Coaching App Coming Soon

It looks like our newest release will be ready to go by the end of October (2013).

We are working on an app to help coaches run more effecient practices filled will drills and practice planners.

After meeting with the developer today, I am very encouraged about the app!

Warm regards,

Brandon

Get Your Mass Into The Swing

F=MA

For those of you that remember your middle school science class this formula will ring a bell. For the rest of us here is a quick refresher...

Force Equals Mass Times Acceleration.

In baseball we interchange the term "force" with "power".

If a player wants to hit with more power he either has to increase the "mass" value (without negatively affecting his bat speed..."acceleration") or increase the "acceleration" value (without negatively affecting his ability to hit the ball on the "sweet spot") of his swing.

Check out this video for clarification....

Parents frequently ask me what is the right bat for their player. We can use the formula F=MA to choose a bat.

Or you can always go with the kids' (and manufacturers') method of choosing a bat...Base your decision on the coolest graphics or newest color combinations.

Here is how it works...

If you have a player that is very good at centering the ball on the sweet spot then I would recommend a bat that has a smaller barrel to maximize bat speed.

A good small barrel bat will have much of the weight distributed closer towards the barrel to place the "mass"near the sweet spot. These bats may have a greater weight differential -12 but may feel as heavy as a -10 or -8 because they are top end loaded.

On the other hand if your player would benefit from a slightly larger hitting surface (to maximize "Mass") then I would recommend forfeiting bat speed in order to make better contact. In this case you should opt for a big barrel bat and work on swing mechanics and overall strength to add power (through increasing "acceleration") to their swing.

Over the past ten years or so the big barrel bat has been great for hitters. Because it has offered the best of both worlds...a huge hitting surface with an extremely light weight.

However, recently the dangers associated with a light weight, big barrel bat has prompted leagues and manufacturers to rethink the standards for big barrel bats.

BBCOR is a new designation relating to the exit speed of the ball off of the bat. It stands for  Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution...Will stick with BBCOR for now.

When it comes to buying a bat, parents tend to get the biggest bat they can for their kid and hope they grow into it. When bats are north of $200, I understand why parents try to get several years out of a bat.

Certainly, if your kid needs the big barrel bat then I would recommend it for them. However, if you have a kid that is pretty good at making solid contact you may want to consider some of the newer "small barrel" (2 1/4 inch barrel) bats.

Not only will the kid generate more bat speed ("acceleration"), his barrel accuracy will continue to improve.

Many high school leagues use wood bats in the summer. Wood bats require hitters to be very accurate with the barrel to hit the ball on the sweet spot. Wood bats are much less forgiving than the metal bats. Swinging a small barrel bat will make the transition to wood easier for players.

Hopefully, these pointers will give you some confidence the next time you are in the market for a new youth baseball bat.

Please comment with any questions or remarks you have about choosing the right bat for you.

Thanks!

Brandon

You Can Thank Me Later : )

Nothing earth shattering in today’s post...Just solid coaching for catchers. 

I realize that writing to such a small niche in the baseball community about an obscure detail severely limits my audience.

Just remember, I’m doing this for your own good. One day you may be delegated to coaching catchers or have a kid that wants to learn how to catch then this post will come in very handy. 

You can thank me later : ) 

Check out this short video demonstrating the Key Reference Points to the Signal Stance.

Reference Points

1. Balls of the feet
2. Feet narrow
3. Knees in
4. Sign back towards groin
5. Glove to the side of shin
6. Chest and upper torso tall

Next time you are at a game notice the little things that good catchers do to separate themselves from other catchers. You will probably find that they are “clean” when it comes to giving the pitcher signs in a well executed signal stance.

Your comments are always welcome.

Thanks!

Brandon

BBCOR Bats Impact Catchers

The new BBCOR bats will change the way the game of baseball is played at the amateur levels. 

No longer will players be able to hit home runs off the end of the bat or drive balls into the gaps off their handle. 

Two obvious changes will occur over the next several years at the amateur levels of baseball. First, pitchers will begin pitching inside much more often. And secondly, teams will play for a single run rather than playing for a big inning (3 or more runs). 


In doing so, more teams will utilize the bunt.

In this post/video I want to focus on 3 Keys to fielding bunts from behind the plate.

3 Keys to fielding bunts...

1. Field the ball on the left side of the ball (except on a “perfect bunt”).
2. Pick the ball up in the middle of the body using 2 hands if it’s rolling and the bare hand if it is stationary.
3. Create a throwing lane to 1B (with a drop step) when fielding a bunt close to the 1B line.

