Tom Pardikes 
In January 2015, Dillon Lawson stood on stage at the American Baseball Coaches Association convention in Orlando, Florida, and delivered a 35-minute presentation on the art and science of pitch recognition for hitters, and how to maximize it as a competitive advantage. Read More
This is the third story in a five-part series that examines how swing biomechanics and the proliferation of technological tools are helping hitters. Modern technology is able to illuminate the kinematic sequence of a hitter’s swing, but those assessments top out at the athlete’s torso. What happens above the neck is just as critical, and … Read more
It’s game day. You show up the field.
Pregame B.P. Done.
Pre-Game Warm Up. Done.
Go back to the club house. Put on the game uniform.
Now you’re in the dugout. You look at the line-up.
You’re not hitting in the spot you notmally hit.
You’re not playing the position you normally play.
It’s game day. You show up the field.
Pregame B.P. Done.
Pre-Game Warm Up. Done.
Go back to the club house. Put on the game uniform.
Now you’re in the dugout. You look at the line-up.
You’re not hitting in the spot you notmally hit.
You’re not playing the position you normally play.
Growing up on Long Island, about 25 miles east of New York City, Eugene Bleecker took 10 years of lessons at a local baseball camp. He went on to play college baseball, catching for four Division II, NAIA, and NJCAA schools over five years with what he calls “very old-school” mechanics. When he started his coaching career, Bleecker taught the same drills and preached the same philosophies that he had learned in his youth.
Take the “IF” out of your swing. Tips From Steve Springer
Why is it that when a hitter struggles, the first thing we do is try to change the swing, approach or bat? How often do we ask, “are you SEEING the ball effectively?”
If you’re not seeing the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, you’re shootin yourself in the foot. When you’re confident, you’re seeing the ball well.
Hitting is about confidence, so let’s make sure we have a plan to pick up the pitch effectively.
Take a peek at the occlusion training. Anticipate the pitch. Pick ball or strike, type of pitch THEN check to see if you’re right with the full version REPLAY.
Vision Skills: Two strike hitting practice. Harder than it looks. Easier when you train it.
When you’re trying to work yourself into the line-up, there are a few things you can do.
One of them is playing good defense.
A good glove keeps you in the line-up and on the field.
But there are a few other things that a hitter can leverage to give themselves a chance to contrinute more to the team.
Coach Mongero lays it out in about 20 seconds in this video.
Hitting is a split second decision period.
You have to recognize pitch type, ball or a strike, react accordingly and THEN hope that your mechanics are on point and your approach is correct.
No wonder hitting is the hardest thing to do in all of sports.
And like our boy Steve Springer says:
“Baseball is the biggest self-esteem destroying sport in the world” – Steve Springer
We agree.
This is why hitters are using every tool and advantage to gain that edge.
This is also why we’re excited to launch the HIT STATION.
Our newest gameSense pitch recognition training feature.
When you log in and click on Hit Station, you’ll be presented with a simulation pitch sequence.
You anticipate the type of pitch, ball or strike and then receive direct feedback.
It’s a perfect way to incorporate it into your actual batting practice session with a bat in your hand.
