Pro Hammer Specific Results: Miles Bice

Before Video Recorded in 1000 fps.
Specifically look at the head at contact.


This is after 2 months of lessons using the Pro Hammer in short toss drills.


The results are cleaner strikes near the sweet spot of the bat.
Then when a bat is used there are more consistent strikes near the sweet spot
producing harder hit balls more often.

I'm sold. You should be to. Call me today and order you very own Pro Hammer.

BBCOR or BBCRAP!

Over the past few months I have personally tested and test some of my hardest hitting students with the newest BBCOR metal 5.0 bats, what I have discovered may just surprise you.
These are the models I have tested





Personally I hit over 30 balls with each bat. I understand why home runs in college baseball went down 49% this past year. I used my Zelocity Radar gun to get an exit speed off these bats. To give you and idea of my past results over the years here are some numbers. in 2010 I hit and average of 95mph with the DeMarini Vodoo, 96 mph with the TPX EXO, 93 mph with the 5150 and 91 mph with my BAUM Bat. I topped out at 103 mph with the EXO, but my average was 96 mph. With my 34 inch 31 once Baum bat I topped out at 98 mph.

In my controlled testing I hit 10 balls with each bat 3 times and took a 5 minute rest in between rounds. If i miss hit the ball and did not put a clean swing on it I tossed out the result. My purpose was to test for clean and hard strikes on the ball to get a maximum exit speed average.



5150
Average Exit Speed (AES): 83 mph
Top Exit Speed (TES) 86 mph

Surge
AES:84 mph
TES: 88 mph

EXO
AES: 85 mph
TES: 87 mph

Then I tested it against a BBCOR DeMarini that was given to me on my birthday.


AES: 87 mph
TES: 90 mph

What bat got the best result? It wasn't a metal bat at all. It was the Baum Bat and the new on I just got has a BBCOR 5.0 stamp on it. The model is a AAA Pro Standard Knob.


AES: 90 mph
TES: 94 mph

What do these speed mean? Well a ball traveling at 90 mph at 45 degrees of angle will travel on average about 360 ft. A ball traveling 85 mph at 45 degrees of angle will travel on average about 280 ft. Clearly 90 mph has a chance to leave the yard a lot more than 85 mph. Bryce Harper hit a ball at Tropicana Field with an exit speed of 105 mph and it hit up in the top of the stadium some 470 ft away with a Non-BBCOR DeMarini Vodoo.
So my advice is to swing wood. It will hit the ball harder and force you to change your swing to one that drives the ball. The days of the ball exploding off the bat are over thanks to BBCOR. I prefer the Baum Bat because it is an composite that last a long time. Hits consistently the way real wood does but does not have the breakage that real ash or maple does. I test other students and the results were very similar that is why I am just sharing my numbers.
In conclusion these $300.00 to $400.00 BBCOR bats are straight crap. My students are going to wood and I think you should too.
The Baum Bat is also a great way to learn how to swing a wood bat properly with out breaking bats in the process. Metal bats are great because in the past they have been explosive when the ball is hit in the sweet spot and forgiving when hit on the handle or end. I have seen balls leave the park when not even hit that well or even above or below the sweet spot of the barrel. Wood bats are not forgiving at all. If you hit a ball to far down on the handle the bat cracks or even breaks in half. If a ball is hit on the end the same result happens and there is no chance that ball is going to leave the yard. BBCOR bats perform truer to traditional wood, but based on my testing results they under perform overall.
I will preface this also. I am not paid by any of these companies to test these bats or sell these bats. I am a professional hitting instructor that only wants to see my students perform their best. I think these new BBCOR bats actually hurt their chances of being seriously scouted by college and professional teams because they perform below what I would consider a Major League Baseball standard.

WAY TO GO KRYSTAL!

Krystal came 4 weeks ago to get some softball hitting lessons. She has worked so hard and this past Sunday she hit a hard hit that tied the game and set up the next hitter to hit the game winner. I love to here success stories like this.
Awesome job!

Pro Hammer Update: Pure Honest Feedback

Well I have tested this bat now for 5 days and here is the feedback.
I tested 10 hitters with the Pro Hammer bat and this is the breakdown of their personal feedback.
7 out of 10 say they liked it.
3 out of 10 say it was alright, but they needed to hit with it more with it.
0 out of 10 say that hated it.
4 said they would buy this.
0 have bought it.

