Softball
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. Use the same gS pitcher, but choose
-Choose HitStation mode on Drill List.
-You get 10 pitches, straight through with Occluded pitch followed by Replay.
-No computer input.
-Choose a pitcher, then a goal: “Ahead in the count. Looking for your pitch, extra base hit.” Hitters see Occluded pitch and do ghost swing (or take), then see the replay.
-Hitters decide for themselves if they made good swing decision. DON’T call pitch type — trying to get away from that into Batters box think.
-Hitters can hit off of a tee if set up allows.
Net Occlusion Drill
Eyes Closed Tee Drill
Two Tee Drills
You need an overhang tee, like a Backspin tee. And a normal tee, even a Tanner low tee. You can set up any pitch combination. FB on the corner, SL off the corner. Hitter working on his own can visualize one of the gS pitchers (maybe even do a gS before going into cage). Or he can visualize a Big 10 pitcher he has seen before. Think about the combo pitches that pitcher uses to get chases (you said to reduce swing-and-miss — I’ll take that as reduce chase. Swing and miss in the zone is another issue).
This can be great with a coach or teammate teeing up the balls and making some sort of Verbal sound (or get a buzzer or something to hold in hand). The hitter triggers and starts swing, going for the FB. But if “slide” or “beep” sound, then needs to adjust mid-swing and get the other tee’d ball. This isn’t Pitch Recognition, it’s the swing adjustability back end. PR isn’t just for swing decision, but also for swing adjustment. Your hitters will really like that because you’re hitting a guy’s put-away pitch!
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 or LHB view. Each pitcher has multiple Difficulty levels:
• Full-Pitch (into catcher’s mitt)
• Basic (one-third of ball flight)
• Advanced (6-8 feet of ball flight)
• Wicked (cut off at release)
Drills are 10 pitches long and take about 90 seconds. Pitches are in random order so drills can be repeated frequently.
SESSIONS
• Off season or pre-season= once a day
• In season= 3 or 4 times per week
• Session= 6-8 video drills (10-12 minutes)
Players do gS sessions at the clubhouse or on players’ own laptop, iPhone, or iPad.
Starters Sports Training and gameSense Sports Team Up to Help Hitters Read Pitches
Starters Sports Training will team up with gameSense Sports to bring pitch recognition software solutions to Starters’ baseball and softball players.
“We are extremely excited about this opportunity,” said Ryan Schwartzman general manager of Starters. “Pitch recognition can be difficult to teach. During a game a player might get 2 to 4 plate appearances of which they might see a handful of pitches. With gameSense players will be able to see and get feedback on over 50 plate appearances in 15 to 30 minutes of time.”
Founded by internationally renowned sports performance neuroscientists, gameSense cutting-edge technology is based on decades of proven brain research. gameSense programs are designed to enhance an athlete’s ability to make faster and better in-game decisions. Developing this edge can be the difference between making the travel team, winning a state championship or earning a college scholarship. Additional detail can be found on the company’s website: gameSense Sports.
Starters will now incorporate gameSense into some of its training programs as part of Starters’ commitment to develop top talent in the Upper Midwest. Starters strives to provide advanced technological training resources and support to its softball and baseball Club, Academy and Advanced Training members. Starters coaches will not only evaluate a hitter’s pitch recognition skills, they will train and improve pitch recognition.
“gameSense will be an important tool for Starters’ trainers and athletes. We can boost our player development, talent identification, player monitoring with this high-quality video training platform and the feedback it provides,” said Jeff Thuringer, Co-Founder of Starter Sports Training.
In addition, all coaches at Starters will become gameSense Certified with access to exclusive training content, reporting and analysis through gameSense’s learning management tools. This content will feature exclusive videos of pitchers from every level of play, as well as tips and tricks for using gameSense’s tools to their fullest potential.
“Starters Sports Training’s progressive approach to performance improvement and talent identification, distinguishes it among other academies. In bringing all of the development academies and teams into the gameSense platform, coaches and scouts are able to utilize detailed pitch recognition metrics and skill enhancement to supplement talent identification across an entire season more easily and effectively. gameSense is extremely proud to play its part in what should serve as a model for other academies,” said Tom Pardikes, Ph.D, CEO at gameSense Sports.
