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Keeping Your Eyes On The Ball Takes Practice

There’s no argument that a baseball batter’s ability to track an incoming pitch is critical to hitting performance but it’s the details of how his eyes perform that task that researchers are still figuring out. While previous studies have confirmed that expert hitters are better than novices at tracking a moving object, we still need to breakdown the process if we want to build better training tools for athletes.

A study released this month in PLOS ONE took a big step to understanding this visual perception of athletes.

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gameSense Hit Station

https://youtu.be/QSWuxH_61Aw How to setup and use gameSense Hit Station Output gameSense app from computer or iPad/iPhone to a TV or a video projector. Use the

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2 Tee Hitting Drill

Baseball Hitting Drill – 2 Ball Toss Baseball Drill This 2 ball feed hitting drill helps with the proper reaction to the incoming pitch. A

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Drills

Pitch Recognition Hitting Drills 2 Tee Hitting Drill gameSense Hit Station Output gameSense app from computer or iPad/iPhone to a TV or a video projector.

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How to Use gameSense

gS Video-Occlusion Method: Watch pitches that are cut off during ball flight; identify pitch TYPE and BALL/STRIKE. DRILLS Players select a pitcher and choose RHB

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How To Hit The Change-Up

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.

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Absorb The Unexpected

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.

Read More »

Tech Makes Baseball a Simple Game: You See the Ball, You Hit the Ball, You Got It?

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.

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Be a Gamer.

Popping out in foul territory. Striking out looking. Swinging and missing on a hanging breaking ball. Being late on an 0-2 fastball…

…these are hands down some of the worst feelings in baseball, for hitters.

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Occlusion vs Full View Pitch Recognition Training For Ballplayers

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.

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The Hit Station – A new pitch recognition & baseball vision training by gameSense

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.

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The Hit Station – A new pitch recognition & baseball vision training by gameSense

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.

Read More »

gameSense in action – Hit Stations, Game Simulation & Pitch Recognition Reps

We put hours in the cage to refine the swing.

We put hours in the gym to develop explosive power and bat-speed.

We get the pitch recognition part right, the refined swing and the explosive power translate better.

Period.

This is why hitting instructors, top baseball programs and the individual player who’s willing to take their development as a hitter in their own hands are taking their vision skills and pitch recognition training to a whole new level.

Come take a look and see how some of these players are utilizing the training as part of their hitting stations during B.P.

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gameSense in action – Hit Stations, Game Simulation & Pitch Recognition Reps

We put hours in the cage to refine the swing.

We put hours in the gym to develop explosive power and bat-speed.

We get the pitch recognition part right, the refined swing and the explosive power translate better.

Period.

This is why hitting instructors, top baseball programs and the individual player who’s willing to take their development as a hitter in their own hands are taking their vision skills and pitch recognition training to a whole new level.

Come take a look and see how some of these players are utilizing the training as part of their hitting stations during B.P.

Read More »

3 MAIN parts of a GREAT hitter.

Coach Trent Mongero @trentmongero (Founder of Winning Baseball & Dirt Bros) shares his 3 main pillars of being a solid hitter, what it looks like and what we should work on if there are weaknesses in our skills and approach.

”As the game speeds up, we have to be able to reognize quality pitches. We have to swing at strikes.”

He has a growing Youtube Channel that you should definitely subscribe to as well.

In this video, he’s going to share strategies that professionals use to see the ball as early as possible.

Out of the 3 main pillars, what would you say you need to work on?

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Trent Mongero Shares Pitch Recognition Tip

So you wanna see the ball better, eh?

No, seriously…do you? I mean I know you signed up to the newsletter to train your pitch recognition but it’s early and a humpday sooo…just askin.

Yes? Okay sweet. We have just the thing for you.

Coach Trent Mongero, Founder of Winning Baseball & Dirt Bros) break down his process of seeing the ball as best as possible.

Coach Mongero is a true expert, loves teaching what he knows, always prepared to learn more…

…and seriously, it shows.

He has a growing Youtube Channel that you should definitely subscribe to as well.

In this video, he’s going to share strategies that professionals use to see the ball as early as possible.

You’ll learn about the importance of leveraging the soft focus & relaxation.

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Team Pitch Recognition & Training

Facing a guy who’s gangly, throws from the side, hides the ball well, varies their release points from one pitch to the next…

….they’re no fun.

The only thing you can really do is to try slowing the game down by slowing down your feet and quieting your head.

Easier said than done. Sure but here’s exactly how to do it.