Okay so here is my honest feedback. I have some other devices that I use and I get very immediate feedback from them. The Pro Hammer is a bat developed to promote sweet spot or center line contact.
Tee Test:
I have hit some balls with this and it did take me about 10 swings to get my hands right or get the head right so when I put the bat head in the zone it is level. Once I got use to it I was able to hit solid line drives over and over.
10 students have hit with this off the tee. All of the my 10 students did not hit the ball off the tee very well from the start. Just like me they had to hit a few balls so they could figure out their hand position. Then they could tell when they made solid contact. I see the hitter really trying to get their hands inside the ball to get the head in the zone.
Front Toss:
This is like soft toss, but I am in front of the hitter instead of on the side. It is more real than the soft toss in getting true timing and contact area. Hitters also take a few swings to get the proper contact area but they do hit the ball. About 2 out of 10 hits are solid sweet spot hits, meaning almost or perfect contact. The rest of the contact is noticeably softer.

What I expected:
I expected the hitters to just light balls up after swinging the Pro Hammer and then picking out there bigger barreled bat. I only saw this happen with one hitter. So to say I am satisfied yet I would be lying if I said yes. I will continue to use this and test more students and keep you posted. It is too soon to rule out if this bat is a success or a flop.

The ProHammer Bat

I will be testing this bat here in the next few weeks.
The ProHammer is designed to maximize sweet spot contact and correct errors in the swing like dipping and roll over. I'm going to put this Bat through a rigorous test with at least 20 students. I will be posting their feedback.

I like gadgets that focus on timing, so if this one really works I will be recommending this bat to all my students and followers.

What do I like about the ProHammer?
1. The small contact surface area reminds me of the Easton Hit Stix that I used to use as a kid, but I could still roll over a ball and hit it decently. THIS BAT GIVES IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK ON A ROLL OVER.
2. Proper Grip: Palm up and palm down hand position through the entire swing is required to consistently hit the ball hard with this bat. MUSCLE MEMORY TRAINING.
3. Just like with the NOS Timing Chain I believe that with practice hitters will start making more accurate throws to the ball and maximized exit speeds.
4. It is correctly weighted to feel like a real bat. This way in training with the ProHammer timing will be more accurate when transitioning back to a real bat.

I'll keep everyone posted on this bat test and when orders can be made.

This is coming soon.

This type of workout is designed for elite athletes to move fast, become more powerful, and increase speed and agility. All the core muscle group that are needed when diving for a ball up the middle, spinning to your feet, and delivering a strike to first base or a quick explosive burst to get to that inside pitch. I am an authorized dealer of this product. Don't buy it online or on TV. Get it from me and support Hithardernow.com!

How an Online Lesson Works.

This is to show you that Online lessons really do work.
There are two key elements in and online lesson to make it work for you.
1. You have to want to learn how to make a better swing.
2. You will have to work on what is suggested on your own, or with a friend, or parent.
The bottom line is you are going to have to do the work to improve.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ONLINE LESSON

Here is the students comment. He lives in California and contacted me through Facebook.com.

HOW TO SEND ME A VIDEO.
1.Submit a short video to me by email.
2.Or upload your video to www.youtube.com.
3.After the file is uploaded then click the "Share" link.
4.Copy link and email me that link.
5.My V1 Pro system will download Youtube videos.
6. I will invoice you via Pay Pal.

This is a great way to have access to a professional hitting instructor and not have to travel to Las Vegas to work with me.

My Kid Hits Great with You, but Sucks in the Game!

