Baseball Tips and Training Insights

This drill helps to develop a strong front side with push - the rock back - and create pivot in the back side. Doing so helps hitters stay balanced on the front side and stay behind the baseball. It's also good practice for lower half coordination. This drill isolates the appropriate feeling in the front hip that might be difficult to correct in a hitter struggling with their lower half mechanics during a regular swing.

Linear drive is an important mechanical component to your baseball swing. By driving the body forward you are leveraging your body weight to create speed and force in your swing, thus increasing your power. The best place to do this? Your legs! By pausing your load, you have no choice but to drive forward with the back leg. This creates linear drive. The deeper you get into your leg, the more explosive your movement will be!

By sliding your grip up the handle of the bat you impart some mechanical constraints on your swing. However, these constraints create some good habits in a baseball swing that when practiced routinely, help develop a short and direct swing that stays inside the baseball.

It's a great drill for developing an understanding of rotational drive and power in a baseball swing. This drill demonstrates how we load the hip with rotation. The greater the angle you set, the deeper you can get into the windup position and the more explosive your forward rotation through the ball will be. 

The two step drill is meant to get your lower half moving so it is particularly great for younger hitters still learning to use their legs or that have flat/"dead" feet while swinging. It's a great and simple way to understand how the linear component of loading increases power.  It also helps hitters develop a nice rhythm into their swing. The metronome like motion helps induce a smooth flowing swing over time. Doing so allows hitters to develop a swing with "easy" power.

You're going to train your sixth tool - your mind! This often overlooked area of a players attributes can pay huge dividends when trying to separate yourself among your peers. If you can out think your opponent, chances are you'll have the upper hand in any matchup, even if your physical skills are lacking.

Every time you throw, there is a mini collision going on in the shoulder. In order to minimize the effects of throwing, every baseball player should include external rotation training to maintain the health of their shoulder. Doing so will allow for more controlled deceleration and greater stability within the shoulder joint upon ball release and follow through.