Eric Tyler describes how Baseball Rebellion uses the split grip drill to help improve both barrel direction and bat path.
Online Lesson Transformation
Today I wanted to share another before and after of a player, I have worked with since October of 2020. This kid has impressed me every time he sent back a new video. Whether it was a movement-based drill, swings off a tee, or just grasping a mental concept, he has done a phenomenal job.
If you or your player needs a complete transformation or only a subtle enhancement to their swings please check out our online lesson options!
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This vs. That - Early Head Pull vs. Late Head Release
For this week’s installment of This vs. That, I wanted to hit on a subject that I see a lot of coaches and parents get confused about. That would be the issue of loss of vision due to pulling the head out. You hear it all the time, “you're pulling your head out!” A common phrase you might hear anytime a young player misses the ball. While this can definitely be a possibility, it’s not always true. The problem is that in real time, it can seem as though the player is in fact pulling their head out way too soon. When in actuality, it happens so fast that the coach or parent can’t see that their head is actually right where it needs to be. Let’s take a look.
Early Head Pull
Let’s first look at an example of me attempting to pull my head out early.
As you can see from the pictures above, the early outward rotation of my head is easily there. This early head rotation can cause:
- Extreme vision loss
- Guessing
- Lack of barrel accuracy
- Loss of barrel coverage in the hitting zone
- Miss hits on pitches that should be struck well
Oftentimes this issue arises because the player is aggressive, yet hasn’t learned or practiced head control. They must take the time to understand that the head needs to counter rotate slightly past contact. This way they will be able to pick up the ball during the last 10 feet of it’s path to the plate. The Baseball Rebellion Rack Bat is an excellent tool to use for this issue.
Now let’s look at how it should be done.
Late Head Release
Here is an example of the hitter’s head “releasing” late.
Keeping the head rotated inward will allow:
- Deep vision tracking
- Picking up any late movement
- High barrel accuracy
- Barrel staying in the zone late
So is it okay for the hitter to be watching the ball after they hit it? Yes, absolutely. If you want to know if there is any “early head pull” then I suggest you do some video work to be sure. Try not to be tricked by the speed of the swing and the finish. It’s all about where the nose of the hitter is facing before, during and slightly after contact. Once the hitter’s rear shoulder comes through the head can release out. We want to promote fast and full swings so make sure that you and your player know the difference between these two very commonly misunderstood movements. If you or your hitter is having issues with this or any part of their swing, please check out our awesome online program!
Thanks for reading!
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This Vs. That - Step Out Vs. Move out
The Step Out
You see this move a lot at the little league level. The number one reason that I have found for this flawed movement is fear. Fear of being hit by the ball. The hitter will try to protect themselves by reaching their front foot away from the plate to begin their potential “escape” from the ball. What they fail to realize is not only does this nearly destroy any chance to hit the ball hard, but it will also be more susceptible to getting hit. By stepping out the hitter will:
- Put themselves in a much more dangerous position
- Alter head position and therefore vision
- Lower half never gets prepared
- Arms become dominant driver of the swing
- Late and panicky swings in last ditch efforts to make contact
This isn’t anything new to those of you who have seen it before. The first step in fixing this issue is for the hitter to understand they are putting themselves in more harm than if they were to load their bodies properly and stride the right way. By moving properly, they can suddenly turn away and avoid getting hit or turn their backside to the ball. Yes, they will still get hit but at least it will hit them in the back, glutes, or back of the leg. It won’t feel good but it’s better than getting hit anywhere in the front.
Moving/Loading Out
Now, let’s look at the moving out flaw.
