Developing Middle School and High School Hitters

1. Developing Middle School and High School Hitters By: Bill Walker Naches Valley High School

2. Goal • .400 hitter

3. Expectations for the Players • Middle school to freshman • Freshman to JV • JV to Varsity • Varsity to All-league • All-league to All-State • All-State to college

4. 3 Types of Athletes • Recreational • Social • Elite -We ask our athletes which one they are.

5. Mental Aspects • Hitting is easy. • Bat on ball! • Don’t make it complicated. • To much coaching will overwhelm your kids.

6. Mental Aspects Cont. • Talk with players………..ask them if they are a good hitter. • Think positive. • Go to bed at night thinking about your best day ever at the plate.

7. Hitting is 99% Mental • Hitting is actually very difficult, but turn it around on them. If you took a spelling test and only got 4 out of 10 correct, would you be a good speller? • Convince your players they are good hitters………explain to them what hits actually are and that a blooper will usually take the place of a ball hit right at someone. Balances out.

8. Get yourself read to HIT! • Hitters counts: 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 3-1. One Pitch one spot one speed. Don’t get cheated. • Take your time at the plate. If you swing and miss, step out, ask for time and refocus with a practice swing or two.

9. Hitting is not just in the batter’s box. • Study the pitcher warming up in pen and on field. • On deck hitter needs to get timing down and when not preparing to hit, see what pitcher’s tendencies are. • Most pitcher’s are not smart. • Talk with your catcher to see what the zone is.

10. Other options for hitters: • Drag Bunts are a great way to pick up a hit. • Hit and Runs can open up. • Sacrifice Bunts can lead to a hit.

11. The Stance (approach the plate with confidence): • Knuckles • Hands • Head • Legs • Feet

12. Getting Started • Knuckles Line up Middle knuckles, some kids will rotate slightly.

13. The Stance: • Knuckle alignment • Hands: • Comfortable, loose, and just away from arm pit area.

14. The Stance • Knuckle Alignment • Hands slightly away from body. • Head: • Eyes need to be focused on pitcher. Slightly open stance will help.

15. The Stance • Knuckle Alignment • Hands slightly away from body. • Head on pitcher. • Legs: • Athletic Stance, slight bend in knees.

16. The Stance • Knuckle Alignment • Hands slightly away from body. • Head on pitcher. • Legs are in athletic stance. • Feet: Weight 60-40 on back leg, weight on balls of feet (piece of paper slide under heel)

17. The Swing: Start to Finish • Hands: Go back to launch position.

18. Quiet not loud stride • Hands: Go back to launch position. • Feet: Stride is short. We emphasize heel to pitcher. Get foot down early. (step on ice-soft)

19. Hands and Wrist Strength • Hands: Go back to launch position. • Feet: Stride is short. • Hands: Inside baseball and top hand rolls over after contact.

20. Generating Power with Hips • Hands: Go back to launch position. • Feet: Stride is short. • Hands: Inside baseball. • Hips: Explode, hands follow. (power L)

21. Putting it all together • Hands: Go back to launch position. • Feet: Stride is short. • Hands: Inside baseball. • Hips: Explode, hands follow. (power L) • Head: Eyes on ball. Emphasis on chin shoulder to shoulder.

22. Common mistake with young hitters: • Stride foot opens early or stride is to big. • Usually the front toe. • Knee and hips fly open. • Shoulder opens. • Head comes off ball. • Head should not move during the process.

23. Drills for Success: (we do all these drills with a max of 8 swings-quality, not quantity)

24. Quality not Quantity • T work • Top Hand and Bottom Hand

25. Everyday Drills: • Soft Toss • Top and Bottom Hand (use tennis or softees to do you work into the net)

26. Great Drill for working on pull, middle and away. • Front toss behind screen: • 4 under hand tosses at hip. Hitter pulls. • 4 under hand tosses away. Hitter goes opposite field. • 4 under hand tosses middle. Wear out protective screen.

27. Good Old Fashion Whiffle • Whiffle Balls are still a great and inexpensive way to hit everyday. • Game day lots of reps. • Back Yard whiffle ball……some great competition at the Walker house!

28. Hit Hit Hit and Hit some More! • Short toss in cages. Players throw to each other with a purpose. Change it up: • Opposite Field only. • Middle only. • No pop ups. • Hit and Run.

29. Good old Fashion Pitching Machine Use you machine to: • Work on velocity. • Left handed sliders and curve balls. • Right handed sliders and curve balls. • If you can afford it, use real baseballs for better movement. • Build a platform to set you machine on for players to see the pitch coming at a better angle.

30. LIVE HITTING with Coach On field hitting. Let’s players and coaches see a result. Make sure you just don’t swing away. Work on: • Bunting • Hit and Run • Move Runners • Opposite Field • Scoring the runner from 3rd.

31. Game Situations • There isn’t a better way for hitters to become Great. • Have pitchers throw to get their bull pen work in to hitters. • Scrimmage/inter-squad. • Alumni???

32. STATISTICS • TO MANY KIDS ARE SELFISH.

33. STATISTICS • NO, TO MANY PARENTS ARE SELFISH!! • We don’t post stats, but will talk about them individually.

34. RISP • More importantly than average, is a player’s ability to drive in runs. • Talk to your players about being productive. • Reward and give praise to those players who may only have got one hit, but it was the one that won the game!

35. Motivation • Banquet speech. • Can’t teach Hustle. • Someone’s always watching. • Attitude. • Still have to play Defense and pitch. • Play Baseball.

36. Bill Walker Head Baseball Coach Naches Valley High School bwalker@nvsd.org Special Thanks To: Cam Walker (helping me with the power point) Nick Clark (Assistant Baseball Coach)