Coach Lincoln Martin knows well that anyone can have an off day. But how your player conducts themselves when things aren’t going according to plan is a fundamental reflection of who they are as an athlete, a teammate, a student, and an individual. Coaching young players to deal with adversity on and off the field […]
Whether you’re a player, coach, or fan of baseball, you’ve probably heard the term “squishing the bug.” You will also be aware that it is a subject that divides everyone in the industry. Weight dynamics on the back foot through the swing can impact all sorts of important metrics: angle, strength, body mechanics — you […]
Every summer, thousands of young players attend college showcases with hopes of being noticed by college coaches and scouts. Showcases provide participants with an opportunity to display their skills before a wide range of industry professionals, but navigating them can be overwhelming for both players and parents. One of the newest members of The Hitting […]
I get asked frequently what it takes to be a great coach, and I can honestly say there is no real answer to this. At the end of the day, our goal as coaches is to make a difference for the student athletes that you have the opportunity to coach. But if I had to […]
One of the toughest things to master as a youth baseball or softball player is how to hit a curveball. As the competition level starts to increase, and pitchers get older and more developed we see them have a little more control over their pitches. Up until then, hitting can seem like a breeze for […]
As recently as two decades ago, few baseball players hit with wood bats during their amateur careers. Today, it’s common for kids as young as Little League to take a portion of their practice cuts with wood or wood composite bats. In a previous article, we explained why hitting with wood is a smart idea, […]
Practice. It’s amazing how one word can either make a player or coach cringe or smile. While practice is clearly necessary for any sport, often it can become stale and boring. The goal of any coach should be to incorporate a mixture of fun baseball drills and games to keep their players engaged. Coaches: Unlock […]
It’s not always clear what the role of a hitting coach is. Should a hitting coach strive to give as much information as possible in the time they have, or is it important to internalize the concept of “less is more?” Can we best serve our hitters by teaching them the same exact swing as […]
As hitting coaches, our primary role is to serve as a translator for our players. We have to understand complex scientific concepts about how the body moves during the swing and design drills (and cues within those drills) that our hitters can actually put into practice. In fact, communicating effectively with athletes is such an […]
Over the past few years, teaching baseball and softball swing mechanics has become exponentially more science-based. For some coaches, that’s been an empowering development. Innovations in measurement and analytics have given them valuable new insights into their players’ movements, helping them better understand what’s working and what needs improvement. For other coaches, that science revolution […]
