How The Lower Case c Can Lead To Hitting Success

Make a small "c" slowly with the middle knuckle on the middle finger of the lead hand as your hands begin their positional hitting (see slot position swing blog post) path to explode through the ball. The reason for doing this in a slow manner is because a slow start enables the hitter to keep their head still, body in control,  and maintain positive tracking of the pitch. I won't use this forum for specifics, but I adhere to Dr. Bill Harrison's Vision Training for teaching proper visual acuity by limiting the number of eyes muscles used in hitting which in turn prevents blurring the hitter's vision during pitch tracking...a.k.a. fine centering/soft centering.

Hitting is an act of controlled aggression. To be a good hitter that can consistently drive a pitch, you must put yourself into the role of being the aggressor with a hunter/predator mindset in a confrontation with the pitcher.  This hitting attitude with a proactive state of mind helps the hitter pick up details visually much better than a passive approach.
The correct hitting mindset along with dynamic vision training, depth perception drills, and tracking pitches correctly with a still head allow the brain to take over by making the pitch look like it's coming in as big as a basketball and in slow motion. The small c is the first and most important step in the dynamic linking hitting process by overcoming inertia quietly to provide a blur free quality at bat.

Mental Prepping Your Baseball and Softball Game At Bats

On Deck Circle

Begin mental prepping with your pre-pitch Timing Activation (see Timing Activation blog post) while reinforcing your muscle memory with the MP30 Training Bat (see Jaime's Swing Mechanic MP30 blog post)

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 Recycling Timing Activation (See Recycling and Timing Activation Blog Posts)

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

See Dr. Bill Harrison's Slow The Game Down blog post for fine centering-soft centering pitch tracking....

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)

A Pitching Mechanics Breakdown: "King" Felix Hernandez

Felix Hernandez  Starting Pitcher  Seattle Mariners

Height: 6-3

Weight: 228

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Apr 8, 1986 - Valencia, Venezuela

College: None

Draft: 2002 - Undrafted. Signed by Seattle

Positives:

Age…  fairly young & has 3 years in MLB with 200+ IP (last 3 seasons)

Ease of motion

Body used in a coordinated delivery as a power pitcher

The big three:

Leg Extension

Good push with good leg extension. Balance seems to be an issue though and can lead to physical problems. -5

Hip Rotation

Not so much of a hip rotation as he steps and lands open. The turn is after the pitch is released and is a result of the momentum from his body in his delivery style. There’s potential for scar tissue to build up over time in the rotator cuff group which will lead to a decrease in velocity without correct hip rotation. -7

Follow Through

Slight secondary fall away follow through after a fairly decent follow through. Could be deeper in his primary follow through to keep his pitches down and provide more leverage with his breaking pitches. Also affects his durability. -1

Other factors to consider:

Minus: Knee a little too high in delivery from stretch as he seems to be not so concerned with the runner as he is with generating power. 0 points for injury potential

Plus: Excellent deception as he fully rotates in the power position in full windup. Turns his back to the hitter…all you see is his jersey number. Difficult to pick up his pitches. 0 points for injury potential

Conclusion

Overall Injury Probability (2013)

23%

Contract Validity:

7 years/$175…  Maybe for a pitcher with a 10% Injury Probability (as most pitchers with great mechanics still have a 10% chance of injury during the season), but it’s a pretty big gamble with his pitching mechanics and OIP.

Caveat, etc. :

50% of MLB starting pitchers are injured during a season. I’ve developed a subjectively, objective method to help determine the pitchers that have a greater potential to be injured due to mechanical flaws in their delivery. With the Injury Probability Pitching Mechanics Evaluation Chart for pitchers from Little League to the Major Leagues, I can approximately determine a pitcher’s OIP (Overall Injury Probability).