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Team Pitch Recognition & Training

Facing a guy who’s gangly, throws from the side, hides the ball well, varies their release points from one pitch to the next…

….they’re no fun.

The only thing you can really do is to try slowing the game down by slowing down your feet and quieting your head.

Easier said than done. Sure but here’s exactly how to do it.

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How to recognize pitches quicker. Pitchers are CREATURES of habit.

Facing a guy who’s gangly, throws from the side, hides the ball well, varies their release points from one pitch to the next…

….they’re no fun.

The only thing you can really do is to try slowing the game down by slowing down your feet and quieting your head.

Easier said than done. Sure but here’s exactly how to do it.

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How to face a deceptive pitcher

Facing a guy who’s gangly, throws from the side, hides the ball well, varies their release points from one pitch to the next…

….they’re no fun.

The only thing you can really do is to try slowing the game down by slowing down your feet and quieting your head.

Easier said than done. Sure but here’s exactly how to do it.

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How To Catch Up To HIGH HEAT

If you’re having trouble catching up to the fastball, ESPECIALLY the HIGH HEAT, it’s probably because of two things.

  1. You’re not starting your load early enough. – Often times a hitter runs into trouble when they get to the point of contact too late because the’y’ve initiated their speration and stride way to late.

  2. You have too much head movement – When the head moves the eyes moves. If you wanna make 90 mph look like 85mph, slow your feet and head down. If you wanna make 90 mph look like 95 mph…speed your feed up.

Here’s what you need to be thinking about.

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How to recognize the curveball.

You spend hours in the cage making sure you’re driving the fastball with calmness, toughness, and focus.

You work on hitting for a little more pop.

You work on driving the ball to the opposite field.

You’re ready because you put in the work.

You’re confident because you feel prepared.

The game starts…

…whoops!

You’re facing a guy who pitches off of his breaking pitch.

He starts at-bats off with a curve-ball.

He throws one in a 2-0 count.

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3 Steps To Better Pitch Recognition.

Begin your Pitch Recognition & Vision Training w/ 30% off an annual membership here!

Many players get themselves into trouble at the plate because they’re simply not ready to hit.

They step in the batter’s box thinking, “if it’s a strike, I’m going to swing” instead “it’s going to be a strike right down the plate and I’m going to be ready”.

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Hunting The Fast-Ball

Begin your Pitch Recognition & Vision Training w/ 30% off an annual membership here!

Many players get themselves into trouble at the plate because they’re simply not ready to hit.

They step in the batter’s box thinking, “if it’s a strike, I’m going to swing” instead “it’s going to be a strike right down the plate and I’m going to be ready”.

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The Ultimate Playmaker – Relying on Cognitive Development in Baseball

Mark Newman has watched a lot of baseball but he had never seen anything like this. “Over the twenty-six years, I was with the Yankees, we trained shortstops, at every level in the organization, to be there on that play,” Newman, the team’s recently retired senior vice president of player development, said in an engaging conversation. “[Derek Jeter] was. Many others weren’t. I’m not sure if he was trained any differently than the other twenty-five shortstops. His ability to pay attention, be in the moment, and respond to his environment was superior. That play’s an example of it.”

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Big Data and gameSense Pitch Recognition in College Baseball

Tigers head coach Steve Bieser was introduced to Dr. Peter Fadde’s product during his tenure at Southeast Missouri State University by hitting coach Dillon Lawson. The pair had embraced a “Moneyball” mentality in other ways — using sabermetric measures like runs created and weighted on-base average to build lineups — and their investment in plate-approach paid off. 

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Training the Brain to be a Better Hitter

The mere act of hitting a ball is well beyond the normal realm of human perceptual cognitive decision-making, which is the process by which the brain combines the various types of sensory information it receives to decide how to behave.

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Baseball Pitch Backspin Can Play Tricks On Batters

Hitters have a lot to think about when they’re at the plate. Game situation, pitch count, pitcher tendencies and even the last few at-bats. Picking out the fast ball versus the off-speed pitch is hard enough but what if a pitcher could vary not only his speed and location but also the ball’s backspin? The visual illusion of the rising fastball depends on backspin to counteract gravitational forces during the trajectory to the plate. So, playing with different backspins would directly affect the vertical dimension of the ball flight.

Researchers at Japan’s Waseda University designed an experiment to mess with a group of pro, semi-pro and college hitters by asking them to hit pitches with varying backspins but constant speeds. Their research appeared in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics.

