What Type of Player Do You Want to Be?

• Growing up in an era where I was able to watch Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGuire try to knock down the moon every night was quite awesome.
• It also made me want to be that. I emulated that in the back yard everyday just as I’m sure everyone reading this article did for their favorite players. 
• However, as a 5’7 185lb high school sophomore I had to quickly realize my and Barry probably would have the same game.
• Don’t get me wrong I still tried to hit for power but there was an understanding of who I was. (*closes yearbook) What type of player you WANT to be is very different than who you are now.
• There is a difference in having awareness for who you are and crushing the dreams of an 8-year-old. If you’re telling a player under 12 that they have to change their game because of their size, get a life.

• Train for who you want to be in the future not who you are now. With that being said, as the player gets older the type of player they are may change. 

• If we want our training to translate to games at the highest level, we have to understand our desired results in a game.
• In other words, what makes you the most productive and valuable to your team. Is it your job to get on base? Is it your job to drive in runs? Is it your job to be prepared to do both? What game result makes you the most valuable?
• Once there is an understanding of what that is, there becomes a clear goal for training.
• Now, instead of mindless swings into a net, the thought becomes how many doubles can I hit in the oppo gap today.

• The more specific the training, the more it translates. Whatever your role may be, allow that to shape your training.

What Are Your Strengths?

• I am constantly amazed by how few hitters can answer this question. What makes you a good hitter?
• They usually stumble around 3 or 4 different things before coming to the conclusion that they usually make contact.
• Contact. Literally the only nice thing they can say about themselves is that they make contact.
• On the flip side, when we get to weaknesses the hitter and parent tag team to quote a list as long as a Walgreens receipt.
• Knowing what makes you good or you do well as a hitter is important to how you train.
• Confidence is key and without knowing what you’re good at, you don’t have anything to go back to when training gets hard and you feel like crap.
• At the same time, we’re not going to spend 90% of studying for a test on material we know already.
• So if you’re spending 90% of your practice time on what you’re good at already, are you really getting better or just building up that ego to get let down when the games come?

• Simple enough. Understanding what you need to get better at is one thing, knowing how to improve it is another.
• This requires care, resources, and time. Do you care enough to find the resources needed and put in the time to improve your weaknesses?

How Well Do You Know Your Swing

• Can you explain to me your swing? I mean really explain it past see the ball and hit it.
• Do you know what your swing feels like when it’s off? Better yet, do you know how to fix it?
• Every hitter is going to make mistakes, the best hitters correct the quickest. Part of correcting mistakes whether in movements or approach is understanding yourself as a hitter. What cues or thoughts make you do what.
• A perfect example is a swing-up vs. swing-down argument. Both parties are trying to create line drives in the gaps. But, some people need to think down and some need to think up.
• Do you know what you have to think to produce the desired result? Not what you want to think or what’s cool to think or what Billy the best hitter on your team thinks.
• But what you think to achieve the desired results. Knowing yourself and what makes you tick makes training so much more efficient.