Now, unlike the step out, this hitter will still be trying to load their body properly to hit the ball hard. The issue arises when their center of gravity starts to move towards the pull side of the field. As you can see in the example above, I start to load and move straight but somewhere down the line, I move my middle away from the plate. This will:
- Alter head position and therefore vision
- Cause an early leak of my coiled hips
- Force me to reach my arms away from my body early
- Make the outside half of the plate nearly impossible to hit well
- Become very susceptible to off speed pitches
What I have found is this move stems from the hitter possibly trying to pull the ball too much. They feel as if moving that way will help them pull the ball easier by clearing space for the barrel to get by. While this is true to some extent, this is not the best way to pull the ball successfully.
The fix here would be to have the hitter feel as if they are moving their core towards the opposite side of the field. While it will feel extremely awkward at first, they have to understand that what they feel is not real. Overtime, they will get comfortable with this new direction and be in a much better position upon front foot landing.
I hope this helps some of you identify the difference between these two different but similar movements. If you need any help with your swing or player’s swing, please check out our awesome online program.
Thanks for reading!
The Importance of Swing Sequence
If you have been following Baseball Rebellion at all, you know the importance of swing sequence. Simply put, the right moves in the right order. Today we will examine a hitter’s first move after the loading sequence. Now I can’t understate how important it is to have a quality and consistent load. I have said it many times before, you can not have an A+ swing with a D- load. So, assuming a player loads well, let’s look at how the first move out of that load can be different and drastically affect a hitter from that point forward.
*Note: If a hitter loads properly they have a great opportunity to begin their swing efficiently.
We look at the three most common moves after the load. The first two will be the most common incorrect starts of the swing.
Swing Sequence: The Push
We will start things off with the “push”. This swing sequence will generally start with an improper loading of the hitter’s rear leg as opposed to coiling the hips, however, it can still happen after a proper load. Here is what can happen with a “push” to start swing.
- Head/body movement up and forward
- Vision loss
- Forced to drop arms and hands to contact
- Altered swing path, usually down, through and/or across the hitting zone
- Timing issues due to body closing distance to the ball
Here is an example of the push move out of the rear side.
Swing Sequence: The Spin
The next swing-start flaw we will look at is the “spin”. The spin swing sequence can come from the idea of “squishing the bug” or a hyperactive front side pull off the plate. Either way, this can be aggressive yet cause many issues once the hitter strikes the ball. Issues that arise from a spin can be:
- Head/body movement away from zone and ball
- Vision loss
- Hands/arms forced laterally and down away from body
- Barrel path drastically across the body
- Very little to zero body weight into contact
- Virtually zero quality contact on any pitch middle to away side of plate
Let’s take a look at the spin move out of the rear side.
Swing Sequence: The Pull
This is the most important swing sequence that all hitters should aspire to have at some degree. While some have it more than others, this move is there for all good hitters. Mainly because it sets into motion quality movements that fall into place like dominos. Now, it’s important to know that flaws can still happen but the chances are dramatically reduced when this move occurs first in a hitter’s swing. Here is what you can get from this move:
- Stable head/body position through entirety of the swing
- Correct biomechanical sequence of body to ensure maximum bat speed
- Body weight transfer into ball
- Barrel path that stays in the hitting zone as long as possible
- Barrel path that is slightly up on pitch path creating high impact quality
- Ability to hit to all fields with power(relative to hitter’s size)
- High rate of adjustability to all pitch types
Here is a look at the pull move out of the rear side.
While nothing can guarantee you a hit of any kind, this move will open up the opportunity to do more damage especially on mishits. Remember, you’re only as good as your mishits. Any swing type can generally hit the ball well if everything works out. But we know that things lining up in a perfect way for that to work out doesn’t happen often. Load properly and make sure your swing starts the right way with a pull from the backside through the rotation of the core.
Thanks for reading and if you or your player has any of these issues, please check out our fantastic online training program!
Having Trouble Elevating the Ball? This Could Be Why!
Most of us know that it doesn’t take a lot to severely mishit a baseball. This is what makes hitting well so incredibly hard. As we get older and advance to higher levels of competition, it gets even harder and more important that certain things happen in our swings. The ability to elevate the ball out of the infield is one of those things that gets more difficult and more important that we do well. If you’re having trouble elevating the ball this could be why.
