HITTING

At “Baseball Creed Academy”, we customize our hitting program based on the player’s age, experience, and needs, to successfully achieve their demands and goals, while enhancing their strengths.  

This program includes a variety of hitting fundamentals, hitting exercises, hitting drills, while gaining mental toughness; to teach, improve, rebuild, or re-tool a player’s hitting performance.

Through advanced and innovative instruction and training, allow me to make the most of you, transform your potential, teach you the formula to reach peak performance, while training like the professionals, in route to become a better and consistent hitter. 

 “THE ART OF HITTING”

 Young Athletes:

As part of our Youth Hitting Lessons, I will provide you with the knowledge and tools needed to become a great baseball hitter.  Whether you are looking to help your child develop better hitting mechanics, make consistent contact, spread the ball all over the diamond, and gain needed confidence at the plate, I have the tools and proper advice to contribute, in simple, easy-to-understand hitting tips and drills, so you can witness your young ballplayer become a dominant and well-rounded baseball athlete.

High School and College Athletes:

Recruiting/showcase camps are designed for coaches to see athletes' specific skills.  What this truly means is they are looking for raw hard data to evaluate you as a player. The rest of your characteristics as a player will be evaluated later.   Prospect players are graded by professional scouts on five tools:  (1) Speed, (2) Fielding, (3) Hitting for Power, (4) Hitting for Average, and (5) Arm Strength. 

When you allow me the opportunity, I will help you understand what all collegiate and professional ball players do to become and sustain success on the field; activities such as:

         - improving mechanics

         - providing you with take-home workouts

         - proper conditioning 

         - incorporating strengthening weight exercises

         - teaching you ways to reduce the risk of injury, and 

         - develop a positive mindset while at the plate and overall game.

Ultimately, you will improve your game and become a better and consistent hitter, learn how to spread the ball all over the field, be mentally tough, and increase your confidence when you step up to the plate against any pitcher.  In other words, become the best you can be!  

Our hitting program will include, depending on the situation, a number of these drills listed below:

Drill # 1  Top-Hand Drill

The top hand on the grip is the hand that takes the bat to the ball.  It is important to develop strength and skill with this hand.  To do this we do a one-handed isolation drill.  The batter uses just the top hand. Gripping the bat at the top of the grip and using the bat like a tomahawk, the batter tries to get over the top of the ball and hit it into the ground.  The batter’s instructor/trainer soft toss the ball above the waist.  The batter hits the ball from the top and drives its straight into the ground.

Suggested - 25 Swings - 3 Times a week. 

Drill # 2  Power Hand Drill

A hitters power comes from the bottom or pull hand.  This drill develops bottom hand strength, and when done on a hitting machine, the machine should be set at a high strike setting.  The hitter uses only the bottom hand in its regular position near the knob of the bat.  The instructor/trainer must make sure the ball is above the batters waist.  It is best for the ball to be numbers high.  The batter steps into the ball and hits its one-handed.

Suggested - 25 Swings - 3 Times a week. 

Drill # 3  Multiple Location Contact Drill

The hitter is given three pitch locations to practice hitting; inside, away, and middle.  The ball may be presented to the batter using soft toss or batting tee.  On the inside location, the batter must learn to involve the hips and turn on the pitch, pulling it.  On the middle pitch, the batter hits the ball dead up the middle.  On the away pitch, the batter makes sure to take the ball to the opposite field.  Instructor/trainer may want to put spots on the ground showing where the batter attacks each pitch location.  The inside pitch is attacked on a spot located in front of the plate.  The middle pitch is attacked on a spot located just behind the instep of the hitter’s front foot.  The away strike is attacked on a spot located just inside of the hitter’s back foot.  The batter can also use a Hitting machine and change location to the machine to get multiple strike contact work.

Suggested - 20 At Each Location - 3 Times Weekly. 

Drill # 4  Two Ball Soft Toss

In this drill, the hitter learns to concentrate and keep the weight back.  The instructor/trainer tosses two balls.  The instructor/trainer calls top or bottom after the balls are released.  The hitter hits the called ball into the fence or screen. This drill can be done from different locations. The instructor/trainer should also fake toss and change the release points as well as vary the speed of the balls. 

