JUSTIN STONE TRAINING BLOG

New Website for Elite!

2011-12-14T11:15:00.001-08:00

Visit us on the web now at www.elitebaseballtraining.com

Our website reflects the same progressive technology that Elite uses in its everyday training. Check us for our video analysis upload service, the nation's only 3D hitting analysis from AMM, or our live on-line Skype lessons! You can also book all of your lessons and camps right on our website.

Facebook link!!

2011-04-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=731624685&sk=wall

Click the facebook link for more video and written tips!

See you on the field!
Justin

Friend Elite Baseball on Facebook and Twitter!

2011-03-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Send me a friend request on Facebook. My user name is Justin Stone. Email- elitebaseballtraining@hotmail.com

Twitter - Username - Elitebase1 - email, elitebaseballtraining@hotmail.com

Double Duty coming to St. Louis this week. Featured in ESPN Magazine.

2011-02-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

Our annual Double Duty Classic tryout in St. Louis is this week. I will be in St. Louis from Thursday to Sunday looking for talent. The St. Louis tryout has produced some outstanding players the last three years. Through this venue, we discovered Blair Springfield (Decatur, IL), Chuckie Jones (Boonville, MO), and Lance Jeffries (McCluer High School). All hit the national scene with the help of our event. Springfield was drafted in the 7th round by the Cubs. Jones was the 7th round by the Giants, and Jeffries looks to be drafted this year. It is a good feeling to be able to get players help in forwarding their baseball careers. Because of Nathan Durst and Dan Puente of the Chicago White Sox, the Double Duty Classic has become a major event for scouts across the country.

See below, a recent article in ESPN on how our Chicago White Sox inner city program started and how it is helping kids today. I was on the ground floor of the program, writing the proposal for the inaugural season.

http://rise.espn.go.com/baseball/articles/2011/02/09-baseball-ace-program.aspx?pursuit=Baseball

Research at the Kinetic Performance Center

2011-02-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry - the busy season is upon us and its tough for me to sit down at a computer. Those of you who know me, know I am the biggest proponent of video analysis with hitters. To me, video analysis has revolutionized, and increased efficiency in hitting instruction. Hitting coaches who do not use it, are simply guessing. It is impossible for the human eye to breakdown a complex movement of the swing - real time. I have upgraded my cameras and equipment three times in the last year, as technology is steaming ahead in this field (using casio ex fh 100 camera, filming indoors at 120 fps, outdoors at 1000 fps on JC Video Ultimate Software). Now, 3D analysis capability is available, and will blow the current 2D analysis away. I've been working with Michael Napolean at the Kinetic Performance Center in downtown Chicago the last two weeks learning about how 3D analysis can improve teaching of the baseball swing. I told Michael, I got more out of the first 5 minutes of the program than I have in the last five years of teaching (and that's a lot). I was so excited about the analysis, I recruited White Sox big league coach, Mike Gellinger to go with me yesterday to test our swings. Instantly, pages and pages of feedback are fed into the computer immediately after the swing. The best feedback we can see fromt the 3D analysis is with the efficiency of the swing. It will not only tell us if the kinematic sequence is correct, but how much transfer and output are in each segment. With 2D analysis, good instructors can "see" what it is suppose to look like, but with 3D analysis there is specific statistical data to back it up. You can see how this would benefit being able to attack one particular transfer segment of the swing. To understand the data, you would first have to understand the kinematic sequence. TPI 3D, whose technology we were using, has a simple explanation of sequencing if you need a refresher: http://www.mytpi.com/mytpi05/TPI3D/article.asp?id=329 As a basic synopis after testing our swings, you will notice on mine, I had a huge overload on my backside (I was really trying to cut it loose!). The overload led to an exaggerated hip loading, causing my hips to have to start unloading sooner. (You will see this in the early gradual acceleration of my red line). After this flaw, my swing was in good sync, but I got less transfer from my hips to my core. (We would want the hip turn to be less gradual than mine was). I did have excellent hip and shoulder seperation which led to a fast swing and acceleration of the bat. With Mike's swing, his whole negative move and advance was more controlled and less pronounced than mine. His swing had near perfect synchronization but less total output. I attest this to me getting more degrees of rotation in both my hips and torso than he did. There are pages and pages of data I could write from just one swing and I have been scouring the data for the past two days. The clips I've added are a small fraction of the total data it provides. I will continue to update as I collect more data. John Mallee, Florida Marlins big league hitting coach, spoke about furthering this research together. The next step is to get some big league hitters as test subjects to get some good parameters of a high level swing. It will be exciting to see where this leads us into improving hitting instruction!

Players Shine in Caymans. . .

2010-11-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Our 5 day baseball tour of the Cayman Islands is yet again, complete. Over 70 players from the island trained with us 5 hours a day from Monday through Friday. The kids, age ranges 6-17 were so excited to have us down again, and I don't know that I've had that much fun doing a camp in a long time. The kid's personalities were unique and wonderful. It was so great to see kids,some with very little baseball experience at all, starting to grasp the game by Friday. Their faces would light up with big smiles when they started seeing themselves getting better.

At the older level, it is really baseball at its purest form - almost a sandlot type atmosphere. You see, no Cayman player has ever made a serious mark at the collegiate or professional level, so most players there play simply because they enjoy it. A few players that we have now trained over the last 5 years, are ready to make the next step in playing collegiately in the United States. I look forward to helping these players fulfill their dreams in playing collegiately here.

From the travel standpoint, the island was wonderful. We stayed in a condo on the water, and I found it very peaceful to get a workout in each day on our private pier, as the sun rose over the ocean. It was 85 and sunny every day. At night we would talk baseball while watching the World Series at Coconut Joe's or the Royal Palms. The island has a very "small town" feel to at as just over 50,000 people live there. I would be walking downtown after camp and people would call out to me using my first name. They really made us feel at home. My travel schedule will stay busy with 4 more trips to Mexico/the Caribbean planned before March. Below are some television and newspaper links to our stay:

http://www.cayman27.com.ky/news/item/7402

http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2010/11/01/Sox-like-our-talent/

http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2010/10/29/White-Sox-coaches-excite-locals/

Nazareth Summer State Champs!

2010-09-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

A meeting with my good friend, and long time hitting coach at Nazareth Academy, John Sime today reminded me of a overdue post. John's Nazareth Academy squad won the IHSBCA Summer State High School Championship this year. This is quite a feat especially considering how small of a school Nazareth is. For the past 3 years, I have gone to Nazareth to help implement their in-season hitting program. John is a big believer in our system, and it has really paid off for their hitters. Under John's tutelage, Nazareth consistently has a team batting average over .350 and sends many players on to Division I schools. They are a fun group to work with because there isn't one group that is more respectful and hungrier for knowledge than Nazareth. Probably not a coincidence why their so good, huh?

John and I were putting in his hitting analysis system today, so he can help guide Nazareth to another state championship.

Back to the Cayman Islands this October

2010-09-21T12:21:00.001-07:00

I will be heading down with some of my White Sox collegues to the Cayman Islands to put on an instructional series for players in their league. The White Sox started a relationhip with the Cayman Island group shortly after the Sox won the World Series in 2005 and it will mark our 5th time going there to instruct their kids. The week long trip is a great 5 days of baseball. Their 4 back to back field-turf fields provide an excellent setting to teach. The beach, sting rays, iguanas and Carribean Drinks aren't bad either!

Halas makes Team USA 40 man roster

2010-09-21T08:37:00.001-07:00

Tyler Halas, who I had the pleasure of coaching at the USA Baseball NTIS in North Carolina has been selected to the USA Baseball 14U 40 man roster. Tyler will compete in the USA Trials next summer as one of the few representatives from the Midwest. The roster, predominantly dominated by talent from Texas, California and Florida has had few Midwestern athletes represented in past years. Halas, joins Andrew Owen (Chicago) as making the 40 man roster in the last two years. Andrew has taken lessons with me since I moved to Chicago 6 years ago.

Tyler was a pleasure to coach and has a bright baseball future. His game intensity will represent the Midwest well during the USA Baseball Trials.

USA Baseball NTIS

2010-09-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Another step in choosing next year's USA Baseball Team was completed last weekend with the NTIS tournament. Along with Nelson Gord of Playball USA, I coached the 13U Great Lakes team. A first class operation, USA Baseball did a phenomenal job putting the event together. The competition and baseball in general was outstanding. Players on our team that excelled and deserve consideration were Connor Enochs (Iowa), Tyler Halas (West Chicago) and Jake Millosch (St. Charles). These players were among several I defined as true "baseball players." To me, the ultimate compliment. The Great Lakes staff, put together by Pete Caliendo was outstanding. I enjoyed talking the game with them all weekend. Hall of Fame coaches Jim Hall and Terry Ayers, along with St. Charles North coach Jim Richardson and Playball USA coach Marc Besterman were great leaders of their respective staffs. A special thanks to the people of Cary, and especially those at Lake Johnson for their hospitality.

What's new with Justin Stone?

2010-08-20T13:28:00.001-07:00

A few updates with a two of the high schools I work with regularly. Lincoln, IL, downstate, just had a one day hitting clinic with me. Coach Pat Hake and his staff had me in recently to work with his team in refining their hitting mechanics. I did Digital Analysis on each of the players to get them started in their fall program. This is the 4th consecutive year I've gone to Licoln, and have to admit, I have more fun there than almost any place I go! They really appreciate my time and effort and the kids really desire to get better. I keep going back because I really feel like the kids appreciate the opportunity to work with me. Pat also goes much too far out of his way to take care of me. I enjoyed a cook-out and night out with his staff to discuss baseball related topics and the Lincoln County Fair is second to none! Where else can I do Digital Analysis and watch a tractor pull in the same day?

October 16 I will be the featured speaker at the Chicago Christain Academy Baseball Fundraiser and Golf Outing. Coach Eric Brauer was a former recruit of mine years ago when I was at Indiana State U. and I have worked with his players in the pre-season for the last few years. I am thankful Eric asked me to help raise money for their baseball program. I plan to take many of my instructors to their golf outing and hope to entertain them when I speak at their fundraiser dinner.

Working with the Australian Women's National Baseball Team

2010-08-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I worked with the Australian National Women's Baseball Team. For three hours, I took them through defensive drills and Digital Hitting Analysis. The girls were so much fun! They hung on my every word and really got a lot out of the day. I was suprised to how sound many of their fundamentals were and how advanced training was getting in a non-traditional baseball country like Australia. Women's baseball is a subject very dear to me, as I was brought up on the game by my mother, who was an outstanding baseball player in her own right. I think it's great that these ladies were following their passion in a sport with very little opportunity for advancement. They are truly playing for "The love of the game!" It was great to make some friends and memories for the day and hope they do well as they travel the United States playing in some of the legendary stadiums from the Women's Professional Baseball League of the 1940's, featured in the movie, "A League of Their Own."

Summer Success! Youth Travel Teams Score Big!

2010-08-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a small town, and I have always had a sense of "small town" community where I have lived. I think its important to get involved in the communities you live in and give back what you have to offer. I have trained two of my neighborhood teams to incredible success this summer. The Welles Park 12U travel team and the Windy City Storm 13U travel teams had great summers. Welles Park, down the street from my house, had not won a travel game in two years prior to this season. I designed and led a training program this winter and spring and put a professional coach in place for them. The turnaround was amazing. After losing 40 consecutive games, the Welles team finished 15-4 in the NSBL, finishing 4th out of 20 teams, beating many full time travel teams along the way. Last week, they competed in Cooperstown, beating two full time travel teams from the East and Southeast and competing with several National level travel teams. To add, the team became fan favorites amongst the Cooperstown staff and the 120 teams present, as our boys have some dynamic and memorable personalities. I remember distinctly in January, when Mikey D. asked me, "Coach, just help us to win 1 game this year, PLEASE!" Well, they won their first game and never looked back, and more importantly than wins, it was fun to see the confidence and self esteem of these boys reach new heights this summer!