If you are having trouble elevating the ball, you could have a number of issues but one that can really hinder that ability is a forward landing and/or a forward pulling of the upper body.
Upper Body – Forward Pull
In the video and picture below, you will see an example of a player with a forward pull of the upper body. This will create:
- Spacing Issues: negatively affecting rotation and barrel accuracy
- Attack angle loss
- Timing issues as the player gets close to the incoming pitch
- Inability to elevate all pitch locations
- The bottom half of the ball is lost
Upper Body Chest Forward
It’s important to notice here that the player above is very quick and strikes the ball true, his ability to elevate this ball is severely limited. While the ball is hit hard, he is limited to low angles and therefore at best a single when he is capable of much more.
Upper Body – Maintained Back
Now let’s look at the same hitter maintaining a good upper body position and increase his ability to elevate the same ball. Maintaining his upper body position created during the load will:
- Increase his rotation thereby increasing barrel speed and power
- Spacing stays the same
- Improved attack angle – leading to more extra-base hit opportunities
Visual of the bottom half increases
Upper Body Maintained Back
Here is the side by side comparison of the two upper-body positions.
Chest Forward 
Chest Back
As you can see, the slight upper body differences can dramatically impact the hitter’s ability to elevate and drive the ball. While this player’s swing on the left side isn’t bad in many ways, he will always be severely limited in his production.
I hope that you now can better identify this mistake in yourself or your hitters and begin making the necessary adjustments to improve their swing. If you need any help with this, please check out our online hitting program!
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Stop Swaying Back In Your Swing For More Power
Stop Swaying Back In Your Swing For More Power Many times when a hitter sways back they think they are loading but in reality, they are not. Hitters who have…
Stop The Front Shoulder From Pulling Off
Eric reviews one drill that he likes to use to cure a hitter from pulling off the ball. Pulling off the ball is one of the most common swing mistakes and usually comes from a hitter’s aggression. When coaching this flaw it is important not to eliminate the aggression, however, teach the hitter where the aggression needs to be.
Creating the Engine to Your Swing
There are two key factors that determine the exit velocity of every ball that you hit.
- Bat Speed
- Square Contact
Both of these are vital to your swing's longevity and should be trained equally. Today we will take a look at bat speed and how to understand and feel where your swing engine truly is.
The Load/Stretch for Creating Bat Speed
All great swings start with great loading phases. If your training doesn't start with this phase, you have no chance to create great bat speed. The keys here are:
Watch as Javy Baez sequences these movements flawlessly.
Javy is always a great template for this movement because it's so easy to see. All great hitters some form or version of this or else they wouldn't last at that level.
This pattern should be slow and controlled as you move especially if you have a leg kick or more vertical stance. If you start wider and lower, it might be less pronounced but it still has to happen. All these things are used for creating the engine to your swing
The Trigger
This is GO TIME! The start of the swing must be quick and immediate (early bat speed). Any flaw or delay here will seriously cost you. Pulling the "trigger" of a swing is very similar to a gun. It comes from a very specific place that should always be the rear hip/knee. Yes, both hips rotate but the rear hip/knee is the driver. The front hip will clear in a passive move out of the way and then be driven back by the front leg.
Watch as Javy shows us exactly how this should be done.
I can't stress the importance for your hitters to connect these specific parts of their bodies. If the trigger doesn't start here, the body will compensate and the swing will suffer.
The Brakes
The last action of the engine is the "slamming of the brakes". The front leg must counter the back leg-pulling forward with an equally aggressive and quick push back. Keys are:
- Use the heel
- Drive the quad/front hip back
- DO IT HARD
Notice here how Javy's front knee and back knee close the gap.
The role of the front leg is huge. Don't deny it or the back leg will override the entire swing.