Drill #5  Long Toss BP

One of the best misconceptions in baseball is that to benefit from batting practice the pitcher must be at regular distance and throw game speed.  Much more can be accomplished when the pitcher throws from half the regular distance.  At this distance, the pitcher has better control and more work is accomplished.  The ball is thrown at a steady appropriate speed.  The speed at this distance should make the batter develop a quicker bat and great skill.  The instructor/trainer should never do this drill without a L-screen.  This drill can also be performed with regular or golf-ball sized whiffle balls.

Drill #6  Bring-By Drill

The purpose of this drill is to increase bat speed.  This drill is best performed with soft toss.  The batter hits a ball that is coming from his back side going toward the pitcher.  The hitter must see the ball and catch-up with it before it gets by him.  The speed of the ball is increased to challenge the hitter more and more. 

Drill # 7  Closed Eye Hitting Drill

The hitter assumes a comfortable and correct stance each time. Then the hitter closes the eyes.  The instructor/trainer will change the strike height and location each time.  A verbal command is given, the hitter opens the eyes and hits the ball correctly wherever it is located.  The batter must use the correct swing to hit inside, middle, and away pitches.  The instructor/trainer will also locate the ball out of the strike zone.  Any ball above the hands or on the ground is a ball and should not be hit.

Suggested - 15 Swings - 3 Times a week.  

Drill # 8  Backside Barrier Drill

This drill is used to shorten-up a hitters swing.  If the batter is too long to the ball or has that A to B to C swing that is considered a slow-pitch softball swing, drills can be used to make the hitter shorten up.  For this drill, the batter sets up with his hands 8 to 10 inches from the fence with the fence behind the batter.  The fence should run parallel with the batters back foot.  If the batter casts the hands backwards or loops the bat, he will hit the fence or barrier.

Drill # 9  Step in Drill

One of the most common faults with young hitters is stepping out.  This drill is used to combat that bad habit.  The hitter sets up to start the drill one-step behind where he should be when he hits the ball.  The hitter will step toward the plate with the back foot first then the front foot.  When the front foot hits the ground the batter will attack the ball.  There should be no hesitation.  Step, step, HIT!  The hitter will develop the habit of stepping into the ball when he attacks it.  The hitters momentum is going toward the plate during this drill so it is very difficult for the hitter to step out. 

Drill #10  Bunt Pepper

This is a great drill to develop bunting skills.  The drill involves 5 players in each group.  The players may use the pivot or square around bunt technique.  The batter must bunt the ball to each of the four fielders.  The hitter bunts one to each and then takes the left fielders (facing the batter) place.  The right fielder comes to bat and the other move over one place.  The instructor/trainer should emphasize the batters bunt the ball softly to the fielders.  The bat should be keep at a 45-degree angle and the batter should change height by bending the knees.  Fielders should catch the ground ball, bare handed, out front, then square the feet around and throw the next strike to the hitter.  This makes a great warm-up drill for the beginning of practice.  Defensive skills should also be stressed.

Drill # 11  Full Count Game

This is a great game simulation drill that teaches hitters to be aggressive and to hit under pressure.  Two teams face off in a 7-inning game with each batter coming into the box with a full count.  Action is quick and players must be alert both offensively and defensively.  The count may also be changed to 2-2 and each team can be given one out to start the inning.

Drill #12  Streak Drill 

This is a “Bat-Action” Machine drill.  The machine should be set at a height suitable for all players participating in the drill.  The machine is set with a one-band setting that allows it to rotate multiple times on contact.  The players compete against each other.  In this drill, the goal is to make good contact as many times as one can without fouling out.  Good contact is a swing and contact that makes the machine rotate at least once.  The hitter that has the longest streak is the champ.

While performing any of these drills, keep in mind and work towards the following rules:

 • Emphasize quality not quantity when it comes to practice swings.

 • The freeze command should be used to freeze the players at the finish position. The purpose is to check to see if the front foot is correct and slightly closed and the back foot has turned.

 • The players should learn to use general visual focusing when finding a pitchers release point. What this means is that the hitter visually concentrates on an object or spot on the pitchers body such as the letter on his cap. When the pitchers arm comes forward the hitter moves his focus to the arm and finds the ball and release point.

A great team drill is to have players line-up in lines at distances safely separating themselves, as if they were doing exercises.  The team will then do dry swings together.  The instructor/trainer will be the pitcher.  Each player will visualize the ball being released and coming into the strike zone.  Different locations are hit and the instructor/trainer may use verbal commands such as: ready, trigger, find, see, hit, finish, or freeze.   

Partial Sources and References: Youthbaseballcoachingclinic.blogspot.com