I don't know if that is a compliment or not. The more I do this the more I hear Perry Husband in the back ground telling me that giving lessons the old way is pointless. I am really starting to get what he was saying. Believe me when I say I will always give one on one lessons, but only a few of them. When I first get a new client I always have to look at some key things. I video everyone. I like to slow things down so I can see some of the key factors I look for when doing my analysis. I also like to get and exit speed. This is to show that when the hitter makes a more efficient move they get a better result. I will always talk about summation of sequential segments. Yes, I even talk about this with my younger students. Yes, they look at me with eyes of confusion, but I explain it to them in a way that they understand the principle and how they already use it in baseball. I will always talk about distance of force application and explain it to them the same way I did summation of sequential segments. That's just me and how I instruct. I used to throw days and days of batting practice. The kids love it. The parents love it. So what's the big deal? The big deal is I have trained hitter to great batting practice hitters but just okay game hitters. So I decided to change the way I did things. I went from a more swing focused approach to a timing focused approach. And let me tell you the results are amazing in one aspect but awful in others. The results have been amazing in the sense that I have put more underclassmen on varsity programs than ever before in the past. I also hear stories of how my students are excelling at tryouts and making elite club teams. It doesn't matter what kind of pitcher I bring into class to throw, these kids make faster adjustments and hit everyone. They are some of the smartest, toughest, level headed students I have ever had. So what can be so awful? Financially this move has driven some people away. They like the one on one time. That's all they know. Change is scary and different. "My son doesn't like hitting with all those other boys." Why? He has to play with 10 -14 other kids. What is the difference with 2 or 3? When I look at what I really get paid for it is really simple. I have an ever expanding knowledge and passion for hitting. I have played and have experience. I can teach and I am bless with this ability. Not everyone can articulate things in ways that people really get it. But the bottom line is I get results. My kids come in with bad swings and good swings and most of the time they leave hitting harder. I get results.
So about a year ago I switch over and started training at game speed and getting hitters more at bats during the week. Players that were sitting the bench last year are starting this year and turn heads. I switched over to a muscle memory program and a timing program and have almost done away with the hands on every move looks like this training. I have come to the conclusion that there is no "Perfect Swing" Linear or rotational? Neither is the best. It may be a combination of both. The two greatest home run hitters had different swings. Barry Bonds was rotational and Hank Aaron was a combination of forward push and rotation. Ichiro, who has been the most productive hitter in the last 10 years is linear. So really there is no best way. Hitters are good because they are on time. I saw Rod Carew over and over just flick his bat on balls and he would hit rockets to the gaps. It looked like he way out on his front leg and fooled by the pitch. I guess not cause he would flick the sweet spot on the ball and smack!
So where am I going with this? I really do believe that batting practice has it's place it's good to get the feeling of a good swing and where proper contact should be made. A tee works for this too. But it is game experience and game play that gets a hitter prepared for greatness. How is confidence built in BP when the pitcher just floats the ball in the zone and a hitter kills it over and over only to get in a game and this never happens? They strike out, ground out, and every once in a while hit a mistake. As a hitter this made me want to pull my hair out and stump baby chickens. Where did I see this game hitting turn hitters around at the professional level? The Latin players would finish the regular minor league season and rush home for the winter league. When these young players came back they had play another 60 games all winter. Most of the Americans were just working out getting in shape. Some guys played in recreational leagues. I played fast pitch softball so I could keep my eye and timing. But most guys were just taking BP with each other and working out. When the first week of spring training came. I killed the ball after playing softball all winter. Guys like Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Lee, and Mario Valdez came back from the winter leagues and were punishing pitchers. Today Magglio and Carlos are superstars. Mario was hampered with injuries and never made it, but believe me he was a very good hitter. Its is game speeds and training at these speeds that makes hitters better. If you take a good hitter and put him in 100 games per year over a 5 year period he would have had around 2000 at bats in that time period. Five years later he would be a better hitter. If you took an okay hitter meaning clearly not good and put him in 150 per year for 5 years he would have around 3000 at bats in that period. Five years later I would venture to say he would be a better hitter than the good hitter was based on this. Both are competing at the same level. Mastery is about doing the same thing over and over. If the okay hitter has experienced 1000 times more than the good hitter did then his mastery skills are going to be better. The Okay Hitter (OH)will have been in more situations that saw a curve ball, slider, change up, low outside fastball and a belt high fast than Good Hitter (GH). Even if their swings are still the exact same after five years the one with more experience will do better. Now if you flipped the group gave the GH a 1000 more at bats then you would see a huge separation in the hitters.
This is my personal experience with this I was a below average fielder when I came into pro baseball. When I finished seven years later I was a very solid infielder and catcher. Seven years of ground balls everyday for 10 to 20 minutes becomes a lot of repetition. I couldn't block a ball when I started catching. I was afraid to put myself in front of a 90 mph fastball in the dirt. I rarely caught my first year in a game. Everyday I caught 2 to 3 bullpens and started practicing my blocking there. Five years later I was pretty solid defensively behind the plate and I still am. Then there was throwing. From behind the plate I couldn't throw out the trash. In my fifth year I started working with Tony Pena and I started throwing a few people out. Today I can throw out the trash at 39. I work on my release almost everyday even though I only play 1 to 2 games per week now. Today I throw more than most BP coaches, except for Mike Moseley.
In my personal experience any training that is close to or as fast as game speed is going to be the most beneficial and rewarding. This is why I offer so many live hitting and timing training classes now. There will be a new group of hitters that are coming through the Las Vegas and Henderson area that will be a cut above the rest. They will not have a cookie cutter swings. No one will say, "That's a Greg Shepard swing." People won't be able to tell them from the next kid. They all have their own swings with a few little adjustments. Their timing will be impeccable and they will destroy opposing pitchers. These kids will have seen more live pitching than any of their teammates. They will have been in more first and third with one out or bases loaded with two outs situations than anyone else on the field that day. They will be seasoned hitters and people will take them serious. How do I know this? It's already happening. Perry was right and sometimes change is good. Its time for change to happen in baseball.

