What you see below is the culmination of many years of developing a hitting system that can be used on every level that hitting occurs. I named it Holistic Hitting because it integrates mind, body, & spirit into the act of hitting.
For better hitting,
Del Pittman
On Deck Circle
It's important to understand that you get your hits here
before you ever get into the batter's box.
Begin by reinforcing your slot position swing muscle memory
with the MP30 Training Bat (see Jaime Cevallos' Swing Mechanic MP30 blog post).
Now proceed with mental prepping your pre-pitch Timing
Activation (see Timing Activation blog post), desensitize your nervous system
(see On Deck Drill To Desensitize The Nervous System blog post), and lastly
before heading to the batter's box -do a quick depth perception drill by
looking at your fine centering-soft centering reference points*.
NEXT
Repeat before the 1st pitch and after each sequential
pitch...the following...
Outside box or half and half if league rules allow:
Night Game… Close eyes for 5 seconds for improved vision
(See Retina/Vision Trick blog post)...You may have to remind your 3rd base
coach that you'll be doing this.
Situational Awareness:
Know outs and base runners' locations and then look to 3rd
Base Coach
IN BOX:
Pre-Pitch Recycling Timing Activation (See Recycling and
Timing Activation Blog Posts if needed).
Once completed...
Start getting in rhythm with the pitcher, initiate small c
knuckle of hand movement (see KEEPING YOUR HEAD STILL IN YOUR SWING FROM THE
START blog post) and pre-Oxygenation phase:
Gently shift your weight from back to front repeatedly over
your center point (40-60) and draw a small c with your knuckle 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 and prevents teeth clinching which
can lead to blurred vision. (Key
emphasis is to do this simultaneously with a controlled, calculated rhythmic
weight shift.)
Begin Oxygenation phase
( see Oxygenating Your Blood With Breathing During an At Bat and Its
Importance in Hitting blog), complete Fine Centering-Soft Centering (Focus on
Pitcher’s Cap logo & then re-focus visually to the Release Point (Avoid
being hypnotized by watching the Pitcher’s Windup)*, and start stride/launch
sequence.
*See Dr. Bill Harrison's Slow The Game Down blog post for
fine centering-soft centering pitch tracking...
From Pitcher's Cap Logo to Timing of the Release Point:
Identify pitch and velocity
Begin Tracking Mentally…Yes, Yes, Yes, YES* or Yes, Yes,
Yes, NO.
You either pull the trigger or you don't, but if you do pull
the trigger...
(At contact during your slot position swing in the blocking
phase with a firm front side, squeezing the handle in the palms helps add more
power as a result of an additional neuromuscular response used in conjunction
with compressed organs in the oxygenation/breathing process)
Post Hit:
In the dugout, enjoy the congratulations and the pats on the
back.
Then, reward yourself with a cup of water. Funny as it
sounds...you should do this.
(behavioral conditioning)
On Deck Drill To Desensitize The Nervous System
Desensitizing the nervous system by using breathing
techniques followed with slaps and pats* from toe to head will have a positive
effect towards achieving relaxation which improves focus, quiets the mind, and
prepares the hitter to be aggressive and confident when he faces the pitcher.
Additional on deck prep steps include using your timing activation affirmation
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".
*The "pat down" technique is a better pre-at bat
technique than "tapping" or the acupressure T.A.T. technique...both
of which are good techniques, but are better practiced in a different time and
place than in the on deck circle...at least from my experience.
Oxygenating Your Blood With Breathing During an At Bat and
Its Importance in Hitting
Oxygenating your blood with 3 deep breaths during pre-pitch
soft centering-fine centering will improve your dynamic visual acuity, and
exhaling half of your 3rd deep breath and timing the holding of it as you shift
your focus from the pitcher’s emblem on the front of his cap to his release
point in the final phase of soft centering-fine centering enables a clearer
focus on the type of pitch followed with clearer pitch tracking. As a side
benefit of holding the breath*, which compresses the internal organs, will
cause a neuromuscular strength gain at contact.
*For those that don’t know it, the breath can be held up to
7 seconds before focus becomes blurry. This shouldn’t concern the hitter, as
the pitch should go from release point to contact point in 2/10s of a
second…unless the pitcher’s specialty is the Eephus pitch or the Folly Floater.
TIMING ACTIVATION
The Timing Activation must be repeated often to take root in the subconscious mind. Once
ingrained, this technique will become second nature.
A Timing Activation
contains spiritual and epigenetic
thoughts along with powerful affirmations. Recycling, in baseball, softball,
golf, tennis, and many other sports, 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.
For baseball and softball:
As stated earlier the Timing Activation 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 Activation for a major
leaguer playing in the A.L. would be...
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. Praise GOD. Trust GOD IN ALL
THINGS.
A California HS hitter could use...
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. Praise GOD. Trust GOD IN ALL THINGS.
The Timing Activation 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.
THE ABOVE CONDITIONED HITTING RESPONSE CAN BE DONE WITHOUT THINKING ONCE IT BECOMES HABIT FROM MULTIPLE REPS IN PRACTICE
