One of the biggest problems when trying to create a good practice environment for youth players is keeping them focused for the entirety of the practice time. One of the best ways to help keep your youth players interested and focused is to implement some fun and basic drills. We’ll take a look at three drills youth players can do to help their bat path, rhythm, and power at the plate, while having fun and staying focused.
Written By: Garrett Gordon
How The Squat And Deadlift Can Improve Your Swing
How the Squat and Deadlift Matches launch Position in the Swing
Every great hitter since the beginning of time has some sort of hip hinge either in their starting stance or as they load and stride out. The knees are slightly bent, the hips are back, and the chest is forward a bit. This also happens during the squat and deadlift. Getting athletes to understand and become aware of the hip hinge as they load and stride forward is key for posterior chain and lower half engagement. Hitters who have never deadlifted or squatted before have a tough time hinging at the hips and creating solid posture at landing.
Posture At Contact
So much power and explosiveness can be gained by maintaining correct posture throughout your swing. Athletes who lack strength in the lower half and posterior chain tend to have bad posture at contact due to the fact that they cannot keep their ribs down and core braced. This leaves hitters in a weak position in the video below. By getting stronger at the squat and deadlift you can improve strength of course but also your posture so you can transfer more force into the ball as safely as possible!
Hitting is a Rotational Hip Thrust
We all know we have to turn and rotate to hit the ball hard. Hitters who have trouble getting good hip extensions and glute activation most likely just spin on their backside. Therefore, power is being lost to their pull-side and swing direction truly suffers. Tying in the quality movement of the squat and deadlift and translating it to the swing can be tough. Hence why I want you to get under and pick up a barbell this winter! You will be doing yourself a huge favor!
Good Squat vs. Bad Squat
Good Deadlift v.s. Bad Deadlift
Final Thought
If you're looking to take your game to the next level then getting in the weight room this off-season is what you need to do. Don't be afraid of compound lifts like the squat, bench, and deadlift. And most importantly don't be afraid to push some heavier weight after you have your technique dialed in. Just because you play baseball or softball doesn't mean you shouldn't lift heavy for what is relative to you. To be an athlete you have to train like one, and picking up a barbell is a great way to get stronger and have fun!
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How To Hit Off A Tee
Many little league coaches and parents love coaching and working with kids, but don’t have a ton of experience teaching hitting. This article points out the key points that will help your young players who are beginning their journey in baseball or softball. It is super important that every player has a solid base and a good turn so that they can develop properly and have more fun in the sport!
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Balance | Exit Velocity | Garrett Gordon | Hitting Theory | Lifting | Load | Lower Body | Off-Season | Power Swing | Practice | Rotation