Vision Training

Before we discuss seeing the baseball, watch this video:

http://espn.go.com/high-school/baseball/video/clip?id=6596700

Don’t you love sports science?!

Let’s talk about training the eyes.

As John Brenkus mentioned, we have approximately .44 seconds from the time a pitcher releases a 90 mph fastball until it travels 60’6”, crossing home plate.  How can we best train the eyes to be good at this drill?

We love to have our players, particularly in January, use these drills:

1.) Stand in on bullpens. Our pitchers’ bullpens in January will all be at 100% intensity, creating terrific realism. 

We wear helmets, preparing to hit just as we would in a game, both physically and mentally. Hitters go through their routines, release, refocus and master the timing of taking pitches with commitment (the back leg begins to fire and create separation and the back elbow begins to slot).

2.) Spin recognition. This can be done a multitude of ways. We like these:

a.       Have players throw alternating or random fastball/breaking balls to one another at 50-60 % intensity. The batter stands behind a square screen and has no threat of being hit.

b.      Use a pitching machine to work on hit and runs (barrel control) off of curveballs only. This requires hitters to minimize fear and maximize intent of the swing. Timing is always a major issue with pitching machines (this is why we do not hit live off of them). To improve our timing, we encourage them to be early on this drill. This also reinforces our desire to retain separation and keep our barrel loaded as long as possible.

c.       We hit curveballs in live batting practice. Usually we alternate FB/CB/FB/CB.

d.      We have coach-pitched simulated intra-squads where we utilize breaking balls.

3.) We use a drill called “super-BP” where the BP pitcher throws very firm (45-48 mph) from a very short distance (22-25 ft.). Hitters must be ready to attack fastballs- the decision making process is more similar to facing 90-92 mph, instead of what the 75-80 mph batting practice normally simulates.

4.) We use a whiffle ball pitching machine that fires golf whiffles up to 55 mph. While hitting off of this machine is challenging outdoors with even the slightest breeze, we have found this to be a terrific tool for vision training. We have colored whiffles and white whiffles and ask our players to catch one and let the other go.

Hitters must shift their eyes from a soft focus, further away, to a sharp and hard focus right in front of them, just as in hitting.

What drills do you use for vision training?

Dugout Culture

Dugout energy is contagious. It builds trust, generates positive feelings and can be the difference between a win and a loss.

When the second nine practice with the energy it requires to be first nine All-Stars, teams accelerate.

To be so committed to a baseball game that you hang on every pitch, athletes must value the competition and feel the fear of what might happen if they don’t give every ounce of focus and attention to detail.

Certainly, this type of intensity can be lost over the course of 162 games. Major leaguers are encouraged to jog, take it easy and generally try not to get hurt or burn out too soon.

It may be cliché for a college coach to revel in players buying in to hustle and attention to detail but over the course of a 60 game season, with only five games each week, intensity should be second nature.

We get paid to develop young men. Period. When they develop, games will be won with energy, toughness and intensity. It’s against the rail, with squinted eyes, hearts pounding and blood rushing through the veins that we learn the most about who we are.

You must practice with intent to play with intensity.

Hitting Approach, with former big leaguer Lance Zawadzki

Lance Zawadzki was an an All-American switch-hitting shortstop at Lee University. He helped direct the Flames to the NAIA World Series in 2007 and later was drafted in the fourth round by the San Diego Padres. He reached the majors in 2010 and singled in his first plate appearance.

Battling injuries during his six-year professional career, Zawadzki has been with five different organizations and continues to pursue his dreams. 

I asked Lance to speak about hitting approach. Thanks to Lance for sharing with us all. Enjoy.

No matter how much talent a hitter has or doesn't have, there are two things that separate a good accomplished professional hitter and everyone else. It simply comes down to their mindset and approach. After going to the big leagues the first time I immediately took notice to the fact that I wasn’t even surrounded by the most talented players I had played with. However, the separator was that everyone there knew the type of player they were, they all had routines, and they all had a plan every bp, every game, and every at bat.

You can have all the talent in the world but without a solid approach there will be no consistency in your at bats. After all, consistency is the name of the game, especially when it comes to hitting. We play a game in which we can fail seven out of ten times and be considered a “Hall of Famer”. We have hundreds of at bats every year (over 500 to 600 in pro ball) and when you go up to the plate 3-5 times a night, you want the most consistent approach possible. Even when everything is clicking, we can hit a ball right on the nose as hard as possible four times in a game and still be 0-4. Consistency in our swing and, even more importantly, consistency in our mental mindset and approach is what takes a player to the next level.