If you want more information about my up coming classes then please email me at info@hithardernow.com or visit my website. www.hithardernow.com

PART II " You Gotta Protect"

Wow was my email box flooded with comments and concerns about my two strike approach. I'm glad I ruffled a few feathers and maybe some cobwebs of old thinking.
Robert from Miami writes, "How can you teach people to give away their at bat because they have two strikes?" Robert I think you missed my whole point completely. I don't want you to give away the at bat. I just want you to realize that you are out, relax, and take you best hack.
Let me expound and some real numbers here and why these numbers are so significant especially at the Major League level. These numbers have been taken from Inside Edge a scouting service that tracks every pitch thrown at the Major League level. These number are from 4/1/2004 to 10/31/2006. This is a sample of 600,000 pitches to both left and right handed batters.
Overall Pitch Mix
FB = 64% CB = 9% SL = 15% CH = 10% Other = 2% Overall Batting Ave. .265
*This above line is the average of all hitters over the 600,000 pitch study.
Counts
0-0 FB = 68% CB = 9% SL = 13% CH = 8% OTHER = 2% BA. .336
1-0 FB = 69 CB = 5 SL = 12 CH = 12 OTHER = 2 BA. .338
0-1 FB = 57 CB = 11 SL = 18 CH = 12 OTHER = 2 BA. .316
1-1 FB = 57 CB = 9 SL = 17 CH = 14 OTHER = 2 BA. .323
2-0 FB = 81 CB = 2 SL = 7 CH = 8 OTHER = 1 BA. .346
2-1 FB = 68 CB = 5 SL = 13 CH = 12 OTHER = 2 BA. .335
3-0 FB = 95 CB = 0 SL = 2 CH = 2 OTHER = 1 BA. .365
3-1 FB = 85 CB = 2 SL = 6 CH = 6 OTHER = 1 BA. .356
* These numbers are the averages of all hitters in these counts.

Overall 2 Strike Pitch Mix
FB = 56% CB = 11% SL = 20% CH = 10% OTHER = 3% BA. .190

0-2 FB = 54 CB = 12 SL = 21 CH = 10 OTHER = 4 BA. .166
1-2 FB = 51 CB = 13 SL = 22 CH = 10 OTHER = 4 BA. .178
2-2 FB =55 CB = 11 SL = 20 CH = 12 OTHER = 3 BA. .193
3-2 FB =69 CB = 6 SL = 14 CH = 9 OTHER = 2 BA. .230
*These numbers are the averages of all hitters in these counts.

Do you see why you are an out yet? The only count that a hitter seems to have a chance is 3-2 and that average is a pathetic .230. So again the bottom line is these guys are the best of the best and they are only hitting .190 with 2 strikes. They are out!

So what if you had a paradigm shift in your thinking and changed your approach for 20 at bats just to test out what I am saying. Here is what the numbers change so drastically, because you can't sit on a fastball anymore. Look at the numbers 0-2,1-2,2-2 counts are somewhere around 53% FB and 47% off speed. You have a 50% chance of being wrong if you are guessing or even timing yourself up for a FB. Then the hitter gears up for FB and then gets OS (off speed) and they are early and miss hit the ball or swing through it. Or how many times have you seen a hitter get and 0-2 count and the pitcher blows one by him right down the middle. I can bet my life that the hitter was guessing OS and wasn't even ready to react to the pitch. Last year I saw Hughes for the Yankees pitching against the Twins and all the hitters were protecting with 2 strikes. They didn't have a chance. Hughes was throwing 96 mph on the hands and right down the middle. I saw hitter after hitter get blown away by the speed and take feeble swing after feeble swing hoping to even put a little bat on the ball. None did and he blew right threw the line up. I have also seen Greg Maddux throw 89, 84, 89, 80 in sequence and hitter after hitter would ground out to short or second. 0-0 CH, 0-1 FB, 1-1 CB, 1-2 FB for a backwards K. The hitter keeps thinking they are going to get a FB but they get OS. The hitter never gets their timing right and they can not pull the trigger on a good pitch. This is what is called Effective Velocity or EV and pitchers all around are learning this. That is why in the last three years the batting averages have dropped significantly.

