Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast

Ever wonder why your child crushes BP but freezes during games? You're not alone—and in this powerful episode of the Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast, we tackle one of the biggest frustrations in youth baseball and softball today: the practice-to-game disconnect. Host Joey Myers unpacks the neuroscience, training design flaws, and emotional triggers that sabotage performance under pressure. If your athlete looks like an All-Star in the cage but struggles when it counts, this episode is your game-day blueprint.

Is year-round baseball holding your young hitter back? In this game-changing episode of the Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast, Joey Myers challenges the conventional wisdom of early specialization in youth sports—especially baseball and softball. Drawing on neuroscience, biomechanics, real-world examples, and expert insights from giants like Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Gio Valiante, Joey lays out the powerful case for multi-sport participation. If your child has been burning out, underperforming, or losing joy at the plate, this episode offers a refreshing—and science-backed—solution. You'll learn why athletes who play multiple sports develop superior movement skills, recover faster, and perform better under pressure. Here's what you'll discover in today's episode: ✅ Why early specialization may be doing more harm than good → From injury risk to burnout, Joey breaks down the dangers of overtraining in a single sport. ✅ How multi-sport athletes develop elite-level adaptability and athletic IQ → Hear how different movement patterns wire the brain for faster reaction times and better rhythm. ✅ The Ryan Story: A rigid hitter becomes fluid after a two-month break → A real-life case study of how a young athlete rediscovered performance—and joy—after switching things up. ✅ The 90-Day Off-Ramp Framework to diversify your athlete's development → Step-by-step transition plan to ease out of single-sport overload without losing skill. ✅ The Shuffle Drill: A fun way to build body control across sports → Learn how a simple 3-cone triangle drill can build movement versatility and agility. ✅ How to complement multi-sport training with the Swing Shift System → Discover how 3–5 minute daily lessons can maintain hitting skills without burnout, stress, or over-coaching. If this episode opened your eyes to the power of athletic diversity, be sure to:

Are trending bats making your child a better hitter—or just messing up their mechanics? In this deep-dive episode of the Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast, host Joey Myers breaks down the viral “torpedo bat” phenomenon that's recently been linked to home run surges in the New York Yankees clubhouse… and is now popping up in youth cages nationwide. But here's the catch: Just because MLB players are using it, doesn't mean it's right for your 10-year-old. ✅ You'll learn: What makes the torpedo bat biomechanically different (and why it punishes scoopy swings) The top 3 swing issues this tool can accidentally reinforce in young hitters Why most youth athletes aren't developmentally ready for it—and what to use instead A safe, science-backed overload/underload progression that builds power and barrel control without the risk How to identify signs of disconnection, poor timing, and top-hand weakness in your own athlete Plus, Joey shares a complete swing progression drill sequence you can implement today—no fancy gear required.

What if everything you've heard about hip rotation, launch angles, and "getting on time" is only half the story? In this game-changing episode of the Swing Smarter podcast, Joey Myers sits down with Xen Penny, former Diamondbacks coach and now elite private hitting instructor, to dissect some of the most misunderstood (and miscoached) elements in hitting today. Coaches, parents, and players—if you're tired of the same cookie-cutter swing advice and want real, proven techniques that translate under game pressure against nasty pitching... this one's for you.

In this groundbreaking episode of the Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast, Joey Myers sits down with Tim Nicely, the neural performance visionary behind V-Flex Sports. With over 25 years of deep neurological research and training experience with elite programs like the Oklahoma Sooners softball dynasty and 17+ MLB organizations, Tim reveals how training the brain—not just the swing—is the real secret to dominating the plate. If your athlete freezes on strikes, swings at junk, or struggles to adjust in two-strike counts, this episode is for you. Whether you're a travel ball parent, rec league coach, or competitive athlete, this episode will rewire how you think about hitting success.

Ever wonder why today's popular hitting methods often contradict the timeless techniques used by legendary Major Leaguers? In this power-packed episode of the Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast, host Joey Myers is joined by former MLB player Jeff Frye, the voice behind the provocative "She Gone" movement, renowned hitting analyst, and passionate advocate for traditional hitting fundamentals. Jeff Frye, who spent nearly a decade in the Major Leagues facing legends like Greg Maddux, shares candid insights on: The crucial difference between "feel" versus "real" swing mechanics. Why swinging down on pitches up in the zone remains a cornerstone of successful hitting. Secrets for mastering barrel path to consistently compete against elite pitching. The significant problems with modern hitting instruction and how coaches and players can simplify their approach for maximum effectiveness. Jeff and Joey deep dive into engaging topics like why MLB hitters such as Aaron Judge face challenges during high-pressure postseason at-bats and how young athletes can avoid common pitfalls created by the "fear of missing out" in today's travel-ball culture. This episode is loaded with actionable takeaways for baseball and softball coaches, players, and parents who want to elevate their hitting IQ and gain a competitive edge. Don't miss these powerful highlights: Practical hitting adjustments inspired by real MLB experiences. Why understanding pitch recognition and location strategies can drastically improve your performance. Proven advice for youth players and coaches to foster genuine skill development and love for the game. Ready to swing smarter and hit harder? Subscribe now, leave a quick review, and share this episode with other baseball and softball enthusiasts. Visit HittingPerformanceLab.com for cutting-edge hitting resources, Jeff Frye's "She Gone" movement updates, and exclusive hitting programs designed to transform your game!

