ON DECK PREP

How To Cool Your Jets and Let Your Butterflies Go

At Combat Hitting you're taught to desensitize your nervous system in your pre-at bat prep. In conjunction with this technique, I've borrowed strength and stretching techniques from the Russian Sports Program and incorporated some aspects from Martial Arts into a pre-at bat routine.
Desensitizing the nervous system by using breathing techniques followed with slaps and pats from toe to head will have a positive effect towards relaxation which improves focus. Additional on deck prep steps include using your hitting mantra along with muscle memory work with a MP30 Training Bat, quick depth perception drills, and fine tuning your dynamic visual acuity with fine centering and soft centering reference points...all are reinforced here in the on deck circle. After this, you're ready "to see the ball; hit the ball".
For better hitting,
Del

Associative Linking For Aggressive Hitting Mindset

Top Fuel Drag Racing Drivetrain Analogy for Hitting

Nitro Methane Fuel : Hitting Mantra
Engine : Mental Aspect
Transmission : Dynamic Visual Acuity
Rear End : Hitting Mechanics

Coach Traub December Showcase Camps

Dear Coach Pittman,

Greetings and thank you for your time.  Forwarding this message on to your student-athletes is extremely appreciated.

The CoachTraub.com business mission is to over-deliver value on the goods and services we provide.  One of these services is this camp [click here for the brochure]. It's organized to give your players maximum exposure, instruction, and feedback, and it's also great for underclassmen to get experience in a tryout setting.  Here's what makes this showcase different:

First, we announce who will work the camp.  On Sunday, December 5 at Eastfield College in Dallas, it is:

•   Dusty Hart, Head Coach at Grayson
•   Mike Martin, Head Coach at Eastfield
•   Marty Smith, Pitching Coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
•   Kyle Shipp, Recruiting Coordinator at Southwestern University
•   Coach Traub

The following weekend includes coaches from A&M Corpus, Texas State, Hill Community College, Northwood University, and Southwestern University. Details on the brochure.

Second, we have a full day's schedule (In fact, it takes most showcase camps 2 days to do all of this):

1.   Pro-Styled Tryout (Run, Field and Throw, Hit on the field)
2.   Scrimmage
3.   Instruction - Hitting or Pitching
4.   Instruction - Hitting or Infield or Outfield or Catching
5.   Mental Skills Training
6.   Recruiting Workshop
7.   Cuts
8.   Scrimmage again

Third, the coaches are actively instructing all day.

Fourth, we provide written feedback one week after camp with 60 and H-1B times, velocity from the field (and mound if applicable), hitting notes, pitching notes, etc.

Fifth, camp is strictly limited to 48 guys.

Finally, satisfaction is completely guaranteed or we'll give a full refund!

If I can support your work in any way, I hope you will not hesitate to ask. Best wishes for making today your masterpiece.

-Aaron

Sports Vision

A couple of informative sites...
http://shapirolab.net/IllusionScience/CurveBallShapiroIC2009.swf
Scientifically Speaking
http://www.hightechvisiontraining.com/scientifically.htm
Hitting, broken down physiologically, is a series of ocular and brain based actions that in turn cause a physical reaction. The goal of our conditioning process over time is to create an automatic, solidly conditioned reflex of the muscles that swing the bat which is triggered by a visual stimulus of the retina and is instantaneously interpreted by the brain as correct (a strike), to accurately contact the ball. Thought is totally bypassed. As the players’ repetitions increase, the brain is adjusting and creating stronger and quicker neurological pathway between the eyes, brain and muscles.
You must keep the ball in your central vision to accurately follow the ball into the hitting zone. When the ball travels out of your central vision plane to your peripheral vision, an optical illusion occurs making you think that the ball is curving when it is actually going straight. Here is a link to an optical illusion to illustrate the principals, courtesy of Professor Arthur Shapiro & Illusionsciences.com

Chuckle Time

 

Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital.After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator.
On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him.

"I don't know," he said. "She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown."

USA BASEBALL ANNOUNCES 2011 COLLEGIATE NATIONAL TEAM COACHING STAFF

From Jake Fehling, USA Baseball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2010
Contact:  Jake Fehling – jakefehling@usabaseball.com, (919) 474-8721 x225
Manager Tim Jamieson joined by pitching coach Rob Walton and assistant coaches Dave Van Horn and Scott Stricklin

DURHAM, N.C. -- USA Baseball announced the four members of the 2011 Collegiate National Team coaching staff on Thursday.  Missouri’s Tim Jamieson will manage the club next summer, and he will be joined by pitching coach Rob Walton (Oral Roberts) and assistant coaches Dave Van Horn (Arkansas) and Scott Stricklin (Kent State).

Jamieson and Walton made their Team USA debuts together on the 2005 Collegiate National Team coaching staff, serving as an assistant coach and the pitching coach, respectively, for manager Steve Smith of Baylor.  Van Horn and Stricklin will both be wearing the red, white and blue for the first time.