So how do hitter combat EV? They have to be on time in the counts that they know they are going get the pitch they are looking for. Hitters have to guess and guess correctly. If you are in a 2 strike count that is 50% FB and you just saw a FB the pitch before then I would say look for the pitch that would be used to put you away. Look for the pitchers out pitch. If it is his dirty slider then look for it. If he has a good curve ball or change up then look for that. If it's a split finger then pray he leaves it up or throws it in the dirt for a ball. Also when you get good FB counts you have to be on time and taking good hacks. You got to put those balls in play and put them in play hard. You see pitchers are learning this EV stuff at a younger age now. Why? Guys like Bobby Valentine, Roy Oswaldt, Greg Maddux, Barry Zito are talking about EV. I even use these techniques when I pitch and get amazing results. Now pitchers are starting to throw 3-1 sliders or curve balls and hitters are chasing them because they have been conditioned to expect fast balls. I played in a minor league game where Jason Lakeman stuck out 16 guys in 5 innings. Yes 16! This was EV at it's best. His FB was 96 mph that night and he was following it up with an 84 mph slider that he kept bouncing. He would blow FB after FB by the hitters and then with 2 strikes take 12 mph off the next pitch and the hitters were too far out in front. He struck out 5 in one inning. The catcher was having a hard time with the drop 3rd strikes. He gave up maybe 2 hard hit balls the whole night. The hitter were so afraid of Jason blowing another FB by them that they were so ridiculously early on the slider.

So in reply to Robert from Miami. Hey Robert the numbers don't lie. I also strongly feel the numbers are the way they are because with 2 strikes guys are spreading out, choking up, and trying to protect the plate all the while taking not taking their best swing. They are taking a swing that they rarely practice against the tougher pitches to hit. This is why I say, " Take your "A" game swing. Make the best swing possible to give yourself the best chance possible in the toughest situation. Guess and don't be afraid if you guess wrong. According to the numbers you are out anyways! And what if you guessed right 50% of the time with 2 strikes and in 10 at bats hit 4 balls harder than you usually do with 2 strikes? You may get 3 to 4 hits over that 10 at bats. Significantly improving your average with 2 strikes. You may even earn the recognition as a 2 strike hitter. I can tell you this. I have hit some two strike home runs and doubles after going hit less in my first two at bats because I decided to guess differently. Am I a good hitter? Yes I am. I am a better hit because I guess and guess right a high percentage of the time also. Timing over talent. I once heard this phrase. I've seen some pretty good swings that have been on time and I've seen some pretty bad swings that have been on time. The results of both are hard hit balls. If the sweet spot of the bat shows up in the same area as the ball then the result is usually something hard. Never quit or give up your at bat. Battle to the end. Hitting is all about timing and pitching is all about messing up your timing. It's a chess game. What's he going to throw here. What does he have a tendency to throw. Then take and educated guess and hope you can be perfect with your timing.
Loved the flood of questions keep them coming. info@hithardernow.com

If you want to read a great book on the science of pitch sequencing then go to Hittingisaguess.com
There are three books: Book 3 Downright Filthy Pitching by Perry Husband.
This is an e-book but you can also purchase it in hard copy for a lot more money.

You Gotta Protect!!!