Episode Overview In this insightful episode, baseball experts Joey Myers and Perry Husband explore the nuances of hitting and pitching strategies to improve player performance. From dissecting hitting techniques to understanding swing flaws and diving into pitching analytics, they cover a comprehensive range of topics. The duo emphasizes the importance of data analysis and encourages players to be mindful of their own capabilities instead of merely mimicking professionals. Listeners will also get actionable advice and resources to elevate their game. Key Takeaways Hitting Techniques: The importance of a locked-out lead arm, wrist stretch, and maximizing swing leverage for optimal hitting. Trade-offs in Hitting: Balancing between hitting homers on low and away pitches and mastering the top of the strike zone. Swing Flaws: Understanding and identifying swing flaws that can affect a player's ability to make solid contact with the ball. Copying Pros: The risks of emulating swings of professional players who have different physical capabilities. Pitching Strategies: The significance of speed differential between pitches and keeping track of pitch counts for effective pitching. Ground Ball Focus: The necessity for pitchers to induce ground balls to minimize the number of pitches thrown. Timing and Angles: How timing tendencies and angles at which hitters hit pitches are often overlooked in scouting reports. Data Analysis: The critical role of data and real-world testing in refining both hitting and pitching strategies. Resource Sharing: Perry Husband's books and website are mentioned as resources for further learning and improvement. Mutual Respect: Both experts express admiration for each other's work and contributions to the field. Resource Links Blog Post on Hitting Performance Lab YouTube Video Perry's website Effective Velocity

Unlock your hitting potential with data-backed techniques! Debunk myths about the best adjustable baseball power swing drills for youth to high school. Dive into at-home hitting mechanics supported by science. Here's a little bit of what is discussed in Part-3 between Perry Husband and Joey Myers: The discussion in the video focuses on baseball hitting mechanics and strategies, specifically critiquing traditional emphasis on exit velocity. Joey Myers and Perry Husband are in their third part of discussing these topics. Perry Husband shares extensive data and examples to argue that the common practice of teaching hitters to extend their arms for outside fastballs while pulling their hands in for inside fastballs may not be effective. He cites league averages and Mike Trout's specific stats to emphasize his point. The talk delves into what Husband calls "Effective Velocity," which considers not just the speed of the pitch but its location, trajectory, and the hitter's reaction time. According to his research, hard-hit balls usually occur against the toughest pitch combinations, like fastballs up and in. Both Myers and Husband lament that mainstream baseball, including the Major Leagues, often misses the nuances in hitting mechanics. Husband even proposes a hypothetical Discord discussion with pitching experts to compare philosophies. The discussion is framed around the broader idea of what constitutes a "successful hitting mechanic." Husband argues for a method that allows hitters to be less than perfect but still successful, while Myers questions the prevailing philosophies, opening up a dialogue on what metrics and strategies should really be used for teaching and evaluating hitters. Other Resources Blog Post YouTube Video

Joey Myers from hittingperformancelab.com and effectivevelocity.com hosts a part two discussion with Perry Husband, touching on critical perspectives about baseball hitting mechanics and methods. There's controversy around the value of increasing exit velocity as a primary focus for hitters, with some in the baseball community mocking this approach. Effective velocity research indicates a challenge in the education and understanding of proper hitting techniques, with many instructors leaning towards trendy drills rather than scientifically-based methods. Perry delves into the details of the swing, emphasizing the importance of hitting a baseball correctly, which does not always align with popular teachings.They hint at a possible part three discussion, with Perry expressing his plans to share more on platforms like YouTube and Twitter. Here are the links to: Blog Post, and YouTube video.