The Windy City Storm 13U Elite team won the MSBL elite championship. A very talented group of boys who have college and pro baseball aspirations got their first taste of what "real" baseball is like at the next level. They left "dad" coached travel baseball and got professional training for the first time. It was amazing to see the amount of development in each player and it certainly paid off on the field. This team, who won 5 summer tournaments, has several players that will be future prospects! Above is a picture of the 2010 MSBL Elite Division Champions.

Recently been named USA Baseball NTIS coach

2010-08-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

September 9-11 I will be heading back to Cary, NC as a instructor for the USA Baseball NTIS. NTIS is part of the selection process to help identify the top players in the country to play for Team USA the following year. I have recommended players that I work with for this event in the past that have fared very well. In fact, last year, Andrew Owen (Chicago) was one of only a few Midwestern players to make USA Baseball's 40 man roster. I had been teaching Andrew for 5 years. Because of the success my players have had at NTIS, I am now involved as a coach and a committee member who chooses players for a 5 state region. We chose the teams today and I have several more players who have worked with me that are playing in the event. Cary, NC has become my second home for the summer and I look forward to being there for another week upcoming.

1st National Clinic Speaking Engagement

2010-08-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to announce I've been named as a feature speaker for the 2010 BCA National High School Coaches Convention in Nashville, TN Dec 2-5 this year. I will be the hitting presenter and it is quite an honor. To my knowledge, I am the youngest presenter on the National stage. I will be speaking along side people like longtime Major League Manager and ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine, several top Division I NCAA coaches and Jerry Dawson of USA Baseball, who I recently coached with at the USA Baseball Breakthrough Series. I'm really excited for this and will be taking several of my staff to assist and enjoy the weekend. Travis Kerber, will be running my video and Dan Puente with Chris LaPorta will be demonstrating my drills. We look forward to a great time in Nashville! Below is the website for the convention which will be updated as speakers committ to the event.

http://www.baseballcoaches.org/convention2010.jsp

Double Duty Classic and USA Baseball Breakthrough Series

2010-08-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

The last few months are always the busiest for me as I'm on the field, for what seems like 10 hours a day. One of my favorite projects is the work I do with the Chicago White Sox ACE program, which is our inner city baseball project. Ran by Nathan Durst and Dan Puente, the ACE program started as an idea by Nathan, our national crosschecker, and a written proposal to the White Sox front office from myself. The Double Duty Classic celebrates past Negro League all star games that use to be held at Comiskey Park. Through White Sox scouts accross the country, we bring in some of the best minority talent to compete against our Chicago ACE program at US Cellular Field. I coached in this year's game for the third consecutive year and ran the on field workout prior to the game for college and pro scouts. This year's talent was the best we've had in the three years. Alex Santana (Miami, FL), Kris Goodman (Minnesota) and Lance Jeffries (St. Louis) were some of this year's outstanding talent from out of the region. Chicago's Quintin Richardson was named MVP of the game. Richardson, who is uncommitted, is one of the best secrets out there for the 2011 class.
It was a treat for me to coach along side Rafeal Santana. Rafeal is the head of the Chicago White Sox Dominican Academy and was a star shortstop for the New York Mets in the 1980's. That was a time where I followed baseball the closest and Rafeal was considered a premier shortstop, along with Ozzie Smith at that time and won a world championship with the New York Mets in 1986. Being a shortstop myself, I had some great conversation about Rafi's career and enjoyed his stories from my favorite baseball era.

I have never been prouder of being part of the White Sox organization than I was after this event. Watch the 3 minute piece below from MLB.COM and you will see how special this event is for all those involved.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=9908691

Recently, I spent a week at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, NC for the Breakthrough Series, put on by the MLB Scouting Bureau and USA Baseball. In this event, the top minority players in the country take part in a week of instruction and competition in front of scouts. It is one of my favorite events to work. The White Sox took a team made up of all stars from our Double Duty Classic. Coaching with Dan Puente, White Sox scouts Clay Overcash and Kenny Fullman, we had a great time coaching the kids. The last day of the event we changed venues to the Durham Bulls AAA park to play the finals. After winning the championship last year, we were 2-1 this year and took second place. Ty Washington (Texas) and Dustin Houle (Vancouver, Canada) starred for our team. Look for them as big time players on the MLB scale in the future. To note, this was by far the most fun I have ever had working with a staff. Clay, Dan and Kenny were great assistants for me, both in baseball knowledge and comic relief. Below is a link to USA Baseball's recap of Day 1 of the event where we had a big come from behind victory led by Ty Washington.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=9612588

Major League Baseball Draft Results

2010-06-21T11:28:00.001-07:00

It's always fun for me to check the Major League Baseball Draft every year and see the number of kids I have crossed paths with through my years of coaching. This is this year's results:

1) 1st Round - Justin O'Connor Cowan, IN
I coached Justin during the Safeco Cup a few years ago at the Seatlle Mariner's Safeco Field. I coached the Chicago White Sox team made up of prospects from accross the midwest. Justin was a freshman, playing against junior, and you could tell he was a special talent. Playing a variety of positions, including a 90 mph performance from the mound, I knew Justin would be a kid with a chance to make the big leagues.

2) 7th Round - Chuckie Jones Boonville, MO
I saw Chuckie at a St. Louis tryout I ran for the White Sox "Double Duty Classic" game. I then coached Chuckie at the Double Duty game at U.S. Cellular Field.

3) 10th Round - Eric Jokisch Northwestern U.
Eric played for one of my friends on his summer high school team. He came up for one of my showcases and dueled against Casey Crosby (former 1st rounder) in front of about 50 college and major league scouts.

4) 17th Round -Corderius Dodd North Side, TX
Corderius was my clean up hitter at USA Baseball's Breakthrough Series in Los Angeles last summer. A big power bat, he helped lead us to championship in LA

5) 20th Round - DK Carey - Florida
I would be extremely suprised if DK is not in the big leagues in 5 or 6 years. An incredible talent, his draft status was low due to a high scholorship at the University of Miami. DK was the top player at the Breakthrough Series last summer and led our team to a championship there.

6) 22nd Round - Colin Bates U. of North Carolina
Colin played for the White Sox Academy travel teams and signed with North Carolina. He is from Naperville, and still works out at the Academy during his school breaks.

7)25th Round - Kendall Radcliffe Morgan Park, Chicago
Kendall was the CF for our Inner City White Sox team for the last three years. He also played for me at the Breakthrough Series in Los Angeles.

8)35th Round - John Lieske - Rockford,IL
John, a pitcher was in several of my showcases over the last few years.

9) 40th Round - Chad Green - Effingham, IL
I knew Chad when he was young and he's played in a few of my events in Chicago. Chad is good family friends with my best friend from college, EIU teammate, Josh Zink.

10) 44th Round - Michael Gerber - Naperville, IL
Michael too has been involved in my fall league and showcases the past few years.

11) 47th Round - Ronzelle Fort - Chicago
Ronzelle has been part of our ACE program since its inception. Ronzelle looks like CC Sabathia and has a bright future.

12) 50th Round - Eric Jagielo - Downers Grove, IL
Eric, a Notre Dame signee, was in a few of my showcases last year.

Fundraiser for Student's Cause Rocked!

2010-06-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

Michael Gustafson, a 12 year old student of mine, overcame some tough odds by beating cancer. Michael has been my student for four years and continued to train through his illness and chemotherapy. Michael is a very courageous and inspirational young man. Michael recently asked me to be a part of his Relay for Life Team, called "Michael's Miracle Marchers" to help raise money for cancer research through the American Cancer Society. The relay is this Saturday and Michael is the "Honorary Survivor" and will lead the parade lap to start the relay. To help raise money for Michael's cause, I put together a "Rock, Paper Scissors" tournament in Lincoln Square last weekend. 40 people participated, many parents and students of mine played in support of Michael. We had a blast and more importantly we raised almost $2,000 in one day. Special mention goes to tournament winner and Academy Instructor Chris LaPorta who donated the winnings back to the fundraiser. A big thanks from Michael and I to all that participated or donated! If you haven't seen Michael's story, click on the below post:

http://elitebaseballtraining.blogspot.com/2008/10/student-of-week-exemplifies-courage.html

10 Year Old Future Stars and the Importance of Training Frequency

2010-05-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'll have to say that this year my "Inbox" has been flooded everyday with more positive results from my students than any year previously. While I'd like to pat myself on the back, the true difference has been with the training frequency of my students. I rarely have new clients anymore, because my waiting list continues to be flooded with my regulars that I can't even get into my schedule. With this being said, I have trained my students "How to train" as much as I teach them mechanics and approach.

By the end of a 30-60 minute lesson, the student and I can usually get it right. But, the temporary change only "sticks" if there is the same repetition going on at home. My students are all serious baseball guys and girls, and they have bought in to how important the maintenance work is. My students see results in games, and this makes training on their own more fun and productive. Here are two of the emails from yesterday from two of my youngest students. The picture is of Jack V. who I've had a number of times since he was 7. He and Jake's mechanics match up to some of the best big leaguers!

Justin,

I hope all is well with you. The tune up you gave Jake worked wonders!!! He is now staying tall and hitting nice even line drives. Out of the last 10 at bats he has had 2 doubles, 6 singles, 1 sac fly and 1 strike out.

Here are some pictures of his pitching. He pitched 3 out of 3 hit less innings on Sunday:)

As always, we thank you!!

Rach

Hi Coach Justin,

Jack is looking forward to attending your "Slump Busters" class again this summer. You may remember that he also attended your spring training hitting class. Your class has given him real drills that he can do on his own to maintain a strong swing. This will be his 3rd summer in your class and he is only 10!

Just wanted you so see how he is doing. See you in a few weeks!

Thank you,

Dana V.

Hitting Clinic with White Sox Hitting Coach Greg Walker

2010-05-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

Greg Walker recently did a hitting clinic for our White Sox Academy coaches, reinforcing the training techniques we use at our various academies. I ran the digital analysis to illustrate the points Greg was making. He did a great job of talking mechanics. What I really liked was the way Greg spoke of "First Cause." Many hitting instructors can indentify flaws at ball strike, but as I've said many times, most flaws at ball strike are a direct result of a flaw in either the set up, or the "first move" in the swing. Because the swing is a kinetic chain of events, one leading into the next, the error at ball strike, if often due to an earlier error. For example, a hitting coach may see that a player is rolling over at the point of contact and begin working hand path drills. But what Greg and I are saying, is "Why" are the hands rolling over? Here is a scenerio:

The player is overloading his backside, getting his rear knee over his ankle. Instead of advancing forward, knee inside ankle, the rear knee stays over his ankle and spins there during rotation. The "spinning" action causes his upper body to rotate off the ball in a "one piece" swing or "gate" swing. The counter action of the front shoulder opening at the same time as the hip, causes his hands to counteract and disconnect away from the body. Because of the early extension with the arms, the hands have to roll over to get back to the point of contact. All of this is because of the earlier error in the load.

