It is April. And you know what that means for baseball players? It’s a month filled with delays and cancelled games due to rain. You can’t control the weather, but you can control how you adjust to the delays and cancellation.
In baseball, as in life, your success is based on your preparation.
Following are three things you must do to be prepared for your games – rain or shine.
Preparation No. 1: Establish one goal that propels you to success
If you can get into a proper loaded position, on time, 90 percent of the time, you can increase your chances of getting a hit by at least 30 percent for a Major Leaguer, 40 percent for a college player and 50 percent for a high school/travel ball select/recreational player. Check out my drills in our Online Tool Box.
Preparation No. 2: Visualize each at bat
There is so much power in visualization. It allows you to get unlimited at bats and time the pitcher in your head. Home Run King Hank Aaron once told sports psychiatrist Tom Hanson that visualization was the basis of his mental preparation, which Aaron cited as the reason for his focus and consistency. In short, Aaron said mental preparation was the difference between a good career and being the all-time leader in home runs, RBIs and total bases.
Preparation No. 3: Go through the physical motions
Hitting is all about putting and keeping your body in a good position to drive the baseball. I have five Wall Drills you can do to hone these skills. My favorite Wall Drill is the Flat Bat Drill. Here are some others:
* Place your bat perpendicular against the wall with the barrel end touching the wall
* Align your back foot with the knob end of your bat and place your front foot 1 inch from the wall
* Place your feet up against the bat with the bottom relaxed downward and the turned up
* Trigger your top hand back, and then stride with your entire front foot against the wall
* Direct the palm of your top hand, and then rotate your back foot along the bat path against the wall
* Hold the position with a bent arm, upright body and strong back leg for five seconds
* Do this drill 20 reps per day, four days per week to develop strength and proper body alignment at the point of contact
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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