Practicing the art of committing to new things

The ancient Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu once said, “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

The load is the fundamental part of hitting—the part that positions the hitter to track the pitch and, if done well and on time and on tempo, will help him execute the other parts of the swing. The end result is a lot more hits.

As my Diamond Directors’ clients know, there are seven parts to the swing, which include:

1. Stance/Load
2. Timing
3. Tempo
4. Tracking
5. Approach
6. Contact
7. Extension/Finish

I look forward to fall baseball for my hitters because it is the time of year (August through October) that we commit and discipline ourselves to trying new things. The end goal is to determine what works and what doesn’t.

Based on what works, we use November through December to build habits and strength.

There are seven ways my hitters will load this fall, regardless if they like it or not.

If they don’t like to load using one of these ways, great. This will force them to be athletic, which is what I define as the ability to critically think about and physically execute something that you have never done before.

So, basically, athleticism can be taught.

Hand Drop 
Toe Tap 
Bat Wrap 
High Leg
Cross Grip 
Open Stance 
Switch Hit

To help keep your skills sharp, we have introduced a new type of Skill Build—our Virtual Skill Build—where I can help you develop hitting skills anytime, anywhere using anything.

Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.

For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.

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 associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 22 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 a track record of success that can work for you.