Like a car engine, each of these parts is essential to the performance and health of your swing as a whole. On our site, you can find lots of ways to isolate each of these movements if one of them is lacking in your swing. Connect with your engine, and watch how much your bat speed skyrocket!
Stay Through The Ball With The Ping Pong Drill
In case you miss it in BR Weekly, I wanted to share with you a drill that has worked extremely well for almost all my hitters recently. It’s a simple yet effective idea because it connects well with something that we almost all have done at some point in our lives, ping pong!
How to Stay Through the Ball Better
The purpose of this drill is to slightly exaggerate the idea of “staying through the ball”. As we know, it requires not only barrel speed to hit the ball hard, but barrel accuracy. If only one of these ingredients is present, the hitter can not be their best. This drill will help the hitter feel a barrel path that allows for a large margin for error and increase the likelihood of a well-struck baseball even if their timing is slightly off. We know how important this is for long term success.
In this drill, the focus should be placed on:
- Upper body posture
- Vision
- Proper upper body rotation followed by especially lead arm
- Barrel/lead arm release tracking towards the middle of the field to slightly backside
- Good stability through the swing
The Ping Pong Drill
I hope that this drill helps many of you, especially those with barrel path issues. If needed, use a ping pong paddle and try to keep the ball going over the centerfielder’s head. If you pull your lead arm across, you’ll put too much side spin on the ball for it to carry. The feedback should clue you into how well you struck the ball.
Thanks for reading! If you would like help with your swing, please check out our online program!
Launch Angle Training
As with most hitting methodologies these days, there can be a lot of controversy surrounding new ideas. Even though launch angle isn’t anything new, training it is still looked down upon in certain realms of hitting.
Any aspect of hitting can be taken too far and using launch angle is no different. There certainly can be too much scrutiny placed on it to when the player or coach takes it too far. However, if done correctly, a player can realize their full potential. To do this the coach and player need to take in multiple factors. These factors include:
- Average Exit Velocity (how hard the hitter hits the ball)
- Field Size
- Swing Quality and Repeatability
- Hitters Athletic Ability
- Bat Rules
Launch Angle Hitter example
Let’s take a look at a softball player that started training with us back in July. When she came in, she had some technical issues but had a really good engine already. Her top end and average exit velocity were already really good.
Even though I know she will eventually be able to hit the ball harder as she tweaked her mechanics, the issue that jumped out at me was her inability to hit the ball further on average. She was hitting the ball way too hard at her age and on 200-foot fences to not be hitting more extra-base hits. So because she had never been taught how to properly elevate the ball, she certainly was never going to reach her full potential.
Let’s take a look at her HitTrax comparison from her first day in our facility and her latest lesson.
Now, there are a lot of numbers here but let's take a look at a few things. On this particular day, her max velocity was a little better, her actual new highest velocity is 75 which was hit on another day.
Increase In Launch Angle
The important thing here is that her average launch angle went from 13 to 30 degrees. The only mechanical changes we made in her swing were posture and swing plane changes in order to create a slightly more positive attack angle to the ball. By doing this you can see how much it made a difference in almost all of her numbers.
There was absolutely no loss in average velocity but so much more gained in AVG distance, MAX distance, batting average, slugging percentage, etc. On a side note, even her ability to work the ball hard to all fields went through the roof.
Launch Angle Zones
As I stated above you must take in multiple factors when trying to get players to understand their “launch angle zone”. This just means what degrees in the air do I have the largest margin for error.
For instance, if her average velocity was only 60mph I would have never asked her to attempt raising her average LA. Those would have just resulted in flyouts. It’s vital to remember the factors that I listed above when implementing LA in your training. Remember that it can change over time as the player gets bigger and more technically skilled but needs to be monitored closely in training.
Coaches and Parents: Learn What You Need To Be Looking For In Your Hitter's Swing
Evaluating Hitters
When evaluating hitters what are you looking for? Do you even know what is important or vital for hitters to be doing? We want to help make it easier for you to breakdown your hitter's swings. There are certain mechanics that are a MUST when it comes to being an elite hitter. We're here to show you what those are.