You see, the earlier the error in the kinetic chain, more errors are a result as you move up the chain. Hitting coaches have to determine what "first cause" is to really fix the chain. The is exactly what Greg said when he stated, "...anything else is just putting a band-aid on the swing."

Finding "first cause" is the sign of a good hitting coach. Most hitting instructors can find what is wrong in the swing, but how many can tell you "Why?" If you have one that knows the "Why" you are lucky. Often times, video analysis is a must to find this out, because the kinetic chain works faster than the naked eye. This is something that Greg Walker has utilized with the White Sox, and why he will get the Sox hitters right this season!

Guest Blogger from Tampa, Florida

2010-05-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Joradn Ramus was my student who flew in for a one day workout from Florida. Here are his thoughts on the day:

Thanks again for a great training day in Chicago! Glad you had the confidence in me to compress it all in one full day. My dad told me it would be difficult to do but coming from Florida and in town for just the day it was our only option. Thanks for making it all happen.

I told my dad your attention to detail and your temperament with instruction was outstanding and an absolute perfect fit for me. I look forward to growing in the future with you as my mentor over the years Justin.

Here is what I thought about going into my day. I have had a lot of training in the past but I know that I am getting older, bigger wiser & stronger and I need to take it to the next level. I will be in 8th grade next year and high school is not that far off.

I knew from my dad that you are the best in the country hands down so I was looking forward to learning and refining my craft of hitting. Many kids just want to show off and pretend to learn…I want to learn and get better and be the best but I also want to look good doing it. My dad says staying in the envelope is important (I hear it in my sleep) and I looked at my special day as that being part of my goal….to stay in the envelope on a more consistent basis. I have always made my own adjustments in hitting but your regiment/drills will make it even easier for me to do so. I wasn’t nervous at all as I am not that type of guy… I just wondered what would come out of it all meaning what would I need to take home and work on and I achieved that with you. I wondered what kind of facility it would be like and I was blown away by it. I was counting on meeting Alex Rios though but my dad said you had it covered next time!!!

At the end of the day, I learned about my (2) weaknesses that I need to work on and I believe that both of them are simple fixes with repetition. I learned a whole lot more about the swing plane too and getting on plane and being quick with my hands staying short inside the ball. I have had previous training with Epstein on proper rotation but they do not address hand path, they only address getting on plane with the barrel of the bat for a very long time. However, hand path is a huge part of getting on plane too and they both go hand in hand…no pun intended. Hands do come down and the bat barrel does go rearward with you swinging “naturally” to that point in motion and not artificially fading off to get there. I get it Epstein….lol…I am working on my front foot side as well and keeping it closed off as much as possible.

My dad and I when we work together are doing all the tee drills and I am working hard at this. What I am most excited about though is that I found my guy to mentor me well into the future. I just want to work as hard as I can Justin and see how far it can take me.

Thanks again Justin for a great training day!

Jordan Ramus
#16
Bullets Black Baseball Elite
Tampa, Florida

Feel Good Moment - Welles Wins First Game

2010-05-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more satisfying to a coach then seeing someone, or a group you work with, get better and have success. This story, however, is rather unique. I live on the corner of one of Chicago's biggest biggest youth baseball organizations (Welles Park). Its my neighborhood, I know the community, and I know a lot of the kids. Over the years, I've worked with kids and teams at this park whenever I can fit it in my schedule. One particular team, the Welles Park 12U part time travel team needed some help. You see, they haven't won a game going on 3 years. They are great kids, most of which I've known for 3 or 4 years, and they have somehow managed to keep a great positive attitude and outlook on the game through this experience.

This year, friends of mine who ran the team, reached out for help. I said to them, that to compete with suburban teams, you have to start training before March, which is what all of the suburban teams do. I started training them in January, doing team practices at the White Sox Academy on Sunday nights. Over time, the boys started to look and think like competitive baseball players. I placed them with a very tough pre-season schedule, playing some of the best full time travel teams in the Chicago area, such as the Homer Heat and Lisle Wolves. Although they were beaten handily, they competed, and never backed down.

Last night was their first regular season league game against the Skokie Indians. The confidence of the boys on the field, looked like a group of veterans. They looked and played the game the right way. Listen to these numbers. . . 0 errors and only 3 walks given up in a full game! If you pitch it and pick it up in this game - you win - at any level. And that's exactly what the boys did! With a 9-5 victory, they learned that hard work certainly pays off. To see 15 smiling boys running off the field for their first victory in years, in their first game was a true feel good moment. The parents, coaches and mostly the players, were and should be proud of themselves. I really believe that the best is yet to come for this group!

One of the biggest influences in my playing career.

2010-05-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Looking back on life of baseball, a few major influences stand out. First and foremost, my mother, who spent her time as a "stay at home" mom, working with me daily on baseball fundamentals. But second, was a simple video of my childhood role-model, Ozzie Smith. Through my playing career, starting at the age of 6, I wanted to be Ozzie. I wore my uniform like him, I wore his number from when I was 6 until my career ended in my twenties, and I "tried" to play like him.

When I was 6 years old, my father would get up at 5:30 or 6am on Saturdays to record a program called "The Baseball Bunch" on our VHS recorder. The Baseball Bunch was a baseball fundamentals program hosted by Johnny Bench. On Saturday afternoons my friends would come over and we would watch the tape. I'll never forget though the episode which featured my favorite player, Ozzie. The episode changed my life. . . literally.

Two things stand out on this episode with me. The one minute highlight real at the beginning, and the drill segment on "wall ball". I watched this so many times, the tape was about worn out. (I still have the tape today, just no VHS player. I even thought of transferring it to DVD and put on YouTube, but someone else did already!)
I would imitate all the plays Ozzie made in my basement, my yard or out on the sandlot. Watching the highlight real today, I saw how many times Ozzie would slide down on his left knee, with his right leg extended to backhand and throw quickly, and thought, "That was the exact same way I did it." I copied that technique from Ozzie so long ago. Next, the wall ball segment was a drill that I believe led me to everything I do today.

Watching Ozzie play wall ball inspired me to do the same. I had a brick wall on one side of my drive way, and I used a tennis ball to work the routine play, forehand and backhand. By the time I was 7, I had mastered the backhand, years before other people my age could do so. Therefore, because of that drill, I played shortstop on every team I ever played on and I was still doing the drill when I was 21 years old. Quick fast forward - that drill was the reason for my college scholarship, which led me to my coaching job in Division I college baseball, which led me to what I do with a professional organization today. I can trace it all back to a over-energized 6 year old with a bowl haircut banging the tennis ball off the wall for hours upon end.

I still use the drill today in some of my lessons and I love in part 2 of the video how Ozzie describes how his hands play "through" the ball instead of funnelling. Nobody taught that at the time, but now most infield coaches teach this technique. Ozzie was way ahead of the game, and became the best shortstop of all time. Take a minute to watch the video that changed my life!

Ozzie Smith - Part 2 Video - Wall Ball - Enjoy!

2010-05-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Austin Murphy - Cherry Creek High, Colorado

2010-05-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

Nice note below from a former student of mine who is doing well at his new school in Colorado. I know I take for granted how we impact our players beyond just teaching them baseball. I teach so many kids, that sometimes I forget that our reach goes beyond the 30 minutes or hour you spend with them. Its a powerful position to be put in, anytime you have a chance to impact a player for a lifetime.

Justin,

David Murphy here.... you were a hitting instructor for my son Austin Murphy when he was in 6th and 7th grade when we lived in Chicago.

Austin now attends Cherry Creek High in Denver, CO and is 6'4 205 - he plays 1st base for the #2 ranked team in the state and #67 in US.

He has very fond memories of taking lessons with you and you were one of his first Baseball Coaches who really had an impact on him and instilled a
passion and work ethic for the game.

Attached is a picture of Austin and a HR he hit Vs Arapahoe High. His 3rd of the year...

Hope all is well with you and the White Sox!

Best regards,
-David Murphy

Major League Baseball - Chicago RBI Clinic

2010-04-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

Recently, I lead a panel of speakers at Chicago's RBI Coaches Clinic. RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) is a Major League Baseball Program that the Chicago White Sox oversee in Chicago. Led by Dan Puente, the Sox do an outstanding job at baseball related community outreach. The Coaches Clinic panel featured, myself, former big leaguers, Michael Huff, Lou Collier, Darin Jackson and Sox 3rd base coach Jeff Cox. I spoke on 3 of the 6 topics presented - practice organization, hitting and infield play. The coaches presenting and in the crowd all did a great job, with a lot of energy! Here are a few portions of my hitting presentation.

Major League Baseball - Chicago RBI Clinic Part 2

2010-04-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

Great Experience at Jackie Robinson West

2010-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

The other night I lead a free infield clinic for Jackie Robinson West Little League on the south side of Chicago. Jackie Robinson West is the most heralded Little League organization in Illinois, with numerous championships to their credit. Furthermore, they are the blueprint for the way inner city baseball should be run around the country. They have great leadership, facilities and a support group that helps grow the game in their community. Case in point, they reached out to me to work with their kids.

I was excited to go the field, as I hadn't been there in 21 years. My last appearance was in the 1989 Little League State Championships where I played with my hometown team (Robinson) from 5 hours south in Southern Illinois. At that time, it was the biggest thrill of my life. We were the first Robinson team to advance that far in 30 years. A bunch of farm boys, few of us had traveled anywhere before, and certainly hadn't been to Chicago. We happened to play and get beat by Jackie Robinson West 4-2. You can see how important it was to me then, as I still remember the score!

Even though I hadn't been there in that many years, as soon as I entered the neighborhood, familiarity took over and I knew exactly where I was. It was a surreal feeling on how vivid your subconscious can be. The GPS was no longer needed, and sure enough I turned the corner and the field was just about as I had seen it years ago!

The kids were excited to have me out, had tons of energy and were doing everything they could to soak up what I was trying to teach them about infield play. They were so appreciative of the opportunity, and nobody (including myself) wanted to leave the field that night. My best compliment...30 smiling kids when I left that were all asking me when I was coming back.

Jackie Robinson West has been just a game or two from advancing to the Little League World Series in Willamsport, PA the last few years. Hopefully I helped them take another step in furthering their baseball experience.

What do you do when you are in a slump?

2010-04-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

I enjoy the emails I get from all over the country with regards to questions about hitting. A recent email though stands out. Chuck R., residant of Florida, saw some of my work and thought I could be a help to his 14 year old son Jordan. Chuck had a few questions about Jordan's swing, and after we talked on the phone, decided to book a flight for he and his son to Chicago to work with me for the day.

Jordan is a powerful kid, with pretty darn good hands. He and his father both have a good understanding of swing mechanics, so when got to work, we really got after it! Jordan had a few set up issues that we saw right away in his video analysis. We went back and forth all morning, working drills, filming his swing over and over again. During our lunch break, I took him out to the field to film him on my high speed camera at 1000 frames per second.

We had a blast! Jordan got some valuable information that will get him going on his way and I really enjoyed the effort and energy Jordan and Chuck gave throughout the day. After 4 hours, Jordan's hands were bleeding (literally) and it was time for him to fly back to Florida. They were great people, and its good to know I have some new friends in the Southeast.

It's amazing how connected the world is today because of the web. Now my client base has exploded from coast to coast as I am doing a lot of Skype lessons and DVD analysis with players from Los Angeles to Boston!

