Strong Mind Sports with Clint McGill

Be sure to check out BaseballNotes.com to get yourself the top new training aid in the USA, Brum Bands!   From our youth mastermind call from summer of 2022, Eric Byrnes shares with the audience:   -How his upbringing of chasing better players helped his development. -How he got his big moment, and how you can be ready for your "Dan Serafini" moment also. -Teaches us "who" is responsible for worry and doubt on the diamond. -Explains the phenomenal advice from legend Kirk Gibson during his rookie season. -How to play FREE AND FEARLESS (words he truly lives by!) -How to avoid and get out of slumps and much more!    

Charlie Jabaley "AKA Charlie Rocket!" and his "DELUSIONAL OPTIMISM" joins us today to share his inspiring story of chasing his dream of becoming a Nike athlete....long after he buried the dream in middle school because he was slow, overweight and unathletic.  After a successful career in the music industry (won a grammy and emmy!) he decided he was going to accomplish his childhood dream of becoming a Nike athlete.  Charlie was over 300 lbs at the time but was committed to the dream.  In this episode he shares his story and gives advice to young kids about chasing their dreams - from visualization, journaling, positivity and more.  SO MANY good takeaways from this conversation, with the potential to truly change a life.   BRUM BANDS: If you haven't checked out the newest project at Baseball Notes, our Brum Bands are fast becoming the most popular hitting aid in the country.  Developed by professional hitting coach Mike Brumley, the set of bands FORCE players into good swing positions and IMMEDIATLEY inform a player on the feel they're looking for.  Pick them up on baseballnotes.com or Amazon as well.

In part 2 of our conversation on development, MLB veteran (40 years experience) shares his favorite and most useful technology/tools that have become widespread over the last decade. Mike also talks about what a "good miss" vs a bad miss looks like for a hitter, the reason why ground balls are such a problem at the higher levels (I had never heard this before), who he thinks is the best pro team in all of MLB at developing players and some insights as to what that organization does well - which is fascinating.   Be sure to follow Baseball Notes on instagram and tiktok, and check out Mike's program The Swing Made Easy, which shows simple drills that force players into good positions.  There's nothing quite like it, you'll love it!

40 year MLB veteran Mike Brumley shares his experience in the Dominican Republic and in Taiwan in how they develop their baseball players differently than here in the US.   Mike also talks about the biggest difference between how the game is played in Taiwan vs US (I had no idea), what type of American players do well overseas, the secret/non secret as to why Dominicans become pro ball players at such a high rate and much more.   In part 2, we get into Mike's favorite modern technology for hitters (I was surprised by his favorite) and a few that haven't been all that useful....so be sure to subscribe!   And follow us on TikTok and Instagram for daily fun and helpful content.   Go get em today!

In this episode Mike Brumley and Clint McGill discuss their thoughts on... -The end of the lockout -Mike's take on the Braves/A's trade (Mike has worked extensively with several players involved) -The state of Atlanta's farm system now -The first trade Mike was involved with as a player (which included 3 players: Mike, a Hall of Famer and one of the most infamous players in postseason history) -The team they're looking forward to watching this season  ....and more.   And be sure to check out Mike's hitting program The Swing Made Easy.....which is phenomenal.  Learn the simple hitting drills and concepts that improve GAME PERFORMANCE for youth players as well as big leaguers.   You don't want to miss out on this :)

Find out how the game has changed and how hitters have to evolve to stay competitive against today's pitching.  We also talk about Mike's favorite ballpark and the pitcher that he hated to face the most - (Hall of Famer but still a surprising answer!)  Subscribe to stay updated!   Check out baseballnotes.com for more info on Mike's teachings... which we've put together in the Swing Made Easy program.  Teach your kid a proper Stack (stance), Move (stride), Shape (move to contact) and Finish in simple and easy to apply drills that will create a swing that is COMPETITIVE IN GAMES....not just during cage hero and exit velo king - that will end most young careers. The program is great, you're gonna love it!   Clint  

Mental Performance Coach and former Yankees Mental Conditioning Coordinator Lauren Johnson joins us to share some FANTASTIC - and I mean fantastic - advice for young players on what to do when they are very upset at themselves at the plate and how to CHOOSE the actions they want to have regardless of how they feel.    The entire episode is great but BE SURE to listen till the end, Lauren has about a 3 minute answer to conclude the episode which is as good as you are going to hear anywhere on the topic of self confidence and what REAL champion behavior is.   And be sure to check out more at baseballnotes.com.  Our Bulletproof Hitter confidence training program has helped 10's of thousand of baseball and softball players to be more confident and perform better on game day, and we've added some great hitting and pitching resources too that are from the best in the business.  Find it all at http://baseballnotes.com. Follow Lauren on all the socials @laurennicolejohnson and her site http://laurenjohnsonco.com   Good vibes sent your way, enjoy!