“Starters Sports Training believes in a holistic approach to elite player development and cutting-edge technology for educational and skill development purposes is a key component in that process,” Jeff Thuringer. “Because at its core it is brain-training, being able to leverage the convenience of a mobile device (can be used on or off the field) to develop and improve such a critical skill is a game changer! The gameSense platform provides players, coaches, and scouts opportunities to continually assess and improve a player’s performance.”
Learn more about gameSense Sports and Starters Sports Training.
Published: Aug 28, 2019
How To Hit The Change-Up
I bet you 90% of your strikeouts are either a strike three called looking because you weren’t ready to put the ball in play or chasing a ball in the dirt. I’m right, aren’t I?
Here’s the truth. If you don’t learn how to: Post up, Load late, Recognize “shade”, you will underachieve when you face a pitcher who can locate and pitch off of his change-up. The change-up is the most dangerous pitch in the game. Why? Because it’s really hard to hit 93 mph and 83 mph at the same time. If you want to hit the change-up hard, you better have a great approach or have eyes like Teddy ballgame. If the approach is all you have, it better be a good one. Here’s how to get it done.
Post Up
Be aggressive on anything up in the zone. If it starts up, it’ll stay up. If it starts down, it’ll end up way down. Here’s one way to look at it – imagine a table, waist-high that’s sitting on top of the plate…anything that starts above that table, you’re gonna take a daddy hack. If it starts below that table, you’re spitting (taking) on until you have two strikes.
Why does this work? A breaking ball/offspeed pitch that starts above that table will still be a strike after it breaks or drops. If it starts below the table, it’ll probably end up in the dirt once it crosses the plate. This is called plate discipline.
Load Late
Most of your thrown away at-bats are after pulling pitches you have no business pulling. You’re not letting the ball travel enough to attack the inner-half of the ball. So you get the topspin and weak ground ball, pull-side. You might have a great swing, but it’s not translating because your approach is off. Do this instead. Push the plate back in your mind, load a little later and focus on driving the ball back up the middle. Now, you’re on time to hit the change-up and on plane to still hit the fastball, middle away to the big parts of the field.
Recognize the Shade
We all know that different pitch types have a different spin. Another way to look at it is like this. The “lighter” the pitch the slower it is. A fastball is darker to the eye because the seams are spinning faster. The change-up is the lightest because the seams are spin the slowest and in a horizontal rotation. The change-up has almost a pink tint to it since the seams are spinning slower. When trying to recognize the change-up better, anticipate a lighter shade. The lighter the shade, the slower your load and separation becomes. Your timing changes. You make an adjustment during the pitch. This is what great hitters do.
Bringing It Home
If you’re struggling with hitting the changeup, get great at posting up, loading late, and recognizing “shade”. If it’s up in the zone, it’ll end up a strike. Move the plate back in your mind and use the big part of the field. If it’s a lighter tint, it’s probably an off-speed. Make sense? Good. What’s been your approach lately with two-strikes? Let us know in the comments below.
#Seetheballbetter visit, https://gamesensesport.com to learn how.
Absorb The Unexpected
It’s game day. You show up to the field.
Pregame B.P. Done.
Pre-Game Warm-Up. Done.
Go back to the clubhouse. Put on the game uniform.
Taped up. Tarred up. Swig some water, Gatorade…and finish whatever superstitious pregame routine you got, if you even have one.
Cleats are on. You’re good to go. Locked in…until…
…you’re in the dugout. You look over at the line-up.
You’re not hitting in the spot you normally hit in.
You’re not playing the position you normally play.
On top of that – the pitcher you thought you were facing, isn’t pitching. It’s a pitcher who pitches from the opposite side on the mound, and he throws harder but wilder.
Even the hitter’s eye is all jacked up. It’s maroon.
Who paints a hitter’s eye maroon? You’ve only hit in blue or dark green. WTF.
You have two options.
Get on your heels because things aren’t going according to plan…so you go into a shell, become unresponsive to your teammates and start worrying about what happens if you fail…
…or dig in, dig deep, build your team-mates up, see this as an opportunity instead of a problem and embrace the chaos.