“We are thrilled to announce Tim Jamieson as our 2011 manager,” said Eric Campbell, USA Baseball General Manager of National Teams.  “His experience from 2005 -- coaching players like David Price, Matt Wieters and Matt LaPorta -- will serve him well, and teaming him with Dave Van Horn, Scott Stricklin and Rob Walton will provide our athletes with a unique opportunity to learn from some of the best college coaches in the game.  Once again, the college coaching community has rallied around the Collegiate National Team program.”

Tim Jamieson enters his 17th season as the head coach of the Missouri Tigers in 2011.  He is the second-winningest coach in Mizzou baseball history and will begin the 2011 campaign with a career record of 544-382-2.  In 2009, Jamieson passed legendary head coach John “Hi” Simmons on the university’s all-time win list and trails only Gene McArtor’s 733 victories.  While with the 2005 Collegiate Team, Jamieson helped lead Team USA to a 16-4 record, which included games played in Japan and Taiwan.  He was accompanied that summer by Missouri players Max Scherzer and Hunter Mense, the first Collegiate National Team representatives for MU since 1991.

ORU’s Rob Walton returns for his third stint with Team USA.  In addition to his time with the 2005 club, Walton managed the 2008 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, which, in finishing an undefeated 24-0, is widely considered one of the greatest U.S. Collegiate Teams of all time.  Known as one of the top pitching minds in baseball, Walton helped lead an ’08 staff that featured the likes of Stephen Strasburg, Mike Leake, Mike Minor and Kyle Gibson.  Walton will be entering his eighth season as manager of the Golden Eagles in 2011.  He owns a 290-120 (.707) record over that span, and he is a four-time Summit League Coach of the Year.

Next spring will mark Dave Van Horn’s ninth season as head coach of Arkansas.  In 2010, the Razorbacks made it through to their second consecutive super regional for the first time ever, and they later advanced to Omaha for the sixth time in program history.  Four Arkansas players were drafted in the first five rounds of the 2010 Major League First-Year Player Draft, including Zack Cox who went No. 25 overall to St. Louis.  Van Horn holds a career record of 319-179 (.641) at Arkansas and an overall record of 904-419 (.683) in 22 years as a head coach.

Scott Stricklin enters his seventh season as head coach of the Kent State baseball program in 2011.  The Kent State alum and 2006 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year has guided his alma mater to a 222-128 overall record, including five MAC championships and three NCAA tournament appearances.  The Golden Flashes closed out the 2010 regular season with their fourth MAC East Division crown in five years, and they won five elimination games in three days to capture the MAC tournament title and earn a trip to the NCAA Los Angeles Regional -- its second consecutive NCAA berth.

The Collegiate National Team is coming off a 16-3 2010 season which ended in a heart-breaking loss in the gold medal final of the FISU World University Championships in Japan.  The U.S. lost 4-3 in extra innings to a Cuban team featuring several players from its top-level National Team.  The 2011 schedule is highlighted by five games against Japan, marking the 38th time the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team has met the Japan Collegiate All-Stars in an international friendship series.  The complete 2011 schedule has yet to be announced.

About USA Baseball

USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).  The organization selects and trains the World Baseball Classic Team and World Cup Team (and all other USA Baseball Professional Teams); the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team; the USA Baseball 18U, 16U and 14U National Teams; and the USA Baseball Women’s National Team, all of which participate in various international competitions each year.  USA Baseball also presents the Golden Spikes Award annually to the top player in college baseball.  For more information, please visit www.USABaseball.com and www.GoldenSpikesAward.com.

Cal Ripken Jr. launches nationwide math challenge

From the ABCA Press via ERICA GREEN, Balt. Sun

erica.green@baltsun.com

Orioles 'Iron Man' promotes computer game to improve students' math skills

November 09, 2010|By Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun

Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. announced a nationwide education challenge Tuesday that is geared toward helping students knock their math skills out of the park.

Through his organization, Ripken Baseball, the Baltimore "Iron Man" launched a Grand Slam Math Challenge, which will ask students in grades kindergarten through 12 in every state to play the online and board game TiViTz to improve their math skills.

Ripken said Tuesday that he was inspired to launch the challenge — which uses math skills on a video baseball field — by the youths in his Ripken Baseball program.

"As you get in the business of teaching kids, you find yourself talking about education quite a bit," Ripken said. "If you help one kid, it's a success, but if you help millions, you're really doing something across the country."

"I just think it's so important that a simple concept of playing a game really results in learning," he said, adding that his program stresses that even baseball requires the skills of calculating averages, distances and the Pythagorean theorem.

Ripken said he chose to partner with the creators of the game, SAS Games Inc., because TiViTz has a track record of increasing math scores on standardized tests.

Students "are really learning, without even realizing it because it's fun," Ripken said of the game.

The six-month challenge is open to students across the country, who can vie to be one of 50 to receive a trip to Washington to compete in the national TiViTz championships. Five grand-prize winners will win trips to the 2011 MLB All-Star game as a guest of Ripken.

A grand prize valued at $350 million will be awarded to the state with the most online games played per capita. The prize is a premium online membership to the TiViTz games for every K-12 student in the winning state.