Perks of the Job

2010-04-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

One of the valued perks of my is the off-day BP sessions I throw at the stadium. Coroporate groups or special workouts are some of the workouts I run. I took a couple of my instructors to the Stadium friday and we ran one of those workouts. The good part is we will take a few swings of BP and field ground balls ourselves, and I'm not going to lie, we have a blast! Instructor Billy Malone, joked that he wanted Ozzie to see how far he could hit a ball, and Billy hit one about 25 rows up, almost to the concourse in left field (too bad Ozzie wasn't present).

The only part of the game I miss playing still is taking groundballs. Not even groundballs in a game, just the routine I use to be in of taking 100 ground balls a day before practice or games. Being at the quiet stadium reminds me of those times, for the exception my range may be a step less than when I was 21. . .maybe. haha!

New commercial on Comcast

2010-03-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

The White Sox Academy put out some new commercials that are airing in the Chicagoland area. This one features me. . . check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j1PwTNKQ8c

Double Duty Classic Tryout in St. Louis in April

2010-03-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Double Duty classic is a all star game comprised of some of the best high school minority players accross the country in celebration of the old Negro League All Star Game. The Negro League All Star Game was always held in Chicago at Comiskey Park. The Double Duty Classic, named after Negro League legend, Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, was created in 2008 by White Sox National Crosschecker Nathan Durst. In 2008 I helped administrate the game, last year I coached and ran the workout day for the college coaches the day before the game, and this year too, I will coach the game.

The game truly replicates the feel of the old Negro League All Star game. At U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox staff (Led by Dan Puente and Christine O'Reilly) goes all out to integrate the Negro Leagues with modern day baseball. The players wear the old flannel Negro League uniforms, minority leaders like Jesse Jackson are on hand, former Negro League all stars are in attendance, Major League Hall of Famer Frank Robinson has been in attendance. Major League Baseball personell, ESPN, and scouts from colleges and pro teams all are at the game. Entertainment is provided by local city high school bands and most inner city little leagues and schools come to the game.

On April 8 and 9 I will run the Double Duty Tryout for Missouri in St. Louis. It will be my third year doing so and some of our best talent has come out of this area. I'm looking forward to finding the next era of "stars" to play at U.S. Cel!

See below for a great video piece on the game:

http://www.312media.com/doubledutyclassic

First lesson in youth lessons

2010-03-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

March 1 rolls around and the face of my lessons changes significantly. As high school tryouts begin, the youth players begin rolling in. Although lesson progressions change little due to age (because its the same swing) my emphasis does change a bit. You see, most youth players (and many high schoolers even) lack proprioception and kinesthetic sense. What this means in terms of a lesson, is that I can see his swing is out of synch, he's laying the bat off, or his front side is blocking off back side. But this means little to a player who has never been taught how to separate body parts. Beginning players often lack coordination, balance and the body awareness to put together a complex move like the swing or the pitching delivery. This is because they have only thought of the swing as one "move" when in reality its a series of moves, flowing into each other in a kinetic chain that makes up a larger, continuous movement.

So, I often tell these players, in their first few lessons, that I'm going to teach them less about their swing and more about how they are going to use their bodies. The reason behind this is that I can't teach them the complex motor skills without them having enough kinesthetic sense to "feel" how the movement works. If you can't feel the difference between "right" and "wrong" then the players will always struggle to "get" the movement or ever be consistent in his mechanics. You have to train the brain and the body before you teach the task. This I learned over time, (about 1,500 hours in a cage a year certainly helps) and my lessons have been so much more effective in a shorter time, than they were when I first started doing this many years ago.

We're not getting any younger...

2010-02-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

One of my instructors, Mark Tomse, was one of my college teammates as well. Mark said he had a video he wanted to show me. We are always talking about hitters, so I assumed it to be some hitting clips. We always joke how we still think we're young enough to play, that was until he showed me a video of our conference championship team from 1998. It's not until you look at pictures or videos of yourself from years back until you've realized how much you've aged. This video brought back some memories of good times. EIU honored our team at halftime of a football game. I'm easy to pick out, as the guy in the football uniform as I was finishing my athletic career as a senior on the Panther gridiron team. That was a fun season in itself. I worked my way into the starting free safety spot and had the opportunity to play against a gangly, young freshman quarterback everyday in practice. Tony Romo would end up doing OK for himself, but it is fun looking back now that he was our scout team quarterback during his freshman year (my senior year).

Compliment from Cal Ripken Jr.

2010-02-12T07:16:00.001-08:00

It doesn't get much better than having Cal Ripken Jr. compliment you and one of your players. Cal was recently doing a coaches clinic in the Chicago area. He was working with one of my students Michael Claendening, a 12 yr. old travel player from Naperville. Cal did drills with Michael and raved about his swing and asked his travel coach, "Where did you find this kid?" As I grew up as a shortstop and watching Cal, I think I got more excited than Michael did!

New Baseball Think Tank

2009-11-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

I'm honored to be asked to be a part of a new baseball "Think Tank" in the Chicagoland area. Made up of a small group of some of the most respected baseball teachers and Academy owners in Chicago, this group of like-minded instructors was put together by Chris Andel, general manager of Playball USA in DesPlaines. Chris' idea was to get some of the top progressive instructors in Chicago to share teaching ideas with one another as we all strive to get better at teaching the game. A great idea, put by Chris best when he said, "When you stop striving to learn, the game has passed you by." Our group assembled all have the same aspirations of wanting to better ourselves everyday. I was asked to be one of the hitting and infield experts on the panel. I'm very humbled to be asked, and to be a part of it.

At our first meeting, I was impressed by the knowledge and passion off all the people in the room. I'm excited to be able to share some of what I do on a daily basis, and learn new ideas from others. I commend Chris for his idea, as it has the potential turn into something big (if he wants to) but also improve the level of baseball in our city. I hope to have some exciting news of our meetings in the future.

Eye on Barmes in the Playoffs

2009-10-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of year is upon us! The chill in the air and the leaves on the ground mean one thing to me - Playoff Baseball! Growing up a St. Louis Cardinal fan, it's been fun to see the Cardinals in the playoffs almost every year this decade. Still this year, my eyes will also be fixed to the Colorado Rockies playoff run, as former player of mine, Clint Barmes will be starting at second base. Clint was a player at Indiana State University while I coached at ISU. Although he was not the most talented player I've coached, I can't think of any that every worked harder every single day! It's not a coincidance that he is now finishing his 7th year in the big leagues. Barmes set a personal best this year with 22 home runs. The Rockies starting second baseman, Barmes has also started at shortstop and center field.

I use Clint as a reference a lot when I teach. Not on what he did when I coached him, but HOW he did it. By far the hardest working practice player I've ever seen, I recall many times how Clint would have to wrap is forearms in gauze before indoor winter practice because he had so many sores from floor burns received through constant diving. At a 6am indoor January practice, he played just as hard as he will this October on a national stage. Barmes also shows how versatility can make you so valuable. Barmes has the ability to play any position in the infield or outfield. I point out to all of my middle infielders, that you need to learn both positions because at some point the game may force you to switch positions. The more positions you can play, the longer you hang around the game. This is why Clint, who has marginal big league talent, will end up being a 10 year big league veteren. He plays harder than almost all players in the league, and he's worked hard at learning many positions. A good lesson for all those dreaming to play in October!

Andrew Owen selected to Team USA preliminary roster!

2009-09-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I had six of my students participate at various age groups for the NTIS USA Baseball Identification Series. This prestigous event is used to identify prospects for Team USA 14U, 16U and 18U teams. Players are identified through regional tryouts, selected to regional teams, then play in competition at the USA Baseball Headquarters in Cary, NC. Last year, my student, Nick Solak, made it to the final cut in Jupiter, FL. This year, Andrew Owen (Chicago, IL) has been selected to the 24 man roster at the 14U level. Andrew was 1 of only 3 Midwestern players to have been selected (15 of the 24 were from Texas or California). I have been teaching Andrew for 4 years, starting when he was 10 years old. Andrew is a very gifted athlete, who has a very good grasp of mechanics for a player of his age. Those two things combined, and you get a player that has been identified as one of the best in the country. I have a very close relationship with the Owen family. Andrew's dad Steve, recently brokered the purchase of my new house! Good things happen to good people, and it can no more true than for Andrew and his family. I will update you, and maybe talk Andrew into doing a few "guest blogs" to narrate his experiences in his he takes his final step into being a "Team USA" player.

Coaching on MLB Network Sun 8/9 at 11:30 Central

2009-08-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I spent the week in Los Angeles at Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy for the MLB/USA Baseball Breakthrough Series. The second annual Series gathers some of the top minority high school players across the United States, giving them instruction and exposure in front of top scouts and coaches. I represented the Chicago White Sox as a lead instructor. There were some heavy hitters at this camp: Frank Marcos, Scouting Director for the Major League Scouting Bureau, Jimmy Lee Soloman, Director of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball, Darryl Miller, Urban Youth Academy Director. Also on hand coaching were Hall of Famer Frank Robinson and Former Dodger Reggie Smith.

It was a great week of instruction and games. It was a chance of a lifetime for the players. Most had never been on a plane before and the first day we were there the kids were treated to a game at Dodger Stadium and got to meet with Dusty Baker, Juan Pierre and Orlando Hudson. After evaluating the players in a pro style tryout, four lead instructors drafted their teams for the week. My staff of Cliff Brown and Dan Puente worked hard at evaluating and I wanted to draft an offensive heavy team (what would you expect from a hitting coach). There were strict pitch count limits so I knew runs would have to be scored as several pitchers would have to throw each game. This worked out for us. We battled through pool play and faced the MLB Urban Youth Academy Coaches in the Championship Game. I started Josh Burris (Recently committed to LSU) on the mound and we made a switch from batting our best player (DK Carey, recently committed to Univeristy of Miami) from the three hole to lead off, to try to be an offensive catalyst. The game came down to the last inning. Watch the MLB Network Sunday August 9th at 11:30AM to see Major League Baseball's Broadcast of the Breakthrough Championship and see some of the future big leaguers before they become stars!

Ultimate White Sox Day

2009-06-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

First, I'm guilty as charged for not posting in awhile. But between selling and buying a new house last month, getting ready to move and doing my most lessons ever despite the worst economy in recent history, I've been swamped! For those of you who are White Sox fans, I think my day yesterday will make you very envious! I took the afternoon off of lessons yesterday to conduct several items of business at the Stadium. It ended up being Ultimate White Sox Experience!

2:45pm - I walk into the front offices to talk to White Sox Inner City Baseball Director Dan Puente, and I end up running into White Sox Legend and current Comcast announcer Bill Melton. Bill and I live in the same neighborhood, so we caught up and talked about this weekend's White Sox Experience Camp at U.S. Cellular Field, in which he and I will both be a part of.

3:00 Get my work done for a few hours.

5:45 See Owner Jerry Reinsdorf in hallway and said "Hello."

5:50 I slip back to wish my friend, National Crosschecking Scout, Nathan Durst, good luck on the first day of the draft. On my way to the back offices I see White Sox Scouting Director Doug Laumann and we chat about his son Jackson who I've coached a few times over the years. After wishing Doug, "Good Luck," he invites me back to the "war room" to talk to General Manager Kenny Williams. Now this is a big deal. The "war room" is off limits to everybody on draft day. I say hi to Larry Monroe, Special Assistant to Jerry Reinsdorf, and discuss with Kenny the progress of his son Tyler, who is coming off surgery. Doug has recommended to Kenny that I do some training with Tyler as he comes off his injury. 5 minutes before the draft starts, I let them get to work. Kenny told me to go back into the clubhouse and see if Tyler was still hitting, so off I went. I was suprised to see how relaxed all of those guys were at the time. I expected the "war room" to be like a high tension cold war bunker!

