LT Brings The Heat | Baseball & Strength Development

Oakland A's 2022 MLB Draft Pick Jack Perkins shares his awesome story of playing at Louisville, Indiana, then pro ball. Long time LT Family and Kokomo, Indiana Native, Jack Perkins has been an Elite Level Pitcher his entire life. He shares his faith in God, stories of adversity, learning what "winning the day" means, as well as what he has learned in life and at all levels of baseball!Recorded in February of 2023 before Spring Training!

Sean and Adam sit down to share the most common hitting flaws they see in the off-season in Indiana and Alabama. They talk about players spinning/pulling off the baseball, trying to lift every pitch, balance, posture, rhythm and timing and more! They also share the Top 3 Pitching Flaws they see in classes.

Sean and Adam sit down to chat about the new Summer College Baseball League coming to Mobile, AL, why leagues like this could be a better way to develop as a collegiate ballplayer, and also share how they plan and organize off-season hitting programs leading up to HS Baseball Season!

Sean sits down with guest and South Alabama Family John De Visser! They talk on a wide a range of topics like why is the average pitcher throwing harder nowadays, training athletes, coaching high school baseball, reminiscing about South Alabama days, pro players at South Alabama, 170+ Pitch CG's, becoming a professional BP Shagger, Competitive streaks as athletes and now coaches, and much much more! This is a great one!

Sean and Adam sit down and explain the differences between a power hitter and hitters that have the ability for hit for power at times. They discuss the popular problem of hitters trying to get too big with their swings and obsess with "trying" for home runs vs mastering hitting the ball hard with energy in the gaps! They share details on what power is and how you develop it over the years.

Sean and Adam sit down and discuss the MLB Playoffs and the state of the game of baseball today. They share their opinions on how they think the MLB, the media, and more can help grow the game for the next generation.

Sean sits down for a real conversation about why consistency is essentially the most important trait you need to have in order to be successful in anything in life. He breaks down real life examples on the field, as a Dad, and Husband, and the importance of just doing "something" daily to achieve your goals and conquer your weaknesses!

Sean and Adam sit down to discuss the commitment players need in order to change who and what they are. Every player wants to be the next Mike Trout or Gerrit Cole, but are they actually listening and implementing to what coaches, teachers, and mentors are telling them? Everyone wants a Lamborghini, but majority work more like they want a moped.

2 biggest takeaways from coaching travel baseballTakeaways from PlayersTakeaways from ParentsCoaches and Summer Ball DevelopmentTravel Team Organizations, Leaders, Mission Statements, and Politics

Sean and Adam break down if there is such thing as the perfect swing. They talk about the difference between a Swing Coach vs Hitting Coach They also talk timing, contact point, launch position, barrel awareness; and that good Coaches don't give athletes and parents false hope. They have to be honest with every client.

Sean and Adam discuss whether playing in the Fall is the right decision for you. Do you need more live game situations or do you need the weight room? We also break down the pros and cons of playing in the Fall. Everyone is different, don't get pressured to make a decision. Do what is best for YOU. Pitchers do your arms need more innings on the mound or do you need to shut it down? Hitters do you need at bats on the weekend or need to develop strength and bat speed before you compete again?

-How the Orioles plan their hitting sessions on field-Training Dirty and Playing Clean-Deliberate Practice and Making Practice as hard as possible-Recruiting the Bigger, Faster, Stronger player vs the high ability high ceiling athlete-Summer Baseball differences in 2021 vs 2020 Covid and the biggest takeaways from the changed recruiting process

Drills we use with our clients as well as our own children to fix common bad habits kids have at the plateEpisode recorded right before Alabama State ChampionshipsWhen should players start hitting lessons?What drills young hitters need mostHow to fix the chop swing in young hittersWhy using weighted balls is important with young hittersWhy visuals and external focus is a gamechanger for young athletes, "they need an external target"This is a build on what we have talked about before in the "How when, why of Baseball Lessons"

Today, Sean and Adam discuss the risk vs reward with baseball players and the bench press in the weight room. They share their personal experiences, the science, as well as the real expectations after training hundreds of athletes in the weight room. They touch on:Personal Experiences of injuries with the bench pressIF the risk is worth the reward ?Does the bench press transfer to the field?Effective alternatives to the barbell bench press to keep you healthyThey explain there is risk to any training, but explain the science of how the bench press can negatively effect baseball players and other overhead athletes.Important of technique, rotator cuff strength, and scapular function to stay healthy when pressing.