I have heard this preached by coaches and hitting coaches from the time I was able to hit a pitched ball. "You gotta protect the plate with two strikes!" I also heard shorten your swing up, spread out your stance, choke up and let the ball get deep and put it into left field. I'm a left handed hitter. I was actually a right handed hitter with a left handed grip when I first picked up a bat. My father must have been a genius or the angel of the Lord told him to just turn me around instead of switching my hands. Anyways all these coaches seem to think what they are doing is helping but in reality the worst batting averages are with 2 strikes. At the Major League level 3-2 has the best average at .239. This count would seem like a hitters count, but according to the numbers it is still heavily tipped towards the pitcher. The 1-2 count is the worst at .166 and as you can guess everything else falls between that .166 mark and .200. So what are you to do when your staring down the barrel of the dreaded two strike count? My strong opinion is..... hack! That's right take your best swing. Put the A swing out there instead of the "protection" one.
Now all the greatest hitters and hitting instructors ever are turning over in their graves or pushing themselves away from the table to calm themselves before hearing my rationale. Please come back sit down and hear me out. Lemme break it down for ya.
1. Practice! Practice! Practice! How do 99% of hitters train? They are training to take there best swing and hit the ball hard. Now if you are a coach that teaches two strike hitting and can consistently get hitters to drive the ball hard then stop reading, but since this can not happen by doing all the the things discussed in the first paragraph then keep reading. Bio-mechanically all those things cost a hitter distance and exit speed. Spreading out causes loss of weight transfer. Shortening the swing causes loss of bat speed. Choking Up decreases lever size. Remember this: The longer the lever the stronger the lever and the shorter the lever the quicker. Maybe this is another reason why the batting averages are so low with two strikes. Maybe it isn't all related to pitch selection, maybe it's related to swing selection. This whole protection thing makes me lose sleep. How come with a 3-1 count a hitter will spit on that fastball 4 inches off the plate, but with two strike they will chase it all day. Or with two strikes hitters will swing at a low curve ball in the dirt but 3-1 will take that all day. How come with two strike the hitters have been trained to expand the zone? The umpire hasn't expanded his. A strike is still a strike in his mind.
Okay here is my true feelings on this. The first is I always want to take my best swing. Second there is no reacting to the pitch. Maybe in little league when the ball is coming 50 mph, but a 91 mph fastball will be by you before you can react to it. It's okay to guess. If you look at the numbers you are an out anyways so why not guess and be on time. If you are still 1-2 and think this guy has a good curve ball I'm going to sit on it. You start a little later to compensate for the decreased speed and when the ball shows up you take your best swing. Let's say he does exactly what you guess and you are on time and drive a ball past the shortstop. Well you just overcame the odds. You were supposed to be out. Let's say you think curve ball and the pitcher blows a fastball right by you? So what, you were out anyways who cares if you strike out, pop out, ground out, foul out? Right and out is an out. I would rather have this scenario: Two runners on and you guess right and hit a line drive with your best swing and drive in 1. Then this scenario: Two runners on and you choke up, spread out, and then a weak ground ball double play to second with your protection swing. No only were you out you were responsible for two outs. I'm watching a game between the Dodgers and the Padres today and I see Uribe with two strikes take a hack on a curve ball and drive it into the corner for 2 runs. Then I see a non roster invitee for the Padres come up with first and third and he (Santana) takes two hacks then goes to an almost no stride shortened up swing and slaps a ball to first for and out. He did get and rbi but made and out. The season veteran Uribe got two rbi's and his batting average went up not down. I'm just saying if I'm a Big League manager and I have to make a last day choice for the roster. I have a talented new young player that has potential to score runs while making outs or a solid veteran that when I am down 3 in the ninth can get a hit, score two runs and still be on base to keep the rally going. Well I am going to lean toward the guys that is still on base.
Bottom line: Take your A game swing with you always especially with two strikes when you need it the most. It is okay to guess. If you are right and you will be then many more hits will come. You will guess wrong. Oh well you were out anyways. Training methods need to change to train more to be on time and guess than try to react to the pitches. I have a device I use called a NOS timing chain that has worked wonders. If you would like more information about this device and some of my other teaching methods please email me at info@hithardernow.com.

Bryce Harper Experiment 2011 ----- Terminated!

One for one with 1 rbi. I was a little early on the pitch but still hit a line drive up the middle. Then.......













2011 season over due to broken ankle. One plate, 8 pins, and 1 screw and that's all folks!

Dream Big!