6:00 Go into the clubhouse to look for Tyler Williams. Nobody there except Scott Podsednik, so I head out to the field. Detroit Tigers are in the batting cages hitting behind the dugout. On the field the Sox are taking BP, so I watched awhile from the Sox dugout. I ran into friend, Chris Rongey, White Sox announcer for 670 the Score. Both Southern Illinois natives, we caught up and I did a quick two minute spot on the radio discussing some of my summer activities. He invited me to a remote broadcast to be on the air with him after the Cubs-Sox game June 16 as he is broadcasting a few blocks from my house. Rongey has to leave me to do pre game interview with Pitching Coach Don Cooper. I say Hi to Coop and head back to the clubhouse. On my way back through the clubhouse, I stop and talk to TV announcer and former Cy Young Award Winner, Steve Stone. I inform Steve that I am about to bring a group of 13 year olds up to the TV booth to say Hi.

6:15 I go to Gate 4 to get our 13 year old Academy Travel team and take them up to the TV/Radio Booth Level. I ran into Jeff Szynel, Scoreboard Operator, and he said since he saw me, he was going to run my Skills Tip Commercial during pre-game.

6:20 I take a few of the 13 year olds into PA announcer Gene Honda's booth while he does the pre game announcements.

6:22 White Sox Announcers, Ken "Hawk" Harrleson and Steve Stone talk to our group before going on the air.

6:25 See Grounds Crew DIrector Roger Bossard on the way down to the field. The "Sod Father" says hi to the boys, and says that he hopes he cutting the grass at the stadium for them in 15 years.

6:27 Head to the suites for the game.

6:30 While eating a hotdog, I see myself on the Jumbotron in my skills tip commercial. (Must admit, kinda weird seeing yourself blown up on a screen 100 feet in height)

7:00 Join White Sox Vice President Tim Buzard in the suite and watch the first 5 innings of the game. Vice President Tim proceeds to try to identify every flavor of jelly bean he eats from the Jelly Belly bag of the desert cart.

7:20 Tim still identifying Jelly Belly flavors.

8:00 Head down to field level to my seats two rows behind the Sox dugout just in time to see Brian Anderson hit a home run.

9:30 Head home after a full White Sox day! Who wants to go to the next game with me?

Learning the Pujols Approach

2009-05-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ok I'll admit, although I work for the White Sox, I've been a lifelong Cardinals fan. With that being said, players that work with me probably get tired of me talking about Albert Pujols in regards to the swing. One of the things I've been happiest with in talking to my players recently, is how successful their approaches have been at the plate.
There is much more to hitting than mechanics. Players need to understand their strengths and weaknesses, what a pitcher is trying to do to them to get them out, situations, and also how the count affects what they are looking for. Anyone that follows baseball knows the terror Pujols has been on to start the season. When I'm not working, I try to watch as many at bats of his as possible. One thing that I've noticed of Pujols, like most hitters who are in hot streaks, is he is not hitting out of his "zone."
"Zone" hitting simply means that a hitter does not have to cover all 17 inches of home plate all the time. No player is good enough to cover that much of home plate successfully. What hitters need to do is seperate what they consider their "hitter's pitch" from the "pitcher's pitch." If hitter's are patient enough to stay in their "zone" until they get two strikes on them, they are going to find that ball in the middle of the plate eventually. Here is how I know this. No pitcher at the ameatuer level is going to throw three balls on a corner in one at bat. I know this becauase big league pitchers can't do it either. The closest guy to doing so was Greg Maddux, which was why he was still pitching in the big leagues throwing 83mph at the end of his career. That being said, there will be a hitter's pitch in every at bat, or the pitcher walked the hitter. Hitter's just have to be patient enough to get that pitch. It may be the first pitch of the at-bat, or it may not be until later in the at bat, but in any case it will be there.
That is what has made Pujols so good so far this year, and in his entire career. He simply doesn't give in to the pitcher on a "pitcher's pitch." This makes the pitcher either force something into the heart of the plate, or walk Pujols. And Pujols has been patient enough to take his walks. Pitchers often comment that there is no one way to pitch to Pujols and I believe that is true. When Pujols has struggled in short stints in the past, it is because he finds himself trying to do too much and he begins chasing "pitcher's pitches" thus getting himself out. This is no different than most big league hitters. When they stay in their "zone" and try not to do too much, they hit "hitter's pitches." When they chase, they struggle, making their hitting zone much too large and too hard to cover and getting themselves out. Bonds and Manny (Steroids Aside) were also great at this. Here is a great quote by Manny in a recent ESPN article, talking about the pitch on the inner third of the plate, "I don't swing at that pitch unless I've got two strikes. And then I just try to foul it off." What Manny is saying, is the inner third is not a "hitter's pitch" for him, so he lets it go until he has to hit it.
A simple generic approach I have taught my hitters that they have raved about to start their seasons is that early or up in the count 0-0, 1-0, 2-0 or 3-1 I'm looking in a general area 3 or 4 baseball's in width. As I add a strike, 0-1, 1-1, 2-1 we add a baseball on each side, which is still excluding the corners (pitcher's pitches). Of course with two strikes, we have to cover the plate, plus some, and our approach takes us to looking for the fastball away. This general approach has slight changes from person to person based on their individual strengths and weaknesses. There are a dozen drills that we do working on this specific approach. I know it works, based on the feedback from my students and from watching Pujols tear the cover off the ball to start the year! The bottom line is that a "hitter's pitch" is something a hitter should hit hard 7/10 times while "pitcher's pitches" we may only hit hard 1 or 2 out of 10 times. What balls should hitter's be attacking? If a hitter can learn to stay in their "zone", hitting becomes a lot easier.

Justin Stone White Sox Jumbotron Clip

2009-04-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

Get to a White Sox home game early and see the "Fundamental Training Tip of the Day" on the Jumbotron! This is the clip that played on Opening Day!

How to avoid the "Two A's"

2009-04-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

After a long winter of training, many youth players are getting outside for the first time to start their games. Players and parents alike are excited to see how off-season training will benefit them in the start of the year. More than just getting mechanics correct, I remind the hitters of a potential problem that many face when they first go outside.

Hitters tend to be out in front of the pitcher in their first games of the year for three reasons. First is the distance of the mound being longer than what they trained with in BP. The last two I classify as the "Two A's": Anxiety and Adrenaline. Here is how to combat all three.

First, the mound distance being greater than most batting cage and BP distances makes it seem like the ball is being pitched from second base. This causes hitters to jump out on their front foot while the ball seemingly never gets to home plate. My advice for this in the first few games is to think about driving the ball to the opposite field gap. Although for most hitters, the general approach is to use the middle of the field, gap to gap, I tell hitters in their first few games, think the opposite field gap to let the ball travel deeper in the zone, combating the tendency to jump out in front early in the season. Now, the hitter may not hit the ball the other way. It is just a mind set to let them see the ball longer and stay centered in their stride. Once the hitter feels like his timing is down, start using the whole field as the approach.

The next two dreaded reasons, anxiety and adrenaline can lead to a disease that baseball people recognize as "White Line Fever." This causes a hitter's swing in a game to not resemble anything they did in the cage. Anxiety is a normal feeling for any athlete competing in any sport. The butterflies in the stomach must be and can be controlled. First explain that the nervous feeling before a game or during an at bat is normal; even the big leaguers feel it. That feeling should be expected and just means that you are ready to compete and want to do well. But, this feeling can be unusual for young hitters if the butterflies come suddenly and are unexpected. Then, anxiety can lead to something that resembles more of a panic attack and take a hitter out of his comfort zone and out of his swing.

Adrenaline works the same way. It's the body's way of heightening the central nervous system. But when the blood starts pumping, the hitter's breathing becomes more rapid, and the tempo of everything the hitter does is increased. While adrenaline is usually good an any other sport, as a hitter it can ruin tempo, speeding the hitter up and making him jump at the baseball.

Once in a game, getting ready for an at bat, there are a few more ways to control the "Two A's." First, have the at bat before you have the at bat. (That wasn't a typo) This starts when you get in the hole or on deck. Concentrate on the pitcher, his timing, and release point. Then, as a hitter try to get your timing set on his and visualize the pitch coming to you as you swing. See the contact point and the ball leaving the bat, hitting it where its pitched. You will have several chances to do this before its your turn to hit. Next, control your breathing on deck and during your at bat by taking deep breaths before you step in the box. This will temporarily slow the heart rate and breathing so adrenaline doesn't take you out of your comfort zone. Third, you'd be surprised how many big league guys talk to themselves on deck or at the plate by just giving themselves little reminders. These reminders keep the hitter focused and helps control anxiety by giving them something to concentrate on. These need to be VERY simple reminders like, "See the ball" or "Slow and Smooth", and not a dissertation on mechanics. Finally, all the work in the off-season has prepared you for this moment! Have fun with it! The people who should be nervous are the one's who haven't put in all the time to get ready. The game is the test. If you've done the homework, then you are prepared and will do well.

These three factors are likely reasons for why youth hitters can get off to a poor start. Once a hitter starts slowly, they tend to pressure themselves more, and do worse. Techniques to control the "Two A's" and thinking the opposite field gap early in the year until timing is set, is a good way to ensure that your preparation gets you off to a good start!

Forehand Play

2009-04-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER RESULTS NOT TYPICAL!!

2009-04-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

I get phone calls periodically from former students of mine who are in college or high school kids out of the Chicago area that are struggling. By listening to their symptoms and knowing their swings, I can give them idea of what I picture happening in their swings. Thursday, I received a call from a Springfield, IL high school student of mine, who felt "jumpy, like he was rushing at the ball . . . and couldn't stay back." I explained to him a few things about rhythm and tempo and gave him a tempo drill to do. The drill was difficult to explain without showing him, because he had never done the drill I was speaking of. He said he understood, thanked me, and ended the conversation.

Late Saturday night the phone rang again. I was out to dinner so I didn't answer it, but after the listening to the message, I knew I needed to return the call. When we spoke again, my student explained to me that he felt really good after doing the drill, had a good BP session, then proceeded to have a career day - which included 3 triples! We laughed about that because he doesn't run well at all. I reassured him that hard work always pays off in baseball, and he thanked me again, which was fine. But I told him I had very little to do with him having a great day. Sometimes when I find when my students making these phone calls during times where they are searching for their swing, hearing me reassure them about finding their swing again just makes them relax and feel good about themselves. There is uncertainty in any hitting slump, and just giving the hitters simple answers over the phone, may be the only thing they need to get their minds right again, thereby ridding the feeling of being "lost." So I do not for a moment think that I had anything physically to do with my student having a career day. I do think that I made him relax by telling him to get back to a few basics that made him feel confident about himself. Which is why I titled this post "RESULTS NOT TYPICAL!"

Public Service Announcement! Must Read!

2009-04-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

This may be my most valuable post every year. Athletes spend countless hours training and doing drills in the off-season to get their swings "right." The routines that build the swings usually start with a series of tee drills, then feeling any mechanical adjustments in a front flip setting. Finally, closer to the season we begin working on the timing phase of the swing with live drills. The problem: Once the season starts, players think, "OK, so I've worked hard to get my swing right. Now let's go out and put it to use." The hardest thing about building a good swing, is keeping it good. Players need to stay in their routine, refreshing mechanics all through the season. Swings break down slowly as hitters neglect mechanics work. Then, a slump slips in, it's panic time, and hitter's try to start all over again. This misery and mental anguish can be avoided by just following a minature version of the hitter's off season hitting plan, and doing it daily or every other day.