Hitting…isn’t just about swinging a round bat at a round ball…
…it’s so much more.
It’s learning how to be a great competitor.
It’s about showcasing your composure.
When the game is on the line, or scouts are in the stands…you still compete with toughness and focus.
Even keel.
What’s the first step? It’s simple.
You realize the truth that you’ve known deep down this entire time.
It’s not about you.
It’s never been.
It never will be if what you want is to be a valuable part of any line-up.
How do you know you’re playing this game knowing it’s not about you?
You smile a little every time the coach gives you a hit and run or sac bunt because you know you’ll get it done.
You have the instinct to take a pitch ahead in the count when the runner gets a good jump to swipe a bag.
You turn a fly ball that drops in shallow right into a double.
You play solid defense when you’re struggling at the plate.
It seems like every game ends with a little dirt on your uni.
All in all. You’re a gamer.
Gamers don’t quit. Gamers don’t panic…
…and Gamers sure as hell don’t pout.
If you want to be a true gamer…absorb the unexpected.
Get 40% off with an annual membership inside the gameSense pitch recognition & baseball vision training platform. Over 40% off with you start an annual membership!
Pro & College Level Pitch Recogntion & Vision Training Sequences.
Speciality Pitch Recogntion & Vision Training Sequences.
Tech Makes Baseball a Simple Game: You See the Ball, You Hit the Ball, You Got It?
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 just as critical, and it’s hard not to lean into baseball’s most famous truism of all: Yogi Berra famously said the game is “90% mental,” which makes perfect sense if you ignore that fact that he said the other 50% is physical.
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.
Here’s a possible antidote. It starts with a quote…
“Instead of trying to be great, be good consistently. Greatness is being consistently good”.
In other words…instead of being the next “Mike Trout” or “Cody Bellinger”, be the guy who makes the pitcher pay when he leaves a breaking ball up in the zone, who does damage in hitter’s counts or who battles with behind in the count, consistently…
See – this doesn’t mean you have to hit 450-foot homers, run a 6.3 60 yard-dash or have a cannon for an arm…
…it just means, you know how to play the game.
You’re a gamer.
What’s a gamer? Great question.
A gamer:
-
competes w/ the intention to win ball games.
-
plays both sides of the field well.
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makes their teammates better.
-
works on the little things.
-
builds on strengths and weaknesses.
Requires zero talent, and the process is 100% within your control.
So the only relevant question is this…
…how bad do you want it?
Best,
P.S. We see the ball well when we’re confident. We’re confident when we see the ball well.
Train to see the ball well, effectively, then confidence comes rolling at your feet.
#seetheballbetter
Get 40% off with an annual membership inside the gameSense pitch recognition & baseball vision training platform. Over 40% off with you start an annual membership!
Pro & College Level Pitch Recogntion & Vision Training Sequences.
Speciality Pitch Recogntion & Vision Training Sequences.
Occlusion vs Full View Pitch Recognition Training For Ballplayers
Everyday we get the emails…
“How can we pick up the change-up better”
Our answer:
1. Train to see it out of the hand w/ occlusion training.
2. Combine this with a post-up approach. (See the ball up.)
If it starts low, it’ll end low.
Think about it. Most of your swinging strikeouts are chasing balls in the dirt.
Why do you think that is?
There’s a hole in your approach and you’re not seeing the ball well.
Imagine if you were able to go back in time and replace all those at-bats with the right approach?
You saw the ball out of the pitcher’s hand and you were sitting on a mistake pitch left up in the zone.
I bet your hard hit contact percentage would fly through the roof.
That’s why you need to practice Pitch Recognition.
When you see the ball better. You achieve more hard-hit contact. PERIOD.
Check out this occlusion VS full version replay.
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.
?Measure your progress.
?Recognize elite fastball.
⚾️Practice adjusting to the Change-Up.
?Master SEEING the ball out of the pitcher’s hand.
?Stop guess hitting
Vision Skills: Two strike hitting practice. Harder than it looks. Easier when you train it.
Sign up for GameSense for FREE to improve your pitch recognition skills.
Pro & College Level Pitch Recognition & Vision Training Sequences.