3 Ways to Become a Better Hitter, Without Swinging
What’s up guys? One question I get asked so often is,
“Coach Joey, how can I become a better hitter when it’s cold outside? What if I don’t have a tee at home?”
I’m so glad players ask me this, because there is a solution! It is a hard working, sweaty, focused solution though. Here are my “3 steps in becoming a better hitter, without swinging”.
Step 1
Training
So many players from ages 8-18 think that physically hitting a baseball is the only way to become an elite hitter. Yes, that is important, we need the mechanical pieces to move efficiently, however that is only one piece of the puzzle. You can’t become physically stronger by just hitting; you can’t develop elite level deceleration skills or balance by just hitting; you can’t develop better fast twitch muscle fibers by just hitting. There are multiple components of training that are almost impossible to develop if you are not involved in a strength and conditioning program.
Look at the best players in the world, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Christian Yelich. Some might prosper more in specific areas, however all of these athletes are physical specimens that have put in tens of thousands of hours in their training programs.
Step 2
Visualization
Oh man, you talk about something that will set you apart. You talk about something that is going to make you look like an outcast, because no one else is going to be disciplined enough to do it. Everyone is going to think it is pointless until you go 3 for 4 and the rest of the team had 2 hits combined.
Here’s the thing, people get so caught up in just seeing what elite players do when everyone else is watching. The best stay elite when no one else is watching. It is you vs. you. Next time you want to practice hitting, and it’s cold, or you forgot your bat, close your eyes, pretend you are holding your bat, and visualize a pitcher throwing you a pitch. And all you have to focus on is timing, rhythm, and thought process. I challenge you to get on THAT level.
I strongly recommend that you get visualization reps in before your daily hitting session starts. “Feeling” the movements happen during the motion, is SO much easier to feel whenever the ball is not a factor. Because players actually focus on the movement first. When a ball is thrown into the mix, players go into “Hit the ball” mode, and sometimes lose track of their movements.
Step 3
Study The Game
We live in such an era of gaming, phones, ipads, and netflix. Sometimes we forget that baseball is actually on tv, EVERY DAY from April - October. I have always encouraged players to sit back and watch a game with their family. You would not believe how much learning the game, and studying the game will keep you ahead of your competition as you develop. You are going to see things happen and ask questions during games, that you might not recognize as you are playing one of your own games.
It’s funny, one of my managers Bryan Kloppe, of the Roswell Invaders (Independent League Team of Professional Baseball), would give us “rest days”, where we were instructed to just watch the game. We wouldn’t even take batting practice that day, it was truly an “off day”. I know ego gets in the way sometimes and you never want to come out of a game, but the mental preparation of watching and studying pitchers tendencies goes a long way in having a strong LONG-TERM development plan. I had my best two years of professional baseball playing under Bryan, hitting a combined 40 homers and finishing runner-up in the MVP in 2016.
There you have it. If you need help, you know I am always here to help. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask how to get yourself on the right path to success. That’s what we are here for at Crucible Performance. We want you to go BEYOND.
- Joey Miller