It’s June. It’s hot. You’re playing more games with fewer days of recovery. It’s time to be smart. Sure, you want to make the sacrifices necessary to succeed, but you have to be smart about the whole process.
Remember: Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
To compete at your best as a hitter this summer, you must be strong mentally, emotionally and physically. That will take knowledge. In my previous blog, we discussed the importance of mental and emotional strength.
Now it’s time to look at the physical side of the equation. Your body is made of parts that must work together to perform as an elite hitter. Your body also is made up of lots of muscles that must be strong in order to execute athletic movements with consistency. Most young baseball players want to be strong to hit the ball hard and far. They spend a lot of time lifting weights, sometimes causing an injury that limits their playing time.
It’s about building the perfect plan for you body. That’s why for the months of June and July, I have put together a regimen that focuses on building your leg and forearm strength. Try these two simple exercises and see what you think.
Leg Exercise – Walking Lunges
How to do it: Start with your feet even (shoulders width) and put both of your hands on your hips. Stride forward with your right leg the length of your bat. Make sure you lunge and have your five points aligned (head, shoulder, hip, knee and ground).
How many: Repeat this exercise alternating legs for a total of 100 strides (50 strides each leg) for four to five days per week.
Why you do it: Strong legs enable you to have a good base for the load, so that you can execute a short and quick approach to the ball that produces power.
Forearm Exercise – Bat Waggles
How to do it: Hold your bat in your right hand along the right side of your body. Your right wrist and elbow should be against your right leg with the barrel of the bat perpendicular with the ground. Raise your bat waist height while keeping your wrist and elbow against your body.
How to do it: Repeat this exercise with your right and left arm for 10-25 repetitions for two to three sets, four to five days per week
Why to do it: Strong forearms enable you to control the barrel of the bat to develop/maintain a short and quick approach to the ball that produces power.
If the saying is true that knowledge is power, then you don’t have the basics knowledge of your swing, you won’t produce with physical power with the bat. There is so much that I can share with you about hitting – all of which I can make simple. For now, I want you to understand the six parts of your swing.
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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