By now you guys know me and have a pretty good handle on how I explain ideas and concepts at Baseball Rebellion Headquarters or here in my articles.
I'm a huge analogy guy. The reason for this is because I really enjoy simplifying movements to their core and getting rid of the grey area. For players of all ages but especially younger players, analogies do a great job of cleaning things up inside their heads.
The Important vs. Vital Analogy For Hitters
The important vs. vital concept is no different than anything else. Like the human body, there are parts of us that are vital to our health and therefore living. These things are measured as "vitals" in the medical world.
The four main ones are body temperature, heart rate or pulse, respiratory rate, and blood pressure. Anything other than those four vitals would be listed as important.
In hitting, vitals are concepts or movements that can not be compensated for. Without them, players can "stay alive" in baseball but will ultimately not last.
Important aspects of the swing are things that are nice to have and can really help, but are necessities to be great long term.
I'm sure at this point you're wondering how this relates to hitting. Well, here it goes.
NOTE: All GIF's are courtesy of and credited to Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig)
Important Mechanics To Look For When Evaluating Hitters
Now don't' get me wrong here. We teach footwork until it's really good but you can find tons of examples in the big leagues of guys doing all sorts of things with their feet in games.
Strong Positioning
It's important to have a solid base of footwork but at the end of the day, if the bat is fast and going up pitch plane, you'll do damage. Proper footwork will, however, allow hitters to get the most out of what their hips are trying to do. Proper footwork can help you maintain a strong balance throughout your stride and your swing.
Trea Turner 1b. pic.twitter.com/82V6bGDROI
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) October 8, 2019
As stated above, if you look at a few of your favorite big league players you'll notice a variety of back foot movement. Generally, they all rotate to some degree but the distance forward can really vary, and for some, it may even go behind them. For the hips to fully clear it is important that the back foot is allowed to move not forced improperly. The bigger you are the less it may need to move. For little guys, letting the back foot move can really open up your hip turn and speed.
Altuve HR! pic.twitter.com/PBLEK7dguM
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) October 20, 2019
Justin Turner HR pic.twitter.com/hCtwqtNOWT
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) October 7, 2019
I'm listing this because people often combine the aggressive look of a high leg kick (Donaldson) with a player's power production. It's important that a hitter find what variation of a leg kick works for them but not everybody has to have their knee in their face.
Prepare
Leg kicks give hitter time to prepare more and therefore give them more power at contact. Plenty of players have hit the ball really well their whole careers with subtle front leg moves.
Josh Donaldson HR #26. 2-2, 87 mph FB running in. pic.twitter.com/xUJo4Grd09
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) September 16, 2017
Paul Goldschmidt - St. Louis Cardinals pic.twitter.com/OmfL74Gv3o
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) December 6, 2018
While perfect upper body mechanics can really be beneficial, we know it can vary. Ken Griffey Jr. played his whole career with an armbar. Every game you can see guys adjusting their arms and hands to get to certain pitch locations. Again, if the bat is fast and on plane, that's all that matters and sometimes a hitter must do something at the moment to just stay alive.
Ken Griffey Jr. HR. 92mph down. #SundaySwings pic.twitter.com/jtk8m3W3dT
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) April 2, 2017
J.D. Martinez HR #34. Tight on 94.8 mph FF in. pic.twitter.com/bC8W5Ko72b
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) August 8, 2018
I don't believe there is such a thing. Watch a game and you'll see a variety of stance players use. Sometimes a player might have multiple stances throughout a season or career. It is important however to have a stance that fits your own personal tempo and ability. Don't be afraid to try different things and mimic your favorite hitters. Just be athletic and you might stumble across who you were meant to be.
Which One Are You?
Big leaguers have had thousands of different batting stances, check out this cool article here on "The Batting Stance Guy."