What kind of hitter are you? That is the first realistic question you need to answer before knowing what your hitting approach must be. Are you a gap guy, a slappy leadoff, a dead pull "all or nothing", are you there to work counts deep or do you prefer being aggressive and jumping on something? Now after you answer that question realistically, let's look at the second question; how are you going to be pitched? How is this team going to pitch you? What does this guy throw? How is his control? What is his best secondary pitch (watch him in his warmups, it's usually the pitch he will throw right after his fastballs). WHATS THE SITUATION?

Two quick stories of guys who had an impact on my figuring out my mental approach, the first one is “A-ROD”.  Alex Rodriguez stood over home plate and tapped his bat on each corner, nothing special there. He said, "The difference between an accomplished big league hitter and everyone else is, everyone else tries to make their money between 17 inches (the width of the plate).  We make our money here (pointing to the fat part of the plate right down the middle to maybe slightly middle in to slightly middle away)." You don't need to cover the whole 17 inches of the plate and the black, you are going to get a pitch to handle on the fat part of the plate if you don't give in and give your at bat away. The best pitchers in the big leagues can only hit the spot they wanted around 20% of the time.”

Well where does that leave high school, college, and minor league unaccomplished pitchers? I'm going to have to say under 20%.

The second story is Adrian Gonzalez. Adrian was facing Jamie Moyer one night in Philly. Jamie Moyer was MAYBE throwing 80. Adrian, as one of the top hitters in the Bigs, went 0-4 with 3 Ks. The next day while watching video in the clubhouse I started talking to him about hitting and all he was talking about was approach. He said “Hats off to Moyer, he got me last night and had pitched me differently than he had previously, but if he would have gone where I was waiting for him to, I would have got him”.

Now...is this a guy who is covering up for an 0-4 or was that the kind of approach that a true big league hitter has? Sticking to his approach, even after the 0-3 and sticking with it for the fourth AB, believing that if Moyer missed his spot and had thrown it where Gonzalez had been looking without having a doubt in his mind.

Well if I had any doubt, it was answered the next night when Cole Hammels faced off against Matt Latos, both guys unhittable their first time through the lineup, including Adrian who was 0-1. The second time through he got the pitch he was waiting for and didn't miss it. Homer to left 1-0 Padres lead. Couple more times through the lineup and few hits on either side when Adrian got another pitch he had been waiting on for the last two at bats, homer again to left center, off one of the best pitchers in the game at that time. Was this just a weird coincidence? Or was that just one of the best hitters in the game trusting his approach through the thick and thin of strikeouts, fly outs and walks and then there it was, the pitch he had been waiting for and he didn’t miss it. That has to be my favorite hitting story, period.

If we were to be honest in talking about our hitting approach, what I’ve learned and what has always gotten me into trouble and still continues to, is having a little power. Getting away from my approach and trying to do too much with a given at bat. It's a constant battle I have faced since I began playing. I get away from my approach of trying to stay down and through the ball to hit a line drive somewhere and try the Tin Cup “Grip it and Rip it” swing. When this mindset takes over it not only takes me out of an at bat before I'm even into the box, but is synonymous with sending a batting average and power numbers into a dead spiral down without warning. 

For me personally, I am a gap-to-gap hitter, so my approach comes down to staying within myself and looking to drive the baseball to the big part (middle) of the field. So now that I know what I need to do, the struggle becomes am I going to BUY IN and TRUST IT?

Teaches and Non-teaches From a Big-League Swing

Here is a great Jose Bautista video with many takeaways.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z0AlTsey6MI

Bautista speaks mostly about approach in this video. Notice that his mechanics are elaborate and must take thousands of hours of repetition and honing. There is, no doubt, something both awesome and sexy about his swing; he has something that makes young hitters emulate him.

So what can we take away, mechanically, from Baustista?

Things that “Joey Bats” does that we should teach young hitters:

1.)    Start the swing slow and early. Tempo is best under control. Only the swing, beginning at front heel plant, should be fast.

