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You are here: Home / About Diamond Directors / Breaking down your swing development cycle

Breaking down your swing development cycle

posted on March 13, 2014

This is baseball season. But I am here to tell you that for my amateur and professional clients, every day is baseball season. There is no off-season. For example, you should always be working on your swing development cycle, a program that includes assessment, build, conversion and maintenance.

Mendez Elder, sophomore outfielder, Savannah State University , uses the Diamond Directors' swing chart method
Mendez Elder, sophomore outfielder, Savannah State University , uses the Diamond Directors’ swing chart method

The following is the cycle of development that each of my amateur and professional clients use.

Assessment – September through November

Build – December through February

Conversion – March through May

Maintenance – June through August

Write this down: March is a very important month. This is the time when hitters should be converting good habits to repeatable skills. But good habits must be built according to a methodology in the winter, preceded by a thorough assessment in the fall of the previous year.

Repeatable skills such as timing, tempo and tracking enable you to compete at the highest collegiate and professional levels.

If you’re assessing and/or building your habits in March, you may be in for a challenging spring. Here is a simple skill-build drill you can do until you reach a level of maintenance.

The Diamond Directors' swing grade chart for right-hand batters
The Diamond Directors’ swing grade chart for right-hand batters

Assessment Drill
Take 100 swings off a tee; aim to hit ground balls and/or line drives between targets that are 2 feet on each side of second base.

Total: You should have at least a 40 percent success rate

Build Drill
Take 100 swings off a tee; aim to hit ground balls and/or line drives between targets that are 2 feet on each side of second base.

Total: You should have at least a 50 percent success rate

Conversion Drill
Take 100 swings off a tee; aim to hit ground balls and/or line drives between targets that are 2 feet on each side of second base.

Total: You should have at least a 60 percent success rate

Maintenance Drill
Take 100 swings off a tee; aim to hit ground balls and/or line drives between targets that are 2 feet on each side of second base.

Total: You should have at least a 70 percent success rate.

Remember: Good hitters don’t work hard; they work smart.

For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today.

BIO:
C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an area scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, CJ has more than 12 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J Stewart has a proven system of development and track record of success that can work for you.

 

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