Think of it this way, MLB games come on TV at 7pm. As viewers we see them playing the game only. What kids don't realize is that these players get to the park at 2pm and once they step in the cage, the first thing they do is T work. Next, they do some front flips. Then, they will move back slightly in the cage to get some short over hand toss. Fourth, they go on the field for BP. Finally, it's game time! This is a daily routine, 162 games a year.

Players, you want to have a good season? Take your off season plan, pick out the drills that help your sticking points in the swing, and find a way to do it daily. This may mean being creative and setting up a T in your garage. You'll thank yourself later for doing it!

Skype lesson a success

2009-04-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Skype lesson turned out to be really cool. I set up in my living room with a tee and a bat. The Skype call came in from Missouri and he was set up in a cage with a webcam and a mic. The picture was clear, and we started the lesson just like I was in the cage with him. Evaluating his swing from the ground,up, I immediately saw he was the victim of an early stride. The stride foot would get down prematurely, stopping body momentum altogether, then he would hit from a dead standstill, limiting swing production. We talked about timing and when to start on the pitcher. Then I gave him a tee drill, where the timing of the negative move and stride is based on a pitcher out in front of the tee at normal mound distance. The pitcher goes through dry mechanics behind a screen, then hitter goes through his negative move and stride based off what he sees. The negative move will occur around toe touch of the pitcher. The hitter's stride will happen around release of the ball. This immediately made a world of difference to the hitter and we worked that same timing off soft toss and live. He messaged me the next day on how much better he felt. We are set up to work again in a few weeks to check his progress. It's amazing for somebody my age, who was into college already before I knew what the internet was, to be able to do something like this with someone who is hundreds of miles away.

Long Tunnel Tee

2009-03-31T05:47:00.000-07:00

The best way to tell if a player is staying "through" the ball is to watch the rotation of the ball as it comes off the bat. The ball's rotation will tell us everything we need to know about the swing. Ideally, the ball will come off the bat with backspin; meaning, the player stayed through the point of contact, behind the ball. A ball with hook spin is a ball the player "got around." A ball with flair spin is a ball that the player was inside but "cut off his swing" before extension. Long Tunnell tee is the best way to gauge this. Check the video.

Doing my first virtual hitting lesson

2009-03-29T10:01:00.001-07:00

Tonight I'm doing my first virtual hitting lesson over the computer. I'm really excited that I'm able to share my passion for baseball with people all over the United States now. I will be working with an out of state hitter via Skype. He is taking his laptop with webcam and internet card to the batting cage, and I will give him a lesson through my computer and webcam at home. I'm interested to see how it turns out. I'll post the results soon!

Justin Stone Hitting Camp Results

2009-03-29T09:54:00.001-07:00

We had a lot of fun Saturday and Sunday at our "Justin Stone Spring Training Hitting Camp." We helped 60 kids get off on the right foot for their seasons by doing mechanics work and video analysis. One nine year old hitter watched his video analysis with me and said, "Coach Stone, I'm good now!" He had a huge smile on his face, as did I. What more satisfaction could a coach want than that?

Quick tip

2009-03-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

This is a quick tip that was filmed by Comcast at Spring Training some time ago. This was broadcast during the pre game show of White Sox games. I found it on my files, and thought it would be a great short tip. So many athletes, even in high school, still hold the bat incorrectly, thus limiting their bat speed. This is something that should have been corrected at age 7, yet players are still resistant to doing it. Here is my tip: If I told you I could increase your fastball speed 5mph in one day, the player would do anyting I would tell them to do. Why is this any different? "Comfort" is the answer. It is easier to stay within a "comfort zone" rather than changing something that is momentarily uncomfortable. Still, that uncomfortable feeling doesn't last very long, if the player practices enough!

Virtual Video Instruction

2009-03-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

Whenever I get new technology, I'm like a kid in a candy store. I think it is important in lessons that the parents also learn along with the students. The parent will see more of the player's swing than I will. So, if a parent can reinforce the things we are doing in lessons, it will speed up the adjustment process for the hitter. I've been using a new capture software which gives me the capability of doing graphic and voice-over instruction on my computer to burn on a DVD for the player. Based on the analysis, I can add the drills that would be most appropriate for that player, with an explanation on how to do them. This would allow the player and parent to have an easy reference outside of lessons. Check it out below:

Extension - Tee Extended Drill

2009-03-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

One of the extension drills I use here. The idea is to keep the bat in a large hitting window. By moving the ball two inches further out in front, trying to still hit the ball up the middle, the bat stays in that big hitting window. Make sure players are still staying "inside" their front side and not "reaching" with their upper body. It is their hands that need to continue on that path.

Routine Ground Ball - Half Speed Roll

2009-03-16T06:56:00.000-07:00

Like hitting, fielding drills become more difficult as you add speed to the ball and distance in the drill. We start all of our hitting and fielding drills, "slow and close" before we move "far and fast." As the player feels comfortable and achieves the necessary fundamentals, you add difficulty by adding speed and distance to the drill. The progression should be done gradually. This video is the second step of my routine ground ball progression.

10 Chicagoland High Schools Using our Hitting System

2009-03-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

Since official high school practice began on March 2nd, I have been busy consulting and putting on clinics for several Chicagoland high schools. It's been a lot of fun for me to go out and work with so many players the last few weeks and help them with their swings. What I've focused on is assisting high school coaches with a drill progression that helps teach the "absolutes" of the swing. I finish up my last consultation this weekend on a trip north to Jacobs High School. The clip below is from a presentation at Wheaton Warrenville South High School filmed by head coach Tim Brylka.

Illinois High School Clinic Clip

2009-03-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

I'll get back to the posts about the routine ground ball in a few days. A few nights ago I did a clinic for the Nazereth High School varsity team and their coach, John Sime, gave me a DVD of my clinic speach at the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Clinic. I am honored to have spoken at the clinic of 500+ coaches for five years in a row. This year I spoke on progressive hitting drills. I cut up a clip here that deals with "tempo" of the swing. I will blog a section on tempo and drills in a future blog.

Routine Ground Ball - Angle Step

2009-03-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the start of a series of posts about routine groundball footwork. It is my firm belief that infielders will improve their hands by having good feet. Learning to play through the ball in one motion is the key to this. With that in mind, the first step to a routine groundball is crucial. We call this an "angle step." This gets the player to the correct side of the ball so the player's momentum is going to the target when they field and throw. I break all of my footwork down in drills like this and have had a lot of success teaching it this way.

Extension video

2009-03-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hitting in 3D!

2009-03-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

After leaving Indiana State University as a college coach, I made a stint at a St. Louis High School coaching baseball and football. Because our school dismissed at 2pm, I could finish practice and then go directly to a 4pm game of one of our opponents to scout. I put a scouting report together for all of the competitive teams we would face which I knew would put us at a huge advantage as long as our pitchers could locate. The reason being that 90% of high school hitters that we faced I classified as "1 dimensional" hitters. Here is my classification system:

1 Dimensional Hitter - Can Handle 1 pitch (fastball) on one part of the plate
2 Dimensional Hitter - Can Handle 1 pitch (fastball) on both sides of the plate
3 Dimensional Hitter - Can Handle a fastball and off-speed pitch on entire plate

This system made our pitching and defense plan very easy. In fact, in 2003 our team ERA was below 2.00 for the entire season, and we were the top ranked team in the St. Louis area! If we located, a 1D hitter became an very predictable out. 2D guys we would have to pattern pitch to keep off balance, and we would not let a 3D hitter beat us, pitching around him if necessary.

Now as a private instructor, I see that same 90% of 1D hitters in a lesson for a first time and create a plan to take them to the "next dimension." 1D guys typically pull off the ball or cut off their swing so synchronization and bat path is in order for them. 2D guys typically have stride or weight distribution issues that keep them from hitting an off speed pitch.

My high school hitters are all being evaluated right now by their coaches. My off season plan for all of my hitters was to help them become at least 2 dimensional. If a player can use the entire field, by staying through inside and outside pitches as well as making timing adjustments to both they can have success at any level of baseball and really excel at the high school level.

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Extension - Hitting in a big window

2009-02-27T07:26:00.001-08:00

The most important component of extension is hitting in a big window. Mechanics are not the most difficult part of the swing; timing is the most difficult part. Therefore, one of the benefits of having good extension is keeping the bat in the hitting zone to maximize opportunities to intersect the baseball. Thus, hitters can afford slight timing errors and still make solid contact.

Those that are familiar with my teaching know that I am big into video analysis. Through my research of literally 1,000 big league swings on slo mo video, three stand out in my mind when I think of extension. I often ask this question to the kids I teach: What do Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Joe Mauer all have in common? The answer they start with is usually home run related. Though that answer is true, it's a by product of the answer that these guys hit with a high average every year. Those hitters will continue to do so because their bats are in the hitting zone as far or farther than any hitters that I've studied.

So what I jokingly tell hitters I'm working with that cut off extension is that for them to hit well, their timing has to be better than Albert Pujols' (which we know isn't going to happen) because their bat is hitting in a very small window. The bigger the window, the more of a chance for solid contact. The smaller the window, the likelihood of solid contact decreases unless the timing has to be nerarly perfect.

Bat Path / Extension

2009-02-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

My next segment of blogs deals with extention. Extention is simple in thaught and difficult to accomplish. I find myself teaching this less than I have in previous years. Here is why: Extention (or lack there of) is easy to see for an instructor. Because it's easy to identify, instructors immediately begin working to correct this flaw. As a younger instructor, I was guilty of doing the same thing. What I've learned after giving thousands of hitting lessons is that every phase of the swing must be correct for extention to be correct. If there is a flaw early in the swing, that flaw will translate into a bigger one later in the swing. Cutting off extention ends up being the result of several flaws earlier in the swing. The point is, when an instructor sees that extention is lacking, it is usually something earlier in the swing that needs corrected. Finally, when every phase up until contact is correct, extention can then be worked on. Tommorrow, I will post an extention video.

One Knee Tag Drill

2009-02-20T08:07:00.001-08:00

Another in the "knee drill" progression. Great lead up drill for those getting ready to start practice indoors.

One knee backhand drill

2009-02-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a few weeks since my last post, as I was on vacation. Here is a great drill for those getting ready to start their indoor practices. Backhands are tough for all infielders. I believe it is easier to learn the backhand from the kneeling position because the eyes stay connected to the glove. Infielders who struggle with this play often straighten their upper body too much, disconnecting their eyes from the glove. Notice throughout this drill that the fielder's chin will always stay over his front knee.

Two knees exchange video

2009-02-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

This is the final "two knee" drill, in which the exchange to a throwing position is made. Here, make sure that the fingers of the glove come to the bare hand on the way to the throwing side shoulder. That will make the infielder have a short arm break. This is one reason I do not teach funnelling into the belly button. From the belly button, the break of the hands turns into a longer arm arc. Use this drill in conjunction with my previous "two knee" blog drills.

Walk through drill

2009-01-29T07:12:00.000-08:00

This drill is designed to get the hitter to use his back side efficiently. It will also get hitters to start his synchronization from the ground. You will see in this drill that I walk all the way through the tee upon finish. You can also do the drill by walking up and swinging against a firm front side.