2.)    Maintain tension in the legs and resist drifting forward as long as possible (see Uncle Charlie)

3.)    Slot the back elbow, immediately after heel plant, flattening the barrel prior to hitting zone

Things that “Joey Bats”does that we should avoid teaching young hitters:

1.)    Allowing the rear knee to align over the back ankle, creating huge momentum.

2.)    Start with your hands above your ear, requiring more movement pre-slotting.

3.)    Have a leg kick that transfers large amounts of energy.

None of these mechanics are hindrances to a swing IF a hitter maintains proper sequencing, or in other words, maintains proper balance, positioning and tempo. “Well that’s a lot,” you say? Exactly. This is a professional athlete: statically and functionally strong, flexible and dynamic. 

When youthful hitters mimic these mechanics, they quickly and consistently can come out of sequence. They lack the strength and low center of gravity to maintain proper sequencing in the swing. At heel plant, most young hitters are already spinning on their back leg or trying to stay standing up because of a loss of a low center of gravity.

On the contrary, each of these items could help create improved timing and tempo IF the hitter is athletic and disciplined (Bryce Harper, Gary Sheffield, Juan Gonzalez, Andres Galarraga, Prince Fielder, Carlos Gonzalez, Adrian Gonzalez, etc.).

Choosing a BBCOR Bat

Like many college programs, we had our bat/glove day this fall to give our players an opportunity to swing different models in an effort to choose the proper bat for each player.

While we let our guys choose which bat they really want (confidence is most important), we do steer them in a certain direction.

We have a 6’2”, 210 lb. lefty that has 95-98 mph exit velos and with some lift in his aggressive swing.

We have a 6’5” 230 lb. right handed frosh who has some length and some lift in his swing with 90-93 mph exit velos. He is raw and unrefined in his approach. We need to help him slow the game down and gain control of himself.

Then there’s the 5’11”, 190 lb. lefty senior who is built like a brick house with 95-99 mph bat speed and an uber-flat swing. His strength is as impressive as his bat speed. He is not as experienced at the plate, even for a senior, but could be a breakout star this year.

We have another 6’2” 190 lb. hitter who has 87-90 bat speed and above average barrel control. He has a more difficult time keeping strength and sequence in his legs. He is an everyday starter because of his defense and leadership and is on the precipice of being a good offensive player.

My point is, we all have varying levels of hitters with different swings paths, body types, bat speeds, experience levels and approaches.

What is consistent among all of these players? They all need to be able to control the barrel.

Entering a new conference, we now have a new bat contract with Easton, who offers some terrific options. The S1 and XL1 are at two different ends of the bat control spectrum. The XL1 offers slightly more exit velocity due to its larger barrel and more end-loaded weight distribution, but there is some sacrifice in bat control for a player lacking superior strength.

The S1 and Mako offered more barrel control with a more evenly-distributed weight. The S1 appeared to maintain more “juice” or exit velocity than the Mako, though the Mako had slightly more weight distributed towards the handle, leading to better barrel control and consistent hand path.

As they should have, all of our younger hitters chose the Mako or S1. The strongest and most experienced hitters chose either the S1 or the XL1.

When a hitter was undecided between the S1 and XL1, we reminded them that it didn’t matter if the XL1 had 5% more “juice” if they weren’t centering the ball on the barrel. Besides, the hitters hung up between models were upperclassmen who have terrific bat speed and strength. What became most important was choosing a bat that gave them a smooth, aggressive and confident swing without wondering if their bat was too “heavy” or end-loaded. 

Doubt is a stinky beast. Our hitters have bats that, more than giving them a shiny weapon to swing, enable their confidence.

Here’s a Sports Science video on BBCOR bats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxI3svB_O44

Approach: Eliminating Pitches

A stocky right-handed hitter points his barrel towards the pitcher, ready to battle from his 0-2 count. A six-foot-three inch righty dusts the rubber off, stares in for the sign, nods his head, winds and delivers to the plate: a fastball elevated just above the belly button. The hitter stays loaded, takes the pitch, quiet and still. He glares back to the pitcher with a smile, as if to say “can’t fool me.”

Some hitters take two-strike pitches like they know what’s coming. No question, those hitters are strong in the mental game: slow feet, slow mind, quiet heartbeat, fast hands. But something more is going on here. 

Great hitters understand the pitcher’s repertoire and use the tunnel, break and spin of pitches as information against the pitcher, like a general anticipating an enemy’s next point of attack.