In this episode we have the great Zach Dechant joining us from TCU Baseball.  Zach is the head strength and conditioning coordinator for the baseball team (also works with QB's) and today he shares GOLD on what our young athletes are missing out on in today's training. Zach shares some secrets from his book, Movement Over Maxes, like the top 5 Movement patterns an athlete must master (and rarely does) before they start lifting weights at 14/15+ years old - why how-to-jump-properly is NEVER taught and is such a valuable tool and what is the #1 biggest predictor of youth UCL (elbow) injury (you'll want to hear this!) Find more info from Zach at https://www.zachdechant.com/, and be sure to follow him on Instagram at @zachdechant (pronounced "Day-kint") Enjoy, and be sure to check out our free video on The 3 Most Common Swing Flaws That Youth Hitters Must Avoid (with MLB hitting coach Mike Brumley!)

Ever wonder if there's a better way to do this whole youth sports experience?  During this pandemic I think there's an opportunity for all of to question if what we are currently doing is because it's the BEST way...   ...or it's just because we've always done it this way.   And on this episode, Jon Solomon from The Aspen Institute and Project Play joins us to share the decades of expertise in studying youth sports here in the US as well as countries across the globe, to show us areas we can improve and what other countries are doing that we could adopt.   In a world that seems to have been flipped on it's head we should not miss this opportunity to improve youth sports, so let me know what you think of the episode and go SUBSCRIBE at https://www.aspenprojectplay.org/, their info is top notch!   Go get em today!!   Clint

What are my favorite memories from baseball?  What are my favorite historical moments?  What are life lessons that I've learned ?  In today's podcast episode I share an interview from the Keep Baseball Great podcast (check it out!) with Drew Rodgers.   Here I reveal the one person this game connects me to the most, the major leaguer who put me in a headlock for wearing the wrong colors and a lot more.  This game provides so many opportunities for life moments and it's fun to revisit those when we have this break in the action.  Be sure to check out Keep Baseball Great podcast on iTunes....a lot of cool content coming from Drew!

Solo episode here with Coach Clint.  In uncertain times, thoughts tend to go toward worst case "what if" scenarios.  Just like when a hitter hasn't gotten a hit in a while, they wallow through the down period as if they'll never get a hit again. And with season's hitting the pause button and a lot of people feeling the financial pinch, I thought running through the first lesson in the Bulletproof Hitter - Playing Poorly Well - would be the best use of our time. Some hitters have to bat near 1.000 to be happy.  And the key to big league success is being able to be even keeled and even joyful while going through a bad stretch.  And there are ways to do this.  Listen to this brief episode, take a breath and focus on your task at hand.  Whatever you may be going through, it's possible to go through it with more peace - it's available to you, just let it in. Good vibes your way.

Ricky Mendez (former pro player, speaker & implementation coach) is here with us today to share GOLD on how any player can acquire the Winner's Mindset, how a simple and daily exercise in gratitude completely transformed his life, why failures are absolutely CRUCIAL early in a journey and the so-simple-it's-genius way to start any new habit. Give Ricky a follow on all of the socials @rickymendezspeaks, and be on the lookout for a new and VERY EXCITING addition to Baseball Notes and the Bulletproof Hitter.  Prepare to play your best season yet.....I'll have more info on it soon :) Go get em today!

Until a young player learns to hit a fastball, they really don't need to work on anything else!  And timing up a good fastball has very little to do with physical skill....there are steps any player can use to barrel up the heat! These little known tips literally changed my career (especially tip number 5) and very well may do the same for you. If you have any questions be sure to reach out on Instagram, Facebook or email, and if you enjoyed the episode leave me a quick review on iTunes, that always helps out! Go get em today guys!   [For more simple and proven hitting methods, check out the Mike Brumley Unchained Method.  Mike's the real deal people, don't miss this!]