Winners dream big. Winners are bigger than their problems. With losers the problems are bigger than they are. Winner thrive in spite of the obstacles in their way. Losers are blocked by the obstacles and then make lame excuses why they fail. Winners take responsibility when they fail. In the end the only person that can guarantee your success is YOU. This is why I am writing this section on dreaming big. When I was a kid I told everyone I was going to be a professional ball player. I see now I should have been a lot more specific. I should have said that I was going to play short stop for the St Louis Cardinals and be Ozzie Smith's replacement. Hit .330 over my career be a 10 time All Star and make 10 million a year. I say this because everything I have ever asked for in life I have received. And when I was specific about it I received exactly what I asked for. I never asked for any of those things specifically so I never received any of them. Here are some things I did say I wanted and had. I wanted to play college at Arizona State University. I did have a chance to go there, but I listed to people that I respected and when they said I wasn't that good, so I went to Junior College instead. Remember I blogged about going with your gut? Well I didn't on that one. Later I had a chance to go back there. I changed my mind and went to Cal State Northridge instead. This time I knew what I really wanted. When I saw CSUN play I said I want to go there. I ended up with a full ride. I asked and I received. I never said I wanted to get drafted. I assumed God could read my mind. Well that is not true because I didn't believe in God when I finished college baseball. I met God a year later and shared my desire to Him. I said I want to play professional baseball. I wasn't specific I just wanted to play. So a few months later I signed with the Palm Springs Promise and made $350 per month, but I was playing and getting paid like a professional. A year later I signed another contract with the Regina Cyclones. I found an old goal card from that year. My goal was to hit .350, 10 HR, 20 2B, 40 RBIs. I hit .324,6,5, 39. Not bad doing this with a broken hamate bone in my hand. A couple months after the season was over I went to here a millionaire from Amway speak. In a crowd of 400 people he asked if anyone had a goal card on them. 11 people raised their hands. He picked me to come up on stage and tell everyone about my goals. I did and was given a slap in the face wake up call. I wish I could remember his name but it alludes me. He looked at my goals and said, "Not Specific Enough." I was defensive and said I was achieving all my goals. He said then why are you here? He was right I wasn't where I wanted to be. So right there and then I said I wanted to be playing in a major league organization. A week later while trying out of the Chicago Cubs I professed, "Maybe The Chicago White Sox will sign me." Two weeks later they did and reported to single A in South Bend, Indiana. In 1997 I was focused and set my goal to hit .350, 10 HR 20, 2B, 50 RBI's. I set the bar higher because I had trained harder than ever and those goals just resonated with me. At the end of the season I was starting everyday at first or right field, because when the season started I was playing about 2 days a week. I hit .308. Was I disappointed that I missed my goal? Not really because I hit 12 home runs, 29 doubles, 64 rbi's and finished 9th in the league in hitting while appearing in 106 out of 140 games. 30 of those games I only got one at bat because I appeared as a pinch hitter in the late innings. Do you think I kept setting goals for the rest of my career? No, I thought I was on my way the the top and I stopped. Not one of the better choices I have made in my life.
Later on in my life I said I wanted a wife and described her specifically from the color of her hair, that she must be beautiful, funny and when I meet her I will not miss her. I met her and didn't miss her. We wed a year later. So ask and be specific. I did this with my second soon to be wife and it worked again.
Your dream must be bigger than any obstacle. Bigger than any injury or circumstance. Winner see obstacles as a challenge and look for solutions to overcome them. Winners are bigger than circumstances or problems. When winners dream big they look for ways to lift people up around them. Loser look to tear people down. Losers create strife and turmoil on a team. Winners build up those around them so that they will make the whole team better. When a winner dreams big it is not all about them. It is about the team as a whole it's about the world as a whole. Losers only care about themselves and what is in it for them. When a winner has a big dream it is always followed up with action. Extra ground balls and 1000's of swings, either live or soft toss or tee work. I've had plenty of kids over the years say they want to play college or pro baseball but their actions did not line up with what they said they wanted. So you can probably guess what happened. They didn't make it. You have to be dedicated and your intentions must be followed through with mass amounts of the right actions.
There are NO ACCIDENTS! I would bet my life on this. Nine out of ten people are quitters. You think that number is high? It's by design. In life 90% of the wealth is controlled my 10 % of the people. In baseball the numbers are even tougher. At one time I was told that only 1% of all high school baseball players make it to a division one school to play and only a 1/2% of all college players get a chance to play pro baseball. Then only a 1/2% of this group actually makes it to the major league level to appear in front of thousands of people and get the big pay check. Oh but if you happen to be one of the chosen then you can make and a lot of money. And yet if you look at the payroll break down most teams have the same breakdown, accept the Yankees. On a 25 man roster 2 to 3 guys are making all the money. Everyone else is getting paid well, but not A Rod money or Cliff Lee money.
Here is a good example of action, desire and sacrifice, Bryce Harper. Since he was about 12 he has been playing at the top club level, getting invited to camps and clinics. He probably played in well over 100 tournaments from 10 to 16 years of age. Every week I would here the kids come into my baseball academy and say, "Did you hear what Harper did?" Every tournament I just started asking, "What did Harper do?" Ron and Bryce were at my place (The Ballpark) at least 3 days a week hitting. Ron's arm was probably in as good as shape as any batting practice pitcher at the professional level. They both put in some hours. I can't remember ever giving Bryce a personal lesson, but Ron and I talked hitting a lot. Ron was smart. He asked a lot of questions. Maybe he passed this on to Bryce. Bryce has a lot of the principles and fundamentals of the swing I teach. Bryce is a mixture of natural talent and strength plus he just outworked everyone else. The results don't lie. He's bigger, faster, throws harder and hits the ball farther all of his competition. Baseball consumes his life. Did all that action and hard work pay off? I would say so. Did you see his contract and signing bonus? I had my hitting coach (Perry Husband) called me from Florida and ask me if he was my student. I told him I couldn't take credit for any of his swing. It was all natural or self taught. Bryce is a combination of hard work, dedication, and commitment to himself and his love for the game. I've heard people say he took drugs and other things. I'll be the first person to step in and say, " Not a chance,"
Do you think Bryce had a big dream? Do you think he laid in bed at night and had dreams about being the best player in the world? Do you think he dreams about ripping a fastball from C.C. Sabathia into the seats? I think he has always had and end goal in mind. Successful people always do. I know I planted seeds in his head. I know for a fact at 13 I told his dad he would need a good agent one day, a Scott Boras type of agent. I also told Ron that Bryce would be a 1st rounder. I just saw it in his abilities at a young age. He hit the ball harder than college kids at 14. Winners speak positive things into others lives. Losers speak poison that kills dreams.
In conclusion I challenge you to dream big. Make it fun and wild and specific. If you want anything in life the put that request out there and then follow it up with action.... The right action. If you want to meet a girl then you can not just sit at home in front of your computer and expect her to show up at your front door. Well unless you mail order her from Russia. If you want top be the best high school or little league player in your area then you will also need to put the play station controller down and actually go to the batting cage and hit a few 100 balls a week. Be specific! If you want to get drafted then what round? How much of a signing bonus do you want? What team? Do you want college included in the deal? How about a shoe and glove contract? Or maybe you don't have any desire to play professional baseball just go to college. So what school do you want to go to? Do you want a full scholarship? Be clear about what you want and take action towards your goals. You will be amazed on the results and then you will understand that there is a higher power in the universe out there that wants you to win too. Then give glory and honor where it is do.
If you want to adopt a winning world view them always look for the positive in any situation. Tell yourself you are bigger than any of your problems and look for solutions and don't make excuses. Winner are responsible for their lives and their outcomes. Losers are victims. It is never a losers fault always someone else. Winners take action. They say, "I'm going to get better and this is how!" Then they just do it NOW! Losers say, "I'll do it tomorrow." Tomorrow is always a day away. It has been said that if you help enough people get what they want you will get what you want. I believe this is on the top of my list of being a winner. I am never getting to the Majors as a player, I'm 40 years old. I do dream of having many many students that I have taught playing at the major league level one day. I dream of the best of the best seeking me out to train them in the off season. I dream of many batting titles for my students. I dream of them flying my all over to work with them when they are struggling and lavish gifts when they are at the top of the league leaders lists. I will receive a Lamborghini as a gift from one of my students one day. It will be yellow, very fast, leather interior.... you see where I'm going? Dream Big.