The concept of a 'tunnel' is that of a set direction based upon a starting point. When you see the direction of an arrow, you can anticipate it's estimated target. Picking up on the tunnel from a pitcher's release is similar.

If a right-handed reliever throws a slider, but does not throw a curveball or change-up with great depth, then any pitch starting out of a higher tunnel is unlikely to come down into strike zone. This allows the hitter to eliminate high tunnel pitches.

Hitters also struggle to barrel up a fastball with movement because they swing towards the initial plane of the ball rather than the anticipated plane. In other words, they fail to anticipate the altered direction the ball moves in when lesser fastball spin and air resistance add sink to a pitch.

If you are facing a submarine pitcher, the ball may come out of a "4-o'clock" slot. From this tunnel, fastballs and change-ups will move down and arm side and sliders across and glove side, in a sweeping motion. If you’re looking for a fastball to hit, swinging at a pitch that starts on the inside-corner will get your thumbs sawed off fast.

If a pitcher throws an 11-5 or 12-6 curveball and is pumping it into the zone, it would make sense to look for a curveball to hit, so you aren't quickly subject to an 0-2 or 1-2 count. To find a curveball to hit hard, a hitter must anticipate an elevated tunnel. If you look for the same tunnel out of his hand as a fastball down the middle, you will end up swinging at a breaking ball in the dirt.

Hitting Off-speed Pitches

I always laugh when I hear a scouting report that says a hitter “can’t hit a good slider.” No kidding.  Most of the time, neither can Miguel Cabrera. What coaches likely mean to say is, “this kid has no clue how to look for an off-speed pitch, analyze what tunnel the ball has come out of, decipher if this pitch will be a good pitch to hit, and put an aggressive swing on it.”

To be a strong hitting team against strong pitching, our hitters must understand when, how and why to look for an off-speed pitch. Bat speed is a talent that can be maximized. Hitting a curve ball is a skill that can be mastered.

We have to practice, daily, hitting breaking balls on the field, in the cage and visualizing off-speed pitches when hitting off of a tee.  If we expect our hitters to improve a skill, we must work SMART. Give them the toolbox from which to draw the proper tool.

There are several misanalyses in coaching jargon. Let’s take a look at two of them.

OFF-SPEED COACHING MISANALYSIS #1: “He can't see spin.”

First, as coaches, we are responsible for knowing whether our players have good eyesight. Do they wear contacts? What type of vision do they have? Making assumptions often makes…well you know.

Secondly, most hitters can see the spin of the ball. They can describe what each pitch looks like. Developing this awareness starts with dialogue, with questions, and an open conversation of what the pitches looked like, and what they did. Having hitters stand in on bullpens is a terrific way to develop this dialogue and for them to practice rhythm and timing.

Make a game out of the bullpens by having hitters call out “1” or “2” for fastball or off-speed, or “strike” or “ball” as soon as they recognize tunnel and spin. Keep a chart. Measurement of a skill equals motivation to improve the skill.

OFF-SPEED COACHING MISANALYSIS #2: “He only wants to hit fastballs.”

Loosely paraphrasing John Wooden, “there are no bad students, only teachers who don't reach them.”

Every thought, every choice, every decision a human makes is either in pursuit of pleasure or in avoidance of pain. Many athletes spend more time avoiding pain than seeking pleasure. Hitters will avoid swinging at off-speed pitches early in counts because they do not know how or why to look for them, or how to stay in sequence while the ball decelerates towards the plate with downward movement. You have to TEACH them how to hit off-speed pitches.

Front toss is the simplest way to teach the timing of hitting a breaking ball or change-up. We teach our hitters to front toss to one another at two different speeds. When we are front tossing, we are hunting fastballs and adjusting to slower pitches that are elevated, or we are hunting slower pitches that are elevated and taking all fastballs.

We teach our hitters, when “aggressive to off-speed,” to slightly delay the timing of the load and the stride. Watch a big leaguer, and you’ll see how their timing on some off-speed pitches is impeccable, like they “were looking for it.” That’s because they were.

When you see a big leaguer with fastball timing, keeping his hands in a loaded position, he has retained separation between his load and his stride, creating a tension or resistance in his posterior core that creates stored energy.

When our hands or “load” float forward, we lose early-swing bat speed and can only pull the baseball with authority.

We want our hitters able to drive the off-speed pitch to the middle and slight-oppo side of the field.