Sean and Adam cover the importance of in-season strength and conditioning to keep you performing at a very high level and the many bad excuses people use to not focus on strength and conditioning. They cover:Why training year round is like building and taking care of a houseWhy "Burnout" does not exist if you are training properlyHow many days a week you should train in seasonHow you will lose lean mass, velo, strength, and power if you are not training during seasonSean and Adam share how they train athletes in season and the common areas for soreness that Adam and Sean address They touch on how training for recovery and specifically active recovery is key in season!

This episode today touches on coaches who are using pitching machines only for batting practice during season, how Sean feels they are hurting their players more than helping. Adam discusses details on how he uses machine for success for hitters and some guidelines for coaches to go by when using the machine. They also cover the importance of staying in shape and preparing for Summer Baseball after the HS Season ends! They share what they would do in the weight room, the field, the cage, and the importance of working on weaknesses.

Sean and Adam sit down to talk the importance of executing your job or role without excuses and the importance of taking ownership over mistakes or when things do not work out the way you want them to on the diamond!  This includes not liking what the coach has to say about rosters, starting lineups, pinch hitters, relief pitchers, and more! They also touch on the record strikeouts in the MLB and what the cause may be,  as well as Parents taking coaching decisions personal, and the success of Heat and LT Players thus far this season!

In this short episode today, Coach Laird discusses the importance of 1 Coach, 1 Philosophy when it comes to hitting mechanics. He touches on how hurtful it is to the growth of hitters when HS coaches or parents are constantly trying to "change" things with hitters who already have a hitting instructor and how "out of touch" people are to the hitting process and hitting development, especially when it comes to stubborn coaches and/or parents. 

Sean and Adam sit down to discuss timing issues hitters have against slow pitching vs high velocity, introduce the new podcast short clips they will be releasing in the future, as well as touch on the importance of trust and commitment with your hitting coach when it comes to changes in the swing and why lessons are not batting practice sessions! They also cover realistic expectations of starting lessons in-season and why starting lessons in-season is great, but starting lessons in the off-season is the goal for maximum growth!

In this episode, Sean and Adam sit down with Professional Pitchers Ryan Garton and Keegan Curtis to discuss Weighted Baseball Training. Sean and Adam sit back and listen to Ryan and Keegan share their history and use of weighted ball training and discuss the different parts in their careers they decided to start using weighted balls. They also touch on:How Size and Weight is not an excuse to no throw hard as they both are "undersized" yet Keegan throws 99 MPH and Ryan throws up to 95 MPHWhy the weighted ball training they utilize is focused more on recoveryHow Important the weight room is for their developmentWhat kind of prehab exercises they do to take care of their armsAnd Much More!

In this episode, Sean and Adam sit down to discuss the highly debated topic of Weighted Baseball Training. They talk science and history, health and effectiveness; as well as their own personal feelings toward weighted ball training. The 2017 ASMI study in weighted ball training is discussed as well as positive and negative reports on the training. They also cover:The force production differences of throwing a baseball on the ground vs the mound vs a weighted ballTypes of weighted ball trainingThey discuss the differences in the National Pitching Association and Driveline when it comes to weighted balls They share the weighted ball training used in their use Certifications through the Florida Baseball Ranch's Savage ProgramThey share how important an assessment of mobility, stability, age, strength, and mechanics is before even thinking about a weighted ballThey also discuss their own opinions as to why Strength and Conditioning and training for Speed and Power as a complete athlete is most important when working to increase velocityAnd Much More

In this Episode, Sean and Adam talk about dealing with bad coaches in the game as well as some of the ugliness that has unfortunately become a part of summer travel baseball. They share how to deal with hard coaches, dishonest coaches, stubborn coaches, as well as address negatives and how some loyalty and honesty in summer travel ball is a unicorn nowadays. They also share:-How Parents set the tone of how young men will handle being honest and loyal in the game of baseball and life-Why many parents and players do not care about elite coaching or training, they just want their egos padded, even if it is a lie-How many organizations do things in a bad light and try to steal and poach players from other organizations as well as try to claim players for their organizations that never rarely, if ever, played for them-How to deal with a coach that is dishonest and has zero integrity (Sean shares a real life example of dealing with a poor human being as a coach)-Understanding that cues from coaches could mean completely different things than what is actually happening (why it is important to have context)-Why it is ok to have a different opinion than your coach, but why showing respect and asking questions is always the right answer