If a catcher is able to achieve these three key reference points they will field bunts more successfully.

Please feel free to add your thoughts and opinions about the changes we will see with the advent of the BBCOR bats.

Thanks!

Brandon

Here's Why...

I love baseball. 

Check out this short video of David and I at the Braves game. And don't forget to comment on a memorable time you had at the ball park.

We left Acworth around 2pm to get to Turner Field in time for batting practice. It usually takes us an hour to get to the stadium. 


Except this Saturday, the GA vs. Boise State football game was at the Dome. We left in plenty of time to fight through traffic.

Believe it or not...no traffic! 

That gave us more than enough time to get something to eat and enter a Publix drawing for a cooler (didn’t win. But got two sweet seat cushions). 

We also checked out some vendors and the monuments of Aaron, Spahn and Niekro. 


What David was most interested in was getting into the stadium to watch BP.

Once the gates opened, we headed straight for the seats in right center field. 

No luck on getting a HR ball while the Braves were hitting.

But everything changed when the Dodgers took BP. Dana Eveland, a pitcher for the Dodgers, flipped David a baseball. 

This made David’s day! 

You realize (when you have a place of influence in someone else's life) that sometimes the smallest, insignificant events in your day can make a profound impact on the life of another.

Once batting practice ended, we went down to check out where our seats were. 

Lower level, row 13...Are you kidding? These seats were way better than where I used watch games from when I played---the bullpen!

BP ended around 6:20pm. We still had about an hour before game time. This gave us a chance to check out Sky Field and the amazing views of the stadium and the Atlanta sky line from atop Turner Field.

David’s next quest was to get his newly acquired baseball signed. 

As soon as he saw the Braves players warming up, we hustled down form Sky Field to try to get an autograph. 

I don’t know who the Braves player was that signed the ball...but again the fact that he took the time to sign just a couple more autographs made David’s day.

The game was tied 1-1 until the Dodgers ended up winning in the 10th 2-1. 

During the game we got to see Prado (David’s favorite player), Freeman (my wife’s favorite player), Uggla (hit a bomb) and Matt Diaz. 

I know Matt Diaz is not a high profile super-star. But what I really appreciated about him was his effort. Diaz came in to pinch hit, singled up the middle and ran harder than anyone on the field that night. 

Venters and Kimbrel got big strikeouts to end the 8th and 9th (fireworks included). 


The Dodgers went on to win in the 10th on a sac fly to center scoring Dee Gordon.

It was 5 minutes after midnight Sunday morning when we pulled back into the driveway. 

All in all, about 10 hours hanging out with my 11 year old son at the stadium, watching baseball, living the dream....That’s why I love this game!

Please, comment about a memorable experience around baseball.

A special thanks goes out to Philip Alequin with Turner Broadcasting for the great tickets! Also, thanks again to Dana Eveland and the Braves player that signed David’s baseball.

Is it Cheating or Trying?

Coaches and athletes are always trying to get an edge on the competition.

That "edge" is what drives us to work harder and smarter than the next guy. However, there are rules that govern our actions.

With the recent steroid era (hopefully) coming to an end, we saw how the line of competition had gotten blurred, then moved and then totally disregarded. All in an attempt to gain an edge on the competition.


The video below shows a pick off move to first base that is called the "balk move".

Coaches teach this move to players because they are trying to gain an edge on the competition. 

Base runners usually key on the pitcher's heels. If they see the front heel move they break for second...If they see the back heel move they get back to first.

Please comment with your thoughts on this move and the idea of pushing the edge of the envelope of fair competition.

Thanks!

.2 of a Second Changes Everything (for catchers anyway)

Consider how long .2 of a second is...

For a high school catcher, .2 of a second is the difference between being an average high school player to being a top collegiate or professional prospect.

When a catcher throws down to second base scouts measure his "pop-time".

The stop watch begins when the pitch hits the catcher's mitt and stops when the short stop catches the ball at second base.

An average time for a high school player is around 2.05-2.15

Shaving off .2 of a second will make a huge difference in a catcher's opportunities to play at the next level.

Here is a great technique to improve a catcher's efficiency  when throwing to 2B.

• Right Foot (jab step, gain ground)
• Left Foot (in line to second and behind the plate)
• High Exchange (take the ball out of the mitt higher than where it was caught)

Check out this 60 second video to see it in action ( I apologize for the wind noise).

It's kind of crazy to think about the minuscule differences between greatness and mediocrity.

Work on these three, simple steps to become a great catcher!