Vital Mechanics To Look For When Evaluating Hitters
Nothing new here. If the player does not want to do damage mentally and emotionally at the plate, no mechanical fixes will matter. They MUST shed any fear or doubt before mechanical adjustments can really help them in games. Intent starts at practice and reveals itself in games.
Javier Báez HR #27 pic.twitter.com/ycWI6kn02G
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) August 24, 2018
The idea of seeing the ball well is a simple one but is widely not worked on. Hitters must be aware that good vision is a move. The head must turn inward as the body rotates out.
Using Vision
Most hitters lose the ball as it approaches them and therefore power and consistency are negatively affected.
Arenado compressing baseballs! pic.twitter.com/8KNMxPJCVD
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) April 21, 2018
Body Awareness
Hitters will spend the majority of their time away from their instructors. They have to be able to self adjust quickly at practice and games. It is the instructor's job to help their hitter's get to a point where they can get themselves out of slumps or stay out of them altogether.
Pick whichever one of these words you like, they all mean the same thing. The body must prepare to fire in some way(there are better ways than others). If this never happens, hitting the ball hard can't happen. Be sure you understand to prepare properly and that you know what body parts really swing the bat.
Back arm elbow getting in line with the hands from the forward coil and resist/pull back. Back elbow gets under the handle from here. pic.twitter.com/14uHTJ91fx
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) March 12, 2017
Core rotation (binding the upper and lower). The separation has to come back together on time. pic.twitter.com/TuOyZ1AilV
— Craig Hyatt (@HyattCraig) September 16, 2018
Getting the body and specifically the upper body into the proper angle during the load is crucial. This determines the quality of the previously stated vitals.
The Angles Game
If a hitter can create the proper angle and spacing they will see vision increase, barrel depth, barrel acceleration, barrel path, and time all go up.
So yes, get good at this. I will write a more detailed article on this very soon. For now, check out my Hitters and Angles article to learn more!
Learn how striding with your front hip sets up the body to be in better positions.
Key Takeaways When Evaluating Hitters
The key thing to take away from this is that "vitals" should not be compensated for what might be only "important". For example, if your back foot is moving so far that it changes your angles/posture than eliminate your back foot move or lessen it. If you like your stance but cannot load your body properly, change your stance and make it easier to prepare. If trying to have "perfect footwork" keeps you from being explosive then stop worrying about being perfect and smash the ball!
Understand what is vital and what is important and it can really clarify your thoughts when you might be struggling to find answers.
JK Whited’s Mental Marker Series- Separation
If you don’t know already, a players ability to separate correctly is vital to their success as a rotational athlete. In today’s Mental Marker video, I go over a few quick and easy things you can do anywhere to make sure you or your player is creating maximum and high-level separation. Thanks for watching!
Inside This Mental Marker Video:
-How to create maximum separation from the front hip to the back elbow
-Increase power and bat speed
-One drill to create separation that can be done at home or on the field
If you like this video, check out JK’s other Mental Marker Drill Videos only available to BR Premium subscribers!
- Timing
- Swing Plane
- The Stride
- Keep the Hands High in the Swing
- Head Back Positioning
- Back Foot Movement
Did you like JK’s Drills? Take an online lesson with him today!
JK Whited’s Mental Marker Series- Chest & Shoulder Rotation
Have you ever wondered how much or how little your shoulders and chest should be rotated at contact? Well, I’m here today to show you exactly that. In this Mental Marker Video, I will discuss how the amount of shoulder rotation differs depending on the pitch and side of the field you are working. This video was inspired by another great question from one of you so please keep asking and thanks for watching!
If you like this video, check out JK’s other Mental Marker Drill Videos only available to BR Premium subscribers!
- Timing
- Swing Plane
- The Stride
- Keep the Hands High in the Swing
- Head Back Positioning
- Back Foot Movement
- Separation