Topic today covers the myths, facts, and propaganda being pushed about multi sport athletes! Sean and Adam use their experience as multi sport athletes themselves as well as their experience of training multi sport and one sport athletes. They help guide you through some of the eyewash and realistic expectations of playing multiple sports or those that play one sport through high school if the goal is to ultimately play college or professional! They also explain:Why the first 7 years of a kid's life are the most importantWhy playing multiple sports needs to be normalized at a young age for development, mental, and physical healthWhy Strength and Conditioning is its own sport and needs to be YEAR ROUNDWhen to make that transition from 3-5 sports to maybe 2 as a focus (depending on goals of athlete)The type of athletes who want to play a sport in college that get away with playing 3 sports all through high school vs the athlete that may need to focus on 1 sport or 2 sportsWhy knowing the advantages of playing multiple sports vs advantages of playing 1-2 sports are important to know going in and why each have their pros and cons*Note- Coach Laird misspeaks on an athlete gaining 30lbs of "muscle" and the statement should be "30 lbs. of lean mass"

Sean and Adam sit down to talk about helping athletes build a champion mindset and using examples from experiences in their lives as well as professional athlete examples of why hard work, failure, and adversity is a must to build a champion mindset. They also touch on:-What you can learn from Tom Brady and Michael Jordan's stories-How parents fail their kids by not letting them fail or letting failure teach the chip on your shoulder mindset for success-Why you should use negative experiences to fuel your motivation and discipline for the rest of your life and why that creates a champion mindset-Personal Experiences that changed the lives of Coach Adam and Coach Sean

Sean and Adam break down what they would do different in their preparation if they were playing in today's game with the advancements in technology. They discuss cold and hot zones you get from Track Man, Rapsodo feedback, knowledge on mobility and stability in the strength game, as well as tracking numbers and progress in the weight room and how it translates to the field. They also touch on:-why relying ONLY on your strengths  at the lower levels can hurt you in the higher levels if you are not working on developing your weaknesses-why video is so important when tracking your mechanics and movements at the plate and on the bump-why feel is important, but understanding exactly what your swing is doing and how hard your hitting the ball is an advantage -Understanding the difference in the mindset and feel with a cage swing vs an on field swing-why the new knowledge and access of mobility programs  NEED to be taken advantage of to stay healthy

Sean and Adam sit down to discuss a topic that needs to be addressed constantly in the baseball community: Arm Care and Answers to the many questions on Arm Soreness and Recovery between starts, throwing sessions, and long toss. They also touch on how pitchers and position players should be preparing right now with the season coming as well as -why icing your arm impedes recovery-why you must start on recovery immediately after your throwing sessions-why your prep before throwing is just as important for recovery-why rest is usually not the answer, but recovery and proper training IS THE ANSWER-as well as why you MUST listen to you arm and much more!

Sean and Adam sit down to talk about how they help their athletes gain lean muscle mass, guide them through the nutrition process, and touch on supplementation for athletes. They also break down the importance of multiple meals per day, the Top 5 muscle building foods, night time muscle building shakes, as well as Creatine and Whey Protein. 

Sean and Adam sit down to discuss trolls on social media in the baseball world, how they track growth in baseball lessons, as well as the top exercises to increase bat speed!  They touch on how and why they use velocity in tracking hitters' and pitchers' growth as well as why video shows so much in movement pattern improvements. They talk about social media trolls and fake influencers in the game of baseball as well as why the deadlift and sledgehammer could build you into a high bat speed beast!

Sean and Adam sit down to discus the importance of visualization for success as an athlete and in the real world. They also talk in detail about Bullying and give real life stories on how to handle yourself in uncomfortable circumstances with those that try to bring you down.  This episode is not politically correct, and is straightforward on how to handle these situations that many young men and women find themselves in. They also touch on how important communication is and how it can prevent many problems in the future with coaches, parents, friends, and people who want to bring you down to their level.

We sit down today to talk about how we prepare pitchers for the early season in our velocity and pitching development programs. We also touch on how young athletes learn during lessons, and why it is so important to understand how young athletes must struggle and learn to work hard in order to become successful. This includes a real life example of why young athletes do not understand and struggle to implement mechanics from constant cueing from parents and coaches.  We also share our goals for 2021 as coaches and business owners! 

Blue Jays' Zach Britton & Cardinals' Zack Thompson Break Down MLB Draft Advisors and their experience before the MLB Draft! They talk about red flags to look for in advisors, as well as what is most important to focus on during the MLB Draft Process. They also touch on how they are training this off-season, as well as how important it is to have mental toughness and focus on controlling the things you can control during the draft process and the ups and downs of the game of baseball.

Sean and Adam sit down with Perfect Game Tourney Director out of Hoover, Alabama, Korey Hall. Korey shares a little bit of what it is like being tournament director at one of the premier baseball facilities in America. He shares insight on College Recruiting, the process of how they Rank Players in Perfect Game, how important Communication is with HS and College Baseball Coaches, and much more!

