Watch these with your player, then discuss how to leverage these tips and skills in practice and games to build and practice solid fundamentals.
Coach Justin talks about what "staying connected" means, why it matters, and how to do it.
Coach Justin provides some clear, simple, and easy-to-follow guidelines for your lower half before and during the swing. Some really great stuff here, be sure to check this one out!
Matt Antonelli shares a common swing symptom (disconnected), and some perspective and drills to help correct it.
Occasionally players will start backing out of the plate, typically when they see live pitching from other kids. Unfortunately this habit will prohibit a player from ever being able to hit effectively...here are some ways to correct this.
Bat drag (often observed as the back elbow staying too low and getting in front of the hands) is a very common challenge among young hitters. Here is some perspective and a couple drills to help address it with your player.
Back elbow placement is an important part of the swing (not the stance necessarily, but the swing). Here is some insight on where it should be, and when in the swing it should be there.
The top hand plays a major role in the swing, from where it starts to where it goes. This video provides a simple description of how it should be moving. Watch for this as you do you tee and soft-toss drills at home. (hint: watch where Mookie's back elbow is when he starts his swing - it's up behind his hand!)
This video provides a great explanation of something we've been teaching the players: the back elbow MUST be up when our front foot lands. Get this right, and a lot of good things happen.
Timing the pitch correctly is mission-critical for hitting. A few specific tips here.
You can't hit what you can't see. A few tips to see the ball better here.
Assume every pitch is a strike and be ready to hit. A few tips to help be ready!
Don't make the pitcher's job easier - be ready to attack the good pitches, but let the rest go by.
5 things to watch out for in your swing (and how to do it right).
3 more things to watch out for in your swing (and how to do it right).
Power comes from bat speed - get more here!
3 easy tee drills for home, to build solid swing fundamentals. Focused on seeing the ball, hitting for more power, and hitting the ball where it's pitched.
In this video, former MLB player Matt Antonelli discusses what a "disconnected" swing is, why it's bad, how it typically shows up for youth players, and a few drills to help correct it.
At practice we're encouraging our players to "hunt" for a pitch they can hit hard before they have two strikes. Reinforce this at home by emphasizing the importance of being aggressive early!
Proper swing sequence makes a huge difference in the power your player can generate when making contact. Coach Antonelli shows how engaging the lower body correctly adds power. Watch this with your player, then go hit the tee and put it to work!
Getting into the correct launch position is mission-critical to a quality swing, and this is one of the most common missed focus areas with young hitters. Learn one important piece of it here, then go practice doing it with some soft toss!
Getting into the correct launch position is mission critical to a quality swing. This video shows some keys to the lower body load and launch position.
Timing is off? Learn about what may be going on, and what you can do about it (hint: you may be able to make big improvements in the garage!).