Feet Together Drill

2009-01-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite tee drill. I like it for several reasons. First, since my last blog was on lower body mechanics, the momentum created by the elongated stride will help the hips pull the foot onto the toe. This ensures that the hips are turning my lower body instead of the foot (for the players that are still "squishing the bug") Next, this drill creates correct synchronization and torque because the hands go back as the stride goes forward. To add, I will soon blog about the "pace" of the set-up. This drill helps control the tempo of the body during the stride.

Lower Body Mechanics

2009-01-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

This video is a very simple approach to correct lower body mechanics. During the next week I will post a few videos of drills I like to help teach the lower body mechanics efficiently.

Two knees glove drill

2009-01-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

The next progression in the infield series. Starting on the knees makes it easier for the infielder to keep his hands out in front of his chin for first contact with the ball.

Tee Tip

2009-01-13T06:44:00.001-08:00

Follow this simple tee tip to ensure you are working inside and through the baseball!

Bare Hand Isolation Drill

2009-01-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

This drill helps infielders understand that we must make first contact with the ball out in front of our chin. Starting the players on their knees with a slight chest lean forward will help them learn to keep the glove hand out in front of them. Next, I equate "soft hands" with a "loose wrist" when fielding. You will see the players taking their fingers through the baseball by bending at the "wrist hinge." When this "hinge" is not present and the wrist is stiff, it hardens the hands.

Top Hand Drill

2009-01-07T07:20:00.001-08:00

A great drill to learn barrell whip and staying through the ball is another warm up drill we'll do with the top hand. When done correctly it helps a player stay through the ball with added whip.

John Mallee Hitting Camp Results

2009-01-05T07:27:00.001-08:00

John Mallee, Hitting Coordinator for the Florida Marlins, hosted a hitting camp at our facility this past weekend. John is, bar none, the best hitting coach I've come in contact with. A few times a year, I get together with John, break down video, and pick his brain about hitting. What John confirms is that with the amount of body parts moving in the swing, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. Before coaches start to work on fixing one piece or another, there is always one thing that has to come first: Is the synchronization of the swing correct?

Dads will come to me during lessons and tell me they want their son to hit for more power. While I can't magically add twenty pounds of muscle to their son, I can make sure that their synchronization is correct, thus giving them a chance to maximize their bat speed.

The swing begins from the ground, up. To create torque and to maximize bat speed, the hips have to begin to fire while the hands are still back. Kids do not do this naturally very often. 99% of players we have come through the Academy have to be taught this.

Beyond creating bat speed, keeping the hands back at launch allows hitters to recognize the pitch before they swing. While players that have their hands and their stride foot coming forward at the same time, are swinging, then trying to react to the pitch. That is why so many players struggle with fastballs away or any off speed pitch. To wait on those pitches the hands have to remain back.

The stride-seperation drill is a good one for this. Check below in my blogs to find the video for that one. I'll add some more good "torque" creating drills soon!

Underhand feed from second base

2008-12-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

The latest video explains the underhand double play feed from second base. Similar in technique, the toughest part of this play is the footwork is backwards from what a infielder is used to. Because the momentum of the second baseman is going from left to right the footwork here differs. Instead of our typical RIGHT - LEFT - FIELD; now, to get our momentum going towards the shortstop, the footwork is LEFT - RIGHT - FIELD - FEED, all in one motion. The timing here again is key in making this a fluid play where the feed is made with the legs.

Bottom Hand Drill

2008-12-19T09:55:00.000-08:00

I'm going to continue a series of hitting and fielding drill videos. This one explains the bottom hand drill in hitting. Almost all hitters are one hand dominant over the other. The one hand drills teach each arm how to work independently. I like using these drills quickly as warm up drills. The bottom hand drill teaches path. If done correctly it will quickly clean up a poor bat path. Check the video to see how to execute this drill.

Underhand feeds from shortstop

2008-12-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

The underhand feed should be the easiest feed to do, but for some reason, young middle infielders struggle with the technique of this feed. In this video I discuss how to teach this feed effectively.

Infield receive and release drill - 1st and 3rd Defense

2008-12-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

This is an infield drill I do that promotes good feet and a quick release. I incorporate this into our daily catch routine.

Stride and Seperate Drill

2008-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

Most flaws at ball strike are a direct result in flaws of the set up. The stride and seperate drill foucuses on the set up. This is one of the first drills we do with our students. It is one of the few drills we will do that breaks momentum. The reason I believe in this drill is that it is so important to make the first forward move correct, landing in a 50/50 position. By pausing at footdown, players can feel their 50/50 position while walking away from their hands. These two areas are key in the set up.

Elite Hitting Club Homework

2008-12-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Based on your video ananlysis, go to Gettyimages.com and find a picture that represents the correct mechanic of the flaw we discussed in your swing. Save that picture and email it to me at elitebaseballtraining@hotmail.com.

#1 trait consistant in pro infielders

2008-12-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

I often get asked by coaches, "What do I look for when evaluating infielders?" or "What makes high end infielders stand out?" My answer may surprise you. . . Great hands: Yes, that is important. Good feet: Equally as important. But those are byproducts of what I think makes high end infielders stand out. That trait is great timing. Most coaches related timing to hitting, but it is equally important as a fielder.

Our goal as an infielder is to play through the baseball without breaking momentum. The most common factors for infielders who fail are 1) Infieders who break down way too soon, collapsing on the ball and letting it play them. 2) Breaking down too late and getting the ball underneath them. This is a result from poor timing in the last two steps before fielding the ball.

The last two steps when fielding are critical. On a play where the infielder is throwing to first base, the last two steps will be RIGHT, LEFT, then FIELD. The feet come down one at a time, as a opposed to a "basketball jump stop." This is so our feet can continue throught the ball in one fluid motion in a RIGHT, LEFT, THROW.
The timing of those last two steps is critical. Too early, and the ball will play the infielder (often getting caught between hops), or too late and the ball gets underneath the fielder.

Finding timing requires a lot of practice. I do drills starting with a stationary ball, then gradually working back at a farther distance with a faster ground ball. Like hitting, you have to have success in practice, slow and close, before you can work far and fast.

In the pictures above of Jeter, you see this Right, Left step demonstrated with perfect timing. There is no one correct answer on when the athlete should break down, because all balls are at different speeds. The one way an athlete can figure this out: 1,000's of ground balls.

Elite Infield Class Homework - Week 4

2008-12-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

Find three pictures and send them to me on my email that illustrate things we worked on in class. Explain two coaching points in each picture that you learned in class.

Directions:

1) Go to gettyimages.com
2) Go to images, then click on "Sport" under the editorial section.
3) Search any player's name you wish and scroll through the pictures.
4) Find the picture you want, double click it, then save it to your computer.
5) Attach it in an email to elitebaseballtraining@hotmail.com

Overhand Double Play feed from Second Base

2008-12-05T06:44:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I described the overhand double play feed from shortstop. This video will show the overhand feed from second base. There is more technique involved in this feed because the athlete has to throw against their body. There are a few teaching que's here that make the feed quicker and more comfortable. Check it out.

Hand Path - Whip Drill

2008-12-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

I like this drill for several of reasons. First, it teaches the hitter the proper position of the hands at launch. To get the hands in a position to whip, the hand will get about as far back as the rear elbow. Next, this is a good connection drill that will help the athlete use the body with good synchronization. The lower body beginning rotation will slot the back elbow and synch up the body. This is the only way to get maximum output from the swing. Finally, this is a good way to get the hitter to feel extension out in front.

This is a good drill to do with hitters in a big group, because several can throw at the same time into the side of a cage. Just watch to make sure their path is correct (similar to throwing side arm).

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Overhand feeds from shortstop

2008-12-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Part of my pre game or pre practice catch routine, is going from our infield clock drill to overhand double play feeds. Check this short video where I explain the overhand double play feed from shortstop. If you haven't seen the clock drill video, scroll down below and watch it first!

Cotinuing on the subject of Hand Path. . .

2008-11-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

HAND PATH

At the Academy, we teach the hands to work “on-line” to the baseball. While knowing that the hands do follow a slightly curved arc in their path to the ball, we use this cue in attempt to keep the hitters barrel in the zone as long as possible. If you follow the illustration below from right to left, I will explain the hand path from start to finish. At toe touch the hands are in their launch position, they will be beyond the back shoulder and slightly behind the body line (due to the scapular load). As the front heel drops, rotation begins, clearing a path for the hands to work “on line to the baseball.” It is during this rotational part of the swing that you see the hand path on a curved line (illustrated by the first four baseballs in the picture, from right to left). During this portion of the swing the hitters back elbow will slot, just inside the body (close to the rib cage). As the hips complete rotation, the hands continue “on line” through the baseball until extension. Slightly prior to extension, the hands will finish their slightly curved arc as the hands roll over and follow through.

We teach the “on line” swing to keep the bat in the hitting zone for as long as possible. The longer the hitter stays in the zone, the better the chance for solid contact. The bigger the zone we hit in, the less perfect the timing portion of the swing has to become. Since the timing portion of the swing is the most difficult, keeping the bat in the zone is a big benefit. Hitters that fail to do this, mainly do so for two reasons. First they take their hands away from their body initially, causing a larger curved arc and decreasing the time the bat is in the zone. Or two, hitter cut their swing off early (off their front hip) prior to getting to extension. Both cases, limit the time the ball is in the zone, diminishing the area to have solid contact and making the timing of the swing even tougher.

Below is an illustration in Robert Adair’s book The Physics of Baseball which shows proper bat path.

Top View of Pro Hitters

2008-11-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took a lift to the top of the Academy to film straight overhead of a few professional hitters. Jim Adduci of the Chicago Cubs, and JT Restko of the Texas Rangers worked out while I filmed. Jimmy was in High A this past year, while JT finished in Double A. Those that are really into hitting instruction have seen a clip filmed of Pete Rose in the 1970's from straight overhead in slow motion. This is the only slow motion clip I have seen from the top view. I knew I had the access to do this, so I wanted film a few current players. I wanted people to be able to see what hand path really looks like. As an instructor, I use the verbal cue of "taking a straight path to and through the ball." This cue is designed for a hitter to stay in the hitting zone for as far as possible, and to keep from prematurely pulling off the ball. Still, the thought process and the actual result differ. The hands take a curved path around the body on the way to the ball, even when they take the correct "inside the ball" path. You can see in the below picture where I marked hand path with a red dot. Three of these clips show a perfect semi-circle, which would indicate a perfect hand path. The clip in the upper left hand corner, shows the hitter cutting off his swing early. Click on the picture below to see.

Here is something I found very interesting. You could really see the torque created by the hitters as the lower body began to fire as the upper body remained closed. This separation of the hips and shoulders creates the torque in the swing. In the video below you will see this as the front heel begins to plant. This is a result of good synchronization in their swings. JT (the righty) creates a bit more, because he closes off his front shoulder more. He has very quick hands, which allow him to still take a correct path to the ball. This swing synchronization is the most important aspect of getting maximum output from the swing.

Working with the Big Leaguers

2008-11-24T07:25:00.001-08:00

Every Monday and Wednesday night, the Chicago White Sox Academy Travel Teams have been working with Big League Coaches, Mike Gellinger and Ronnie Deck. Mike is the Sox Video Scouting Analyst and also does daily work with the hitters. Mike is one of the most intelligent hitting coaches I've ever been around. I've mentioned Ronnie (Baltimore Orioles) on the blog a few times. He is a great asset to us. It has been great sharing hitting ideas with these coaches. They have also done great work with the players.

Infield Club Homework - Week 2

2008-11-23T06:33:00.001-08:00

Notice the Alex Rodriguez's chin is over his front knee in the backhand. Find and email me a picture of a player (other than AROD) who has their chin over their front knee during the backhand.