Great episode right here!  Brent is a pioneer in the kinesiology based throwing movements and has worked to dispel the old common convention: pitchers shouldn't lift, they just need to run, etc.  In this episode we talk about how conventional methods at the time failed him, his road back from a "career ending injury" to throwing harder than ever, what scap loading is and if it's actually important, how the top half doesn't matter if the bottom half doesn't move correctly, some of his favorite training products and much more. And be on the lookout for an exciting new project I'm working on.  For those who enjoyed the Bulletproof Hitter and Parent you're gonna want to hear more about this....so be on the lookout the next few weeks :)   And thanks to everyone who has left a review on iTunes, that is always appreciated!! GOOD VIBES YOUR WAY TODAY!

If there's one problem that can absolutely lock a player up, its a fear of the ball.  The odds of getting hit are probably around 5%, but that fearful story being played in the mind will sabotage the other 95% when they were safe all along. The fear overcome's many players, to the point where them stepping out can feel involuntary.  And we've all tried throwing tennis balls but for me, that has never worked (throwing tennis balls at kids IS fun though!).  But there are REAL answers for someone dealing with a real fear, which is what we're dealing with here.   While there is no "Instant Magic Bullet", I truly believe these methods are the closest thing to a true answer as there is.  So give this a quick listen, and if you are looking for the best hitting program available for youth players (put together by a 35 year MLB vet and current hitting coach), then check out this link here Good vibes and praying for Courage for your player!

A common question you've surely heard before: What percent of sports is physical?  What percent is mental?   But here's a new question for you: What percent of your sport is visual? 100% ! And yet, how much time do you spend working on improving your vision?  If you're like 99.99% of all athletes - the answer is zero.  But there is exciting news: YOUR VISION CAN BE IMPROVED. In today's episode Ryan Harrison from Slow The Game Down is on to share the key ingredients on how to improve vision, where a hitter should be looking as the pitcher begins their delivery, the two types of focus that players tend to use poorly, and my favorite... How you cannot see and think at the same time.  This episode was recorded with visuals during the Youth Baseball Summit, and Ryan does a demonstration with me at the end that will blow your mind.  To see the demonstration in action go to www.facebook.com/baseballnotes and check out the video (posted 2/13/2020 if you need to search it). And check out Slow The Game Down on all the socials to see the cool exercises they do with their athletes and tell Ryan that Baseball Notes sent you!  Go get em today!! Clint  

"I realized that doing things didn't matter if the things I was doing didn't matter." Today, kids are out there putting in the effort but they are drifting through their development because they are not INTENTIONAL about WHAT they need to improve, and by WHEN. High performance coach Mike Szczesniak (https://www.instagram.com/mikeszczesniak/) of The Results Engine podcast joins us today to share about GOAL SETTING.  Mike is known for helping people achieve and earn more in the business space, and I think those of us in the sports world can learn A LOT from his methods and how we can get the most of the time our kids are putting in. Because lets face it, we all want "kids to be kids" but we also don't want them to fall behind.  And the answer that we default to is MORE.  More practice, more lessons, more time.  And we barely have time for schoolwork, let alone free time for our son's and daughters to just be kids. But the REAL answer that will supercharge results is to GET MORE out of the work your kid is ALREADY putting in.  And in this episode Mike shares some tremendous methods on how to do just that. If you enjoy the podcast give us a review on iTunes (it helps us spread the message, I'd appreciate it!) and be sure to follow Mike on instagram @mikeszczesniak (I know!) and check out his podcast The Results Engine.....it's fantastic on all things performance and efficiency. Go get em today guys!!   Clint

Hitting coordinator Mike Brumley of the Atlanta Braves joins us today to share his experience and knowledge of over 35 years in Major League Baseball. Here Mike shares how he went of for two SEASONS in youth baseball, Ted Williams' #1 key to hitting, the two key swing movements that successful hitters share, the relationship between the hand load and leg load before the swing, how "barrel inside of the hands" is a superior teaching cue to "hands inside the baseball" and much more. If you care to check out Mike's hitting sequence that he puts 10 year olds and 25 year old pros through, go to www.baseballnotes.com and check out the Brumley Unchained Method.  He put me through it (as you'll see in the training) and it is phenomenal....you're gonna love it. And if you get a chance, leave us a review on iTunes, that always helps!  Good vibes sent your way, go get em today!

