting. I call
these instructors “the hit like me” crowd, since their tendency is to teach a
stance and approach that is similar to their own. Often, I can view a
player swing a bat and I can identify their instructor since the players under a
particular hitting coach all seem like clones. This just does not make
sense, with it being evident that there is more than one stance, approach and
swing that equates to success.
Now,
that’s not to say that there are no particular features of a batting swing that
are absolute. On the contrary, there are many aspects of each
successful hitter that are exactly the same. Although there are many
variables when considering stance, hand position and pre-pitch movement, there
are certain things that each successful hitter achieves. A
direct bat path leading to increased bat speed, hand movement to a consistent
launch position, weight shift from that launch position to a firm front side and
a finish that keeps the head down on the ball are a few items that are a key to
success. These are the things that I focus upon when teaching
hitting.
I teach
that hitting, like many other movements in sports, is neurological. It’s
muscle
memory. The key is to work on particular drills that will
form a consistency with each swing. When a consistent approach and swing
is etched into the mind and body, each swing can follow the same key and
principal absolutes. The idea is to build a consistent and mechanically
sound swing and consequently, build confidence.
Lastly, I work
on the mental aspect of hitting. This includes knowing the strike zone and knowing
how to work with different pitch counts. It also includes being
cognizant of a hitter’s own strengths and weaknesses in order to maximize
opportunities that arise from each game situation.
A player’s
ability to differentiate between a 3-1 count hitting approach and a 2-2 count
hitting approach is also a tremendous key to success. Often, this aspect
is ignored or glossed over when teaching hitting.
Hitters
are very rarely just born. They are cultivated through the years through
proper teaching and hard work. Some talent and capability is needed, but
an average hitter can turn into a good hitter and a good hitter into a great
hitter through consistency, diligence and sweat.