Directions:

1) Go to gettyimages.com
2) Go to images, then click on "Sport" under the editorial section.
3) Search any player's name you wish and scroll through the pictures.
4) Find the picture you want, double click it, then save it to your computer.
5) Attach it in an email to elitebaseballtraining@hotmail.com

Student of the week - Nick Ryan

2008-11-21T07:24:00.000-08:00

Nick Ryan, a freshman at Naperville Central, is the new "Student of the Week." Nick is a middle infielder and one of my longest current clients. This is the fifth year Nick and I have been training. Besides being extremely skilled, Nick shows passion for the game that very few posses. He has great baseball instincts and a hard nosed work ethic. Nick truly lives the game of baseball.

My next fielding drill - clock drill

2008-11-20T06:57:00.000-08:00

Infielders do not have the luxury of throwing every ball over the top. There are plays that force to throw from some challenging angles. In this video, I show how we can throw a ball from any angle and still keep the ball on a level plane with the ground. This will keep the ball from sailing.

Not sure what happened to my video on here, but below is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxPo9BA2NnY

Elite Hitting Class Homework - Week 2

2008-11-19T12:29:00.001-08:00

Send me a picture of a player clearing his hands forward, hitting in a big zone. He should be palm up, palm down beyond the body, but before he begins to roll over at extension. To send me a picture I recommend:

1) Go to gettyimages.com
2) Go to images, then click on "Sport" under the editorial section.
3) Search any player's name you wish and scroll through the pictures.
4) Find the picture you want, double click it, then save it to your computer.
5) Attach it in an email to elitebaseballtraining@hotmail.com

What you need to know about linear and rotational hitting

2008-11-19T11:12:00.001-08:00

Once a month I will get a parent or a coach that asks me if we teach linear or rotational hitting. Because, they've heard someone talk who has convinced them, this is the new revolution of hitting. My response . . . I smile and say, "Yes." We can satisfy both parties by teaching both concepts. Because EVERY BIG LEAUGUE HITTER MAKES A LINEAR MOVE AND EVERY BIG LEAUGE HITTER MAKES A ROTATIONAL MOVE! Feels good to get that off my chest.

Beware of coaches who claim to teach one "style" or the other. I like to look a message boards and watch people argue of their "styles" and defend them like its an argument between the Cubs/Sox fans. What gets me even more, that if you look at certain web sites who teach each system, they use the same pictures, videos and players! That kills me! (I guess the players must switch from at bat to at bat?)

1) All players make a positive forward move in their stride to some varying degree. The wider the stance, the less the move becomes, the narrower the stance, the larger the linear move becomes. TO GET MORE ON THIS CHECK MY NOVEMEBER POST TITLED, "STRIDE STUDY."

2) As the front heel plants, the swing becomes rotational. The heel planting into the ground will end any more forward movement by the front side of the body as we rotate around a stationary axis.

That's it in simplfied terms! So don't get duked into marketing terms by someone who is trying to sell their style, or by a coach who has been enlightened by some new "system." This hasn't changed for 100 years. With technology, we have just become more efficient in teaching.

Hand Position at Launch

2008-11-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

This area of the stride and set up is one where I see constant errors. So many kids today hit with dead hands. Their hands never get beyond their back shoulder when they hit and their hands come forward with their stride foot. To get maximum whip with the barrel up front, the hands have to get in a position to whip on the back side. Plus, to get torque in the swing, the stretch created across the core only happens if our hands are in the proper place on the back side. I discuss this in the video.

This video link disappeared as well. Here is a link to it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbsP-FCtNyg

Infield Club Homework - Week 1

2008-11-16T05:29:00.001-08:00

Name something Alex Rodriguez is doing right in this picture as it relates to the clock drill.

Name two things Derek Jeter is demonstrating in a good set up.

Email your answers by next class at elitebaseballtraining@hotmail.com

Student of the Week - Mike McGrath

2008-11-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

Mike McGrath is the student of the week! Mike is a sophomore at Naperville North High School. Mike came to me last year with some challenging hitting mechanics. Through an extremely dedicated work ethic, Mike has seen dramatic improvement. He is very intelligent and has a good understanding of mechanics and how they relate to his own swing. Last week, Ronnie Deck (Baltimore Orioles Coaching Staff), who works classes with me, noticed Mike and hardly recognized him from last year. That's a great compliment!

Hitting Relevation - working in, to stay on the pitch away

2008-11-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last night, Ronnie Deck and I sat until after midnight discussing hitting. Ronnie spent the last year as the bullpen catcher and coach for the Baltimore Orioles big league team. I wanted to pick his brain about what they do in their system and about their hitting progression. We talked about different hitters and their routines, but one topic in particular stuck with me. The Orioles hitting coach, Terry Crowley has been a big league hitting coach for over 20 years. Ronnie said that during their front toss drills and short bp, they spend 70% of their time working middle in. The reasoning made a lot of since to me.

What so many hitting coaches, including myself, first work on, is staying inside the ball, and staying "on" a pitch middle away in order to stay through the ball. In this, we can create a lot of good bat paths and kids can hit the ball to the opposite field. I would venture to say that this is what most college and lower level pro teams first work on too. But what many coaches have created are the "slowing down" of player's bats to stay on pitches away and off speed pitches. What has been taught by hitting coaches, even at the pro level, is that 70% of pitches you see are away or off speed. The game is ever changing, and pitching coaches know this. What we are seeing now, is more hitters struggling more than ever on the pitch in. Most of them can't get to it successfully, and those that do, cheat with their hips and front side to get there, hooking the baseball.

Here was my relevation . . . If we can get players to focus on staying through the inside pitch, and have confidence of getting there, they do not have to cheat on a pitch in. This makes it easier to stay "on" a pitch away. All hitting coaches know, that most hitters have a fear of getting beat in. When this happens they begin spinning off balls, and now they are weak on both sides of the plate.

I ran this by my hitting mentor, Mitch Hannahs this morning. Mitch is a JUCO coach that every year has pro teams calling on the phone trying to get him into their system as a coach. He has the best instincts of any hitting coach I've ever been around. He agreed with this. In fact, he said this fall, for the same reasons (kids staying inside balls well, but barrells dragging) that he really emphasized barrell whip and throwing the bat head out front more than ever before. Stating, "That so many kids feel good about guiding the ball with good mechancis that forget how to deliver the barrel." Teaching the kids how to get the barrell head out front while working in, will produce that whip. One of the things that he did was put bats that were "barrell heavy" in their hands to get them the feeling of throwing it out front.

Take in note, all hitters are different and need different things while being taught. The way they are being taught will depend on what type of hitter they are and what their strengths and weaknesses are. I am not talking about cloning all hitters here. Any coach that does so, has no business teaching. This is simply a generalization based on the weaknesses of most hitters.

Once a hitter gets the concept of path, I agree that working in, to build confidence on getting to and through the correct contact point, without having to cheat on he ball in, will make it easier to stay, "on" pitches away. At the same time, we will make hitters more explosive and less like mechanical robots. A very good point that will elevate my teaching.

Stride Study Results . .

2008-11-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

I confess. I'm a hitting nerd. I'm the guy waiting in the grocery store line working on my stride. After a recent surgery, I was laid up for a week. Being away from the cage was the worst part of the surgery. I took advantage of the time to test a hypothesis on the stride. The result . . . A ten page study on the "Big League Stride". To my knowledge, it's the only study of its kind. It's long, take some time to digest it. If you want the "Cliff Note's" version, scroll to the end.

NOTE * This study has been submitted for publication. It is copyrighted. Any republication or distribution without my consent is prohibited.

Link:

http://www.bullssoxacademy.com/images/TheStrideStudy.pdf

Elite Hitting Class Homework - Week 1

2008-11-12T12:45:00.001-08:00

Write me at least three things Alex Rodriguez is doing correctly at his launch position. Then, tell me at least two things that could be improved on Kevin Seitzer's launch position as illustrated in the above picture. (No offense to Kevin. He was a great hitter and I was a big fan of his when I was a kid . . .just a little fooled on this pitch!)

Email me your answer at elitebaseballtraining@hotmail.com. This is due before next class.

Continuing with the Stride . . .

2008-11-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

Staying on the them of Stride this week. . .Check below for I see in my lessons, related to the stride.

I’m 32 years old and I’ve been teaching hitting for 10 years. I’m trying to figure out at what time during this period that the stride became passé. Somewhere along the line, coaches have made many kids afraid to gain ground in the stride. The result: An OVERWHEALMING number of hitters who never get to a strong hitting position, thus limiting their offensive production. Out of the 3,000 kids I see in a teaching environment each year, approximately 20 kids over-stride, getting the body off balance, and putting them in a weak position to transfer energy through the baseball. In comparison, approximately 2,100 (7 out of 10) under-stride and hit with a dead back side. Many coaches stress, “pick the foot up and put it down.”
This is correct only if weight is still transferred to a balanced athletic position when the stride foot lands. This means, as the stride foot lands, there should be an equal amount of weight on each leg. This is the body’s strongest athletic position.

A good way to teach it is this: Tell your athlete to get into their basketball defensive position or in a base-stealing stance. The feet are noticeably wide because this is the body’s strongest athletic position – the SAME position we want to hit from when the stride foot lands!
There are players in big league baseball that are considered to use a “no stride” approach. Albert Pujols is one that comes to mind.

There are two things I have to say about this:
1) If this approach is used, notice that Pujols is already in a strong, wide, powerful starting position.
2) What you may not realize is that Pujols’ front foot still gains 1 inch of ground!

In order to transfer energy through the baseball, the body needs to get to a strong, 50/50 balanced position as the stride foot lands. The body gets to this position by making a strong, forward, positive move initiating from the ball of the back foot, thus forcing the stride foot forward.

Lessons Sold Out!!! What can you do??

2008-11-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

Today marks my first day of extended hours to meet demand during the "busy season." For the next six months my instruction hours are 3-10pm. Many of you are trying to schedule now for the offseason and are finding out that my Academy lessons are sold out until March. First I'd like to say I thank you, and I'm flattered for this. My waiting list is a few pages long, so here is what I suggest, as I anticipated this happening:

Enter into my semi-private program - This program is on Tuesdays or Thursdays for 4 consecutive weeks. We meet for one hour a week, and there are 4 students in each session. Sessions are broken down in either a junior high group or a high school group. I recommend this for someone who hasn't been with me before and wants an intro. to our progression or someone who has had multiple lessons with me in the past and wants a refresher/tune-up. There are sessions in Jan. Feb. and March.

Enter into the Elite Hitting Clubs - This program begins Nov. 12 and lasts for 5 weeks. Each class is 1 1/2 hours long and will cover my entire progression in 5 weeks. There are a few spots available for the junior high group. The high school group may be sold out, call for availability. The Elite Infield Clubs start Nov. 16 and have a few spots open for the junior high group as well. The High School group is sold out.

BOOK EARLY!! - If you are looking into lessons for March/April, Book Now! People that have been with me for a long time will start looking to book sometimes 1/2 year in advance.

Infield Receiving Drill

2008-11-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

This drill is the always the first one I start infielders with in practice. For infielders to use their hands correctly when fielding the groundball, they must first learn how to receive a thrown ball. Unfortunately, most infielders are not taught the proper technique of how the hand's work in receiving a ball. To simplify, the hands work the same way in receiving a ball as they do when fielding one. Check the above video to learn the proper technique!