Resume/Partial Work History

Del Pittman

PO Box 2347

Whitney, TX 76692

(254) 498-0299

combat_hitting@yahoo.com

https://www.facebook.com/del.pittman

OBJECTIVE

A position in Scouting as a scout, cross checker, assistant scouting director and/or a position as roving instructor in Player Development

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

I love baseball with a passion. I possess good leadership and communication skills with a thorough knowledge of baseball and a working knowledge of Dynamic Sports Vision, Bio-Mechanics, Kinesiology, Anatomy and Physiology. Have a reputation of being an analytical thinker and as well as objectively subjective. Developer of the Injury Probability Pitching Mechanics Evaluation Chart for pitchers from Little League to the Major Leagues and the Timing Activator for baseball & softball hitters.

EXPERIENCE

1989-1990  Associate Scout Kansas City Royals

1991-1996  Associate Scout Milwaukee Brewers

2006-Present Independent Baseball Scout   Combat Hitting

Primary task for Royals and Brewers was to evaluate amateur position players and pitchers to determine their OFP and provide scouting reports.

EDUCATION

1971-72    TVCC   Ontario, OR

1973-1974  CJC  Cisco, TX    AA Degree

1978 Angelo State  San Angelo, TX  BA Degree  Secondary Teaching Certificate

1987 Pro Baseball Scout School   Anaheim, CA                      Certificate

2009 SMWW       Baseball GM and Scout  Portland, OR           Certificate

Del Pittman's Baseball Innovations & works in progress

Injury Probability Pitching Mechanics Evaluation Chart for pitchers from Little League to the Major Leagues

The Timing Activator for baseball & softball hitters

The Attaxe Bat

Soap Bubble Batting Tee

Radial Hitting Machine

Prototypes available...in search of financial backers, investors, and/or manufacturers.

For better baseball,

Del Pittman

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Why Recycling and the Timing Activator Work

By combining several of the more popular practices currently in use today and targeted specifically to make hitters more aggressive, I've created the Timing Activator to be used in combination with Recycling.

The Timing Activator must be repeated often  to take root in the subconscious mind. Once ingrained, this technique will become second nature.

A Timing Activator  contains  spiritual and epigenetic thoughts along with powerful hitting affirmations. Recycling has been around for more than twenty years, but I've found that adding a couple of important principles that have worked in my life as well as others has made a significant difference in the recycling impact on performance.

During recycling, which can be done in seconds, you'll be giving thanks to a HIGHER BEING. Along with gratitude, your ultimate goal of playing for something greater than yourself does separate yourself from the average player. Perhaps you have noticed doors do seem to open with this approach. It certainly has from my experience. Just as important,  if you love GOD, then you should also love yourself. Scientists as well as those involved in Epigentics are presenting further proof that love is powerful and can alter a genetic make up. Therefore, re-wire yourself to a better career with  love yourself thoughts. 

As stated earlier the Timing Activator in the Recycling routine contains powerful affirmations of developing yourself into a better hitter than you currently. You will be able to “gear up” with an aggressive belief that every pitch is your pitch to hit.

Recycling Example:
An example of a personalized Timing Activator for a major leaguer playing in the A.L. would be...
Praise GOD. I love power hitting American League All-Star third baseman that is bettering mankind and baseball ME. Every pitch is MY pitch (to hit). (I) Expect fastball and adjust to the curve.

A California HS hitter could use...
Praise GOD. I love line drive hitting California HS All-State second baseman bettering mankind and baseball ME. Every pitch is MY pitch. Expect fastball and adjust to the curve.

The Timing Activator can be amended and structured for each hitter’s level and league that he/she plays in. It is used in practice at hitting stations and during a game where it is repeated each at bat before the first pitch in an at bat and following each sequential pitch as part of the recycling process.

If you are thinking that a Timing Activator is a little too “out there” for you, just remember that the practice of recycling was also thought of in the same manner when it first came on the scene. Recycling has become the norm for the better hitters in baseball and fast and slow pitch softball, and I predict that the Timing Activator will also the same success in the future. If you have doubts about it, give it a legitimate try and you will see a measurable improvement in your  hitting performance.