The challenge began Tuesday and will run through May 15. To play the game and for complete rules, go to tivitz.com

BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF HITTING

Recent discussions on CheckSwing regarding linear movement not being part of a positional slot rotational swing prompted me dig this out of the blog archives. Enjoy.

Yuichi HIRANO, Japan 
It's not Dr. Coop DeRenne, but it might be interesting to you die hard bio-mechanic types out there.
Addendum: Remember the hips are ball and socket joints...step and land with a 45 degree angle on your linear, timing stride to help the hips open and shift 20% of the weight from the balance point toward the front side...(40% backside/60% front side)
http://w4.ub.uni-konstanz.de/cpa/article/viewFile/1535/1440

Where is Paul Prinz, the master at teaching front side blocking, when you need him for biomechanic input? : )

Winter Hitting Routine For Winter Ball

On Deck Circle

Begin mental prepping while reinforcing your muscle memory with the MP30 Training Bat

NEXT

Repeat before the 1^st pitch and after each sequential pitch...

Outside box if league rules allow:

      Situational Awareness:

          Know outs and base runners' locations

      Depth Perception Tune Up:

          Focus on 2B’s cap logo, then shift focus to Pitcher’s cap logo

          Begin Pre-Pitch Personal Hitting Mantra (See Hitting Mantra/Mental

          Routine Blog)

          Night Game… Close eyes for 5 seconds for improved vision  (See

          Retina/Vision Trick)

In box or “half and half” if league rules allow:

      One Deep Breath…In through the nose; out through pursed lips

      Look to third base coach, receive signs, square up to the pitcher, and re-focus

      mentally

      Begin Fine Centering-Soft Centering (Focus on Pitcher’s Logo & then re-focus

      visually to the Release Point  (Avoid being hypnotized by watching the Pitcher’s

      Windup

      Gently shift your weight from back to front repeatedly over your center

      point (40-60) as you are fine centering and soft centering visually. Continue the

      rhythm rocking breathing in through the nose going back and breathing out  

      through a slightly open mouth going forward. This keeps the jaw relaxed to

      prevent teeth clinching which can lead to blurred vision. Plus, on contact

      keeping the internal organs compressed through breath control helps to optimize

      power. (Key emphasis is to do this simultaneously with a controlled, calculated

      rhythmic weight shift.)

      From Release Point:

         Identify pitch and velocity

         Begin Tracking  Mentally…Yes, Yes, Yes, YES* or Yes, Yes, Yes, NO.

         *(At contact, squeezing the handle in the palms helps add more power

         as a result of a neuromuscular response)

Post Hit:

       In the dugout, enjoy the congratulations and the pats on the back. Reward

       yourself with a cup of water. Funny as it sounds, you should do this. (behavioral 

       conditioning)                  

When Baseball And Vehicles Collide

At My Analogies' Garage...
THE SHOW(MLB): Runs the gamut from Top Fuelers, Funny Cars, Pro Stock, and Cycles to classic antiques. On average, they make the plays 90% of the time, defensively.
AAA: The "flaw" league, have players that usually have problems to overcome even though they are highly polished skillwise. Defensively, they make the plays 75%-89% of the time. Car analogy: no-go showboat.
AA: Players are less polished(make the plays 50%-74% of the time). Car analogy: AA Fuel Dragster that needs a tuneup. However, players on this level can make the jump to the show over the AAA player-believe it or not.
A, High A: Rookies and semi-inexperienced youngsters...mostly. Sometimes it seems as if they never make the plays. Car analogy: Still on the assembly line.
Independent League: Made up of a few "has beens or once was's" and lower tier filler players. Car analogy... DeLorean (interesting idea, but...)

Don't Overhaul A Good Swing

Or Why Good Intentions Can Spoil The Broth

Over 20 years ago I saw the top HR hitter in JUCO pass on the draft to attend a division 1 school. The head coach at the university was an excellent pitching coach, and had a very successful side business with youth camps, books, etc. Most of his skill drills and methods were sound. Although, I have issues with a few minor things that were taught by him.

In this case he couldn't leave well enough alone back at the university with his new power hitting recruit that he'd been able to land. He was bound and determined to have him learn to go the other way. It wasn't an effort in trying to improve his contact on a hit and run or teach him to go with the pitch (outside pitches, breaking pitches, etc.) It was more of a "he'll be a complete hitter with an inside out swing" type of thinking. It turned out to be the epitome of paralysis through analysis. This power hitter was never the same after the swing tampering. Sometimes this type of mistaken thinking shows up in pro ball, too.

In the past, a couple of Major League hitting coaches and minor league developmental people got into this pitfall of trying to make some pretty good hitters perfect as well. One of the coaches in particular has screwed up, not one, but two hitters' swings over a period of time by over emphasizing their hips instead of the the slot position. Believe me, they were already good power hitters, but in an effort to add even more pop this hitting instructor accomplished the opposite. Those hitters were never the same either after the experimenting was done. My conclusion...

If it ain't broke-don't fix it. Work with hitters that actually need help.