Episode 24 covers a topic many need to listen to: How to Be a Leader. Sean and Adam share their experiences and opinions as coaches, players, and parents on How to Be a Leader in a world that desperately needs more:-We touch on real life stories as players and coaches-Why being a leader will change your life-When to lead, when to delegate, when to follow-Why having uncomfortable conversations is a MUST for True Leaders 

Keegan Curtis sits down with us to talk Pitching and his path to professional baseball. He touches on his experience with coaches at the college level, why he loves utilizing analytics, as well as why he changed how he pitches in the middle of a professional baseball game! He also touches on:How Adversity changed him as a man and his growth as a BallplayerHow important mobility, bands, and a proper warmup his for long term health and successHow he healed tendinitis on his elbow after his junior season of college

We sit down today to discuss how we train athletes for speed and agility as well as some of the mistakes that are made when programming speed training for athletes!  We also touch on:-the importance of training for acceleration in sport-the importance of the hip hinge and single leg hinge-why conditioning IS NOT SPEED TRAINING  and how too much conditioning can actually make your players slower-the importance of college and high school coaches being on the same page as Strength and Conditioning Coaches

In this Episode, we cover hitting topics including the importance of drills and understanding the context with each drill, what we look for when assessing hitters, why lack of rhythm and timing needs to be addressed first, as well as how to view many online hitting gurus who create drills for likes. We also cover:-The "Top 7" Adam looks for when he is assessing hitters-Biggest Mistake that Sean made growing up as a hitter and the  Best thing he did when developing as a young hitter

If you want success in sport and life, you need to have accountability. We cover the most important topics we see that need to be addressed for accountability with players, parents, and coaches on and off the field. Some of the topics inlcude:-How players should talk to coaches when they mess up-How body language tells us everything and why it is so important-Why parents need to be aware of what they say and their actions around their young athletes-Are parents teaching their kids to be good people, good teammates, good men?-How coaches need to coach the person, not the player-Why coaches must show they care 

In this episode, Pitching Coach Bart Carter sits down with us to talk Long Toss, Recruiting, Pitching Lesson Dynamics, and why if he could go back, he would have approached the weight room much differently. We also touch on:-Why elite players don't necessarily make great coaches in the future-Why becoming great at lessons takes time-Answering questions for players and parents during lessons-Why it is so important for instructors to be on the same page as clients-Why Players must take ownership and responsibility with their own recruiting-How to approach goals of getting a scholarship to college baseball during this pandemic-Why it takes time for instructors to become great at teaching the wide spectrum of ability that walks in the door

Andrew Carden, Head Coach at Coastal Alabama CC, sits down to talk with us about the JUCO process at Coastal Alabama CC, why he wants to recruit hard nosed players, as well as what sets him apart from other coaches! Other topics we cover include:-JUCO Scholarships-Why Character and being a good teammate makes you stand out for coaches during recruiting-Why Playing for Hall of Fame Baseball Coaches helped prepare him for his life as a coach-Why Being Honest and Upfront with his players from recruiting to practice to the game is so important-Why Organization and Communication as a Coach helps him lead players and teach them discipline

We sit down to drop some knowledge bombs on our velo programs, the myth of the softball vs baseball swing, and why we think private 1 on 1 training could be bad for you! We also touch on:-Why lessons need to be about personal growth and mental toughness as much as they are about mechanics and development-Should pitchers shut down for a period of time after fall season?-Why athletes consistently need to be put in uncomfortable environments to succeed

2019 1st Round MLB Draft Pick for the Cardinals, Zack Thompson, sits down with us to talk pitching, his path to the MLB Draft and Minors, and his willingness to learn from everyone and work ethic that . Some Key Points Include:-How his velocity jump in High School did not happen at a steady increase month to month, his hard work on the field and in the weight room "clicked" one spring jumping from low 80s to low 90s.-Why his perfectionist attitude toward his mechanics on the bump, and his technique in the weight room, set his foundation for velocity and ability to pitch-Why he loves the squat and feels it transfers to the mound from the weight room-The Sacrifices he made during HS to work on his craft and his game and develop into a next level pitcher.-His Recruiting Process that ultimately led to him choosing Kentucky-Why understanding how to "Pitch" and not just "Throw as hard as possible, allowed him to have one of his best outings as an SEC Pitcher. -How his pre-game routine and long toss differs from traditional long toss enthusiasts because of his focus on mechanics.-And Much More!