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Lack Of Pitch Recognition Affects Swing Mechanics

If a batter is able to correctly predict the pitch type, his swing movement will be timed in unison with the pitcher’s throwing motion. Tomohisa Miyanishi and So Endo of the Graduate School of Sports Science at Japan’s Sendai University set out to actually measure the the correlation of the mirrored movements.

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Visual Perception Tests Help Explain Poor Hitting By Baseball Pitchers

Do pitchers and non-pitchers all start with the same level of perceptual cognitive abilities, (i.e. the same “hardware”) and then diverge based on hours of deliberate practice (improving the “software” of the brain)?  To find out, a team of researchers at Duke University dug into a treasure trove of data on over 500 baseball players who had been tested using the Nike Sensory Station (now Senaptec) between 2010 and 2014.

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Righties vs Lefties – The Importance Of Handedness Training In Hitting

Most batters would prefer to face an opposite-hand (OH) pitcher, righty vs lefty and vice versa. With the dominance of right-handed pitchers in the game, the left-handed hitter comes to the plate with a built-in advantage. But what exactly is that advantage? What would happen if the pitcher population in the league was more balanced, righties to lefties? Two sets of researchers set out to dig a little deeper into this phenomenon of visual perception.

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Research Finds That Pitch Recognition Skill Is Linked With Season Walk Percentage

“Yeah, but will it transfer out to the field?” It is the most asked question about any type of sports training. Tools, techniques and technologies all seem logical in their theory and approach but the bottom line is, well, the bottom line. It’s no different in baseball. Coaches, parents and most of all players would like some empirical evidence that there is a transfer of learning from drills to statistical performance at the plate.

That’s why we were excited to see the results of a recent study, the first of two by Dr. Sean Müller and Dr. Peter Fadde, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at gameSense Sports, that found a significant link between the visual anticipation skills of hitters, also known as pitch recognition, and their actual statistical performance during a season.

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Study Confirms That First Third Of Ball Flight Is Key For Baseball Hitters

A baseball hitter relies more on pitch information during the first third of ball flight than the final third. Nothing new there as coaches have been teaching pitch recognition that way for years. But sometimes a well-designed academic study comes along to confirm what may be obvious. That’s exactly what a group of Japanese sports scientists did earlier this year when they incorporated occlusion glasses, a pitching machine and a group of college baseball players.

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In-Game Pitcher Video Is Effective For Pitch Recognition Training

When teaching a new motor skill or game tactic, coaches rely on their athletes being able to take what they learned in practice and apply it during a game despite multiple changes in the environment, emotions and minute by minute situations.

For baseball hitting instructors, this is especially true when teaching pitch recognition and plate discipline. Facing the same pitchers in batting practice every day doesn’t provide the breadth of delivery mechanisms and early ball flight cues that players will see from multiple pitchers during an entire season

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Game Fatigue Can Hurt Cognitive Skills of Baseball Hitters

For most baseball players, live batting practice (BP) provides the best time to work on pitch recognition, timing and swing mechanics. Typical pre-game BP sessions offer a couple dozen swings facing medium-speed pitches with the goal of warming up muscles and focusing vision to the ballpark lighting and background. During rare in-season team practices, hitting and fielding are often isolated training activities, except for the occasional scrimmage

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A Pitcher’s Facial Emotions Can Help A Hitter’s Pitch Recognition

Baseball players, like most athletes, are not emotionless robots. The pressure of the moment can affect their performance. Think of the pitcher-batter duels, where one team is one swing away from victory or defeat. The well-trained brain of the pitcher knows what to throw and the experienced batter knows what to expect.

Yet, athletes can’t always mask the stress they’re feeling, giving away possible cues to their opponent. Staring back at the pitcher, a hitter might be able to subconsciously detect fear or uncertainty which may help him predict the type, speed and location of the next pitch. That interaction is what Dr. Arik Cheshin of the University of Haifa wanted to understand.

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Learning How Focus As A Hitter In Baseball

Learning how to focus, or what others might call concentration or paying attention is a critical mental skill set for baseball players.  When you are focused or “in the moment”, the game seems to slow down.  Sport psychologists often call this “being in the zone” or in a “flow state”.  On the other hand when you are not in the zone, the game feels like it is speeding up and you cannot keep up with the pace. 

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VR in sports

Perception & Action Podcast: Dr. Rob Gray interviews gameSports Dr. Fadde about Perception-Action Coupling, Part vs. Whole Training, and VR in sports. A discussion with

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