Fantastic interview with Driveline disciple and current Pitching Director for the New York Yankees - Sam Briend.  Sam shares about the Driveline methods that have revolutionized how we train pitchers in the US, one of the most important MOVEMENTS that increases force production (aka velocity), what youth pitchers should be focusing on, what they should avoid, and how both velocity AND control can be taught.  Believe me, you aren't gonna want to miss this! Enjoy!!     http://baseballnotes.com  

In episode 16 - "Athletic performance specialist" Christian Ballard is here to share with us the myths and truths about youth strength and speed training.  What are the biggest wastes of time?  What exercises deliver the most bang for their buck?  How early should we be focusing on strength and speed training?  Christian answers all of these questions and more, and shares his 9 week FANTASTIC youth training protocol with us here, currently offering the Speed and Strength programs together at half price: Bomb Squad 9 Week Strength & Speed Discount   Enjoy the episode, and be sure to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the content!!

Fantastic interview with Nate Trosky of Trosky Baseball.  In this episode, Nate shares from his VAST experience in global baseball what we American's are doing poorly when it comes to training our baseball players.  Over the course of the interview Nate shares how America is training A-ballers - not big leaguers, the simple drill for teaching NATURAL infield movements, the secret to separating yourself from and above other good hitters and how Nate trains his two (D1 commit) nephews every day.  You're not going to want to miss this!

Coach Jason Ferber (@coachferber on IG) is one of the most popular baseball personalities in the game today and has extensive experience with the college recruiting process, having helped guide 100's of HS ballplayers to all levels of college ball and is a WEALTH of knowledge & today shares with us:   - If specializing in one sport vs Multi sport seems to have any success patterns at his level - The biggest separator of young athletes (hint: it's not skill or even mental) - The biggest mistake and money grab that parents run into - Where to start when compiling a college wish list - The biggest opportunity for HS players to stand out to college coaches today ...and much more.   This was one of my favorite interviews so far, so insightful.  Let me or coach Ferb know if you have any questions.  Hope you enjoy!  Go get em!

Today's guest: Joey Myers from Hittingperformancelab.com.  Joey has over 15 years in the corrective fitness field and uses tested and proven human movement principles to maximize a young hitter's strength and potential at the plate.  Lots of great info in here: How springy fascia can be used to catapult the body into action, What movement will remove the 'governor' on the body to allow it to move more powerfully, and how a simple change in hand pressure on the grip can fix one of the swing's most common and brutal flaws. Enjoy, and check out Joey at www.hittingperformancelab.com

In this episode, we discuss all things tryouts: When/If you should leave your current team, setting your family priorities, The 1 thing you must remind your player before tryouts, what to wear to catch the coach's eye and Clint's scientific method for finding your true feelings on decisions you can't decide on. Enjoy!

Part 2 of our conversation with Alan Jaeger.  Alan's background in yoga is apparent in this episode, as he talks about finding the "zone" or the "flow" and how simple breathing exercises can help tune out the "drama" that any moment can bring.  Be sure to follow him at @jaegersports on twitter!  Good vibes sent your way

Jaeger Sports founder (J Bands!) Alan Jaeger joins us to discuss arm care, prehab vs rehab, the most common mistakes pitchers/throwers are making today, and the phenomenal long toss habit - that I had never encountered before - which builds arm strength, endurance and feel. One of the most genuine people in the game, enjoy this talk with Alan Jaeger!

Troy Silva is a former professional baseball player with one of the most followed baseball accounts on twitter (@troypsilva), and today Troy shares EXACTLY what you should be working on to hit better in games, some of the most overused buzzwords he hears today and also how his faith has shaped him during his playing and now coaching career.  

Introducing: Steve Springer of Quality At Bats. Steve is a former Major Leaguer, big league scout and mental skills coach for the Toronto Blue Jays... ...and in my opinion one of the very best voices baseball has today. Steve has a powerful (and important) message to share with your player, whether it be on how to "Hunt Speeds", "Opening Day Mentality" or just his story of perseverance from a lifelong benchwarmer/1b coach to a MLB player, you're really going to enjoy one of the best/most genuine teachers we have today. PS. If you get a minute, leave us a review on iTunes/Spotify...I'm told that helps quite a bit :) Thanks for tuning in!