2011 Bryce Harper Experiment

I have been experimenting with this load and swing.
I will update you on results as they come.

First tournament 3 for 11
1 double
2 singles
3 hard hit balls.

Timing was a little off and I am sore as heck from swinging so hard.

Do it again!

This is probably the second most used statement I make when giving lessons.
The first is push and turn. "Do it again, do it again,do it again, and finally do it again. Because once you are able to do it once then one of the keys to success is the ability to repeat the right move. This is part of the "Mastery Process". It's just like in Karate Kid when Mr. Miyagi says, "Wax on wax off, sand the floor, paint the fence." Young Daniel Russo waxes on and off so much he can't even lift his arms. He becomes angry because he wants to learn something new so he can fight. He gets bored with this work. Then Mr. Miyagi shows him the method behind the madness. There is karate in everything in life. Life is karate and karate is life. Well in my world baseball is life and life is baseball. I find life and learning in both. My purpose is to get my hitters to the point where when a strike crosses the meaty part of home plate that the reaction that happens is pure perfection and pure intention to hit the ball as hard as possible. My purpose is to get my hitters to be able to hit 50, 100, 200, 1000 balls in a row hard. Not just hit the ball but hit the ball hard. I have been playing baseball for over 30 years now and I still do not hit every ball hard in game situations. This is an impossibility, but when I practice with full intention to strike the ball hard every time that is exactly what happens. I repeat the same move over and over with the same result over and over. Do it again, do it again, do it again. Do it again so that it become natural and second nature it becomes my mantra.
Master is truly a life time process. Refinement through repetition. It has to be the right repetition also.
I want to acknowledge Alex Tisminezski for all his hard work, repetition and patience.
Well done.
Alex has also been working with John Birds on pitching and threw his first no hitter and few weeks ago. He flirted with perfection until he walked one hitter. Watch out for this future star.