In today's episode we are fortunate to have Ben Brewster from Tread Athletics. Ben wrote "Building The 95MPH Body" and is one of the most sought after pitching-development coaches in the country. As a former pitcher with degrees in exercise science, Ben has relentlessly challenged convention and went through the Try/Fail cycle more times than most - and through that experience has uncovered the key elements that TRULY contribute to a player improving velocity. Today you'll learn: -How Ben transformed himself from the worst player on his HS Freshman team to a professional pitcher. -How velocity is NOT only for those who are gifted with it. -What "Getting into your legs" actually means -Why nutrition is an ENORMOUS factor in a pitcher's development. -How strength training alone can correct mechanical flaws ...and much more. Ben is a budding superstar in the pitching field, so be sure to check him out at www.twitter.com/treadathletics And if you enjoyed the episode go ahead and give it a good review on iTunes, that always helps us out :)  ! Go get em today!

Taking a minute to answer some listener questions! Topics include: How to deal with toxic teammates How a RH dominant kid who hits LH can improve their power ...and how to motivate your kid to work harder at their craft (disclaimer: the last answer was a bit off the wall....but I think there's truth there)   Enjoy!   And if you get a minute, please leave a review on iTunes!  Go get em today!   Clint

Today's Guest is Rob Friedman, better known to many as Twitter's Pitching Ninja!   Rob not only has one of the top (if not THE top) baseball accounts on Twitter, which is referenced NIGHTLY by top MLB pitchers...   ...but Rob has also raised his own son to become one of the top pitching prospects in the state of Georgia.   So throughout the father/son baseball journey, Rob dove DEEP into the mechanics of pitching and visited the top pitching coaches/schools in the country and has a VERY strong understanding of what is important and what is not when it comes to throwing a baseball well.   In this episode you'll hear Rob discuss: why pitching lessons can hinder a young player, what young pitchers SHOULD be focusing on, the pitfalls of video and what you must take VERY seriously if your player is serious about playing in college/pro ball (this was not what I had expected him to say!)   And if you enjoyed the episode please subscribe & leave a review on iTunes...those a pretty helpful to spread the message and I'd appreciate it!     Go get em today!!!

Former softball player and current Mental Skills Coach for the Philadelphia Phillies Hannah Huesman joins us today to share on our favorite topic: CONFIDENCE. Hannah shares with us the secret in what we should base our confidence in (hint: it's not our talent), the one common habit that is CRUSHING performance, and the one natural function we can focus on that can stop negative thinking on a dime. I really enjoyed this conversation with Hannah, she does an awesome job of connecting the dots without getting too clinical or scientific. Check it out and let me know what you think!  

If something hurts....you put ice on it right? Well according to author/researcher Gary Reinl, nothing could be further from the truth. In this episode, Gary shares how the RICE protocol (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) came about... ...why a growing number of professional teams (across baseball, hockey, soccer, and more) have adopted his technique to help with true HEALING of the muscles. I think you will find this one fascinating. And if you enjoyed it, be sure to leave a review on iTunes...that sure helps me out :)

In today's talk with Jeff Bajenaru (Badge-in-arrow) we cover a wide number of topics.  Jeff has spent the last seven seasons as a pitching coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, the last two with the Visalia Rawhide where he was just recently named the Cal League Coach of the Year. He also spent 7 seasons as a player in the White Sox organization, two in the Major Leagues. Jeff shares the hilariously creative way he was able to break into professional baseball as an instructor, and why he hates the towel drill (and what to do instead) and his take on the most under used and under practiced pitch in the game - the high fastball. To stay up to date on The Baseball Notes Podcast, subscribe at Itunes and check out more on @baseballnotes on Facebook and Instagram and at our site at www.baseballnotes.co. There's a lot to learn in this episode, enjoy the show!!

In this episode, I talk with Garth Iorg about the difference makers in his successful 9 year big league career, and also what he's seen in his coaching career that has separated guys who have had long big league careers from the guys who flamed out.....and spoiler alert it's not talent!   Just a great talk with Garth, in this conversation we cover: (5:15) The problem with how we teach US players how to field a ground ball. (7:10) His favorite infield drill (9:26) Why good infielders play more on their *heels* (13:09) When to use 1 hand (18:49) What Garth was thinking about up at the plate for his approach (20:41) The very best approach he's ever heard (applied by Todd Helton and Lance Berkman) (26:20) The one thing he'd go back and change if he had a do-over (28:35) What MLB players do differently from those who don't make it (30:45) Should you hold your son back during youth baseball? (32:24) Not "dogging" your players   For more content or if I can help you with a question, please check out www.baseballnotes.co and the Baseball Notes Facebook Page Thanks for stopping in, good luck and God bless!