Why instruction to increase exit velocity? Learn baseball and fastpitch or slowpitch softball bat speed tips to improve hitting power that are supported by data and science. The following video is a conversation I had with Perry Husband of EffectiveVelocity.com. The Importance of Exit Velocity in Baseball In the world of baseball and softball, one term that has gained significant attention is 'Exit Velocity.' Exit Velocity refers to the speed of the ball as it comes off the bat, and it has emerged as a critical metric for evaluating a player's hitting ability. The Emergence of Exit Velocity The concept of Exit Velocity was first introduced, by Perry Husband, in a video with J. Bell. The idea was to come up with an efficient and effective teaching method for young players that would maximize their output on the field. Thus, Exit Velocity was born. The Impact of Exit Velocity The average Exit Velocity in Major League Baseball hovers around 75-80% of a player's maximum. Teaching based on Exit Velocity can lead to immediate improvements in a player's performance. It's not uncommon for players to see their ball exit speeds increase significantly after just a few sessions. This not only boosts their performance on the field but also their self-confidence. The Controversy around Exit Velocity Despite its effectiveness, not everyone is on board with the concept of Exit Velocity. Many players and coaches have pre-existing belief systems about hitting based on traditional methods or advice passed down from previous generations. However, it's important to note that the proof is in the pudding. One of the best examples is Carlos Pena, who transformed from being a slugger to a hitter and led the Major Leagues in exit velocity the first year it was recognized as a crucial metric, working with Perry. The Future of Exit Velocity With the advent of technology and data analysis in baseball, Exit Velocity is likely to play an even more significant role in the future. A player's ability to produce high Exit Velocities consistently is seen as a marker of their potential to play at higher levels. For instance, a high school player aiming to play in college should be able to achieve an Exit Velocity of at least 80 mph off the tee. As baseball continues to evolve, so too will the importance of metrics like Exit Velocity. As we move forward, it's essential to keep an open mind and remain willing to test and adopt new strategies and techniques to improve player performance. Links: Blog Post, and YouTube Video.

Discover the first portable MINI small ball pitching machine for kids and High School on up that uses biodegradable balls (NO pickup necessary!). Battery operated (rechargeable 12 hour batter life) and weighs ONLY 1.7-pounds! This is the BEST (and smallest) youth baseball and softball hand-eye coordination drills pitching machine. Smaller than a golf ball, chickpea sized - 10% that of a baseball! Learn about this automatic, cordless battery powered pitching machine for home use and is affordably cheap, under $500, in this interview with Hit Them All inventor Felix Fernandez. Remote controlled. Purchase protected with a 30-day money back guarantee AND a 2 year warranty. In this interview with Felix Fernandez, inventor of the Hit Them All smallest pitching machine, we talk about: What's your 2-to-3-minute elevator pitch for the Hit Them All? What were some of the injuries that you had to deal with? What were some of mental baseball challenges you weren't ready for in college? Where did your habit to tinker and test come from? What's the origin story of the Hit Them All pitching machine? What makes the Hit Them All unique and who is its competition? How long have you been working on perfecting the Hit Them All? What age groups have you tested the Hit Them All with? What's the frequency of when it spits out a one of the little balls and is there an indication light? Tell people where they can find you? CLICK HERE to go to our blog post and see if we've having any deals on the Hit Them All.

In this interview, we discuss the following: Many things that differentiate you from others and it's MAT, explain MAT a little bit... Talk a little bit about some of the things you're seeing out there the pitchers that are coming to you... “I've got one research paper with 3D mathematical models showing you need over 2000 pounds of force, as compression shearing to get even a 1% change in length. And a 1% change in length for, ligaments that's called a grade one strain or sprain.” Is all stretching bad or is there a time and a place for it? What's your view on weighted ball throwing programs? What's your view on the force plate metrics some experts are relying on? The Kinetic Arm reduces stress on elbow-shoulder and guides arm into the right positions, is that a fair assessment? And pitchers are using the Kinetic Arm to rehab Tommy John surgery? Is the Kinetic Arm available in youth sizes yet? Where can people find you, Jason?

In this interview with Physical Therapist Dr. Jocelyn Vartanian in Fresno, CA, we discuss: You've had a huge influx of new clients, athletes... what are you seeing coming in right now? What do you see different in softball, girls coming in with injuries versus the guys? Or is there any difference? What's your advice on the ankle side of things? What top two things would you suggest they do to help with those ankles? On low back stuff, what kind of advice would you give the ladies? What's your advice on shoulder? You mentioned that the boys are the elbow really elbow heavy shoulder... “And your shoulder blade strength starts to pick up, your shoulders start to feel better. You add like 2, 3, 4 miles an hour on your velo like that, but I didn't throw harder” Let people know where they can find you...

In this episode I interview one of my former Fresno State teammates, who was a pitcher and is now a Chiropractor. Here's what we cover: If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice, what would that advice be? What were some of the pain symptoms you experienced in your pitching shoulder in college? The dangers, causes, and how to fix reverse cervical curve in young athletes What is a “Denner roll”? Not sushi? What other things are you seeing in young athletes; besides neck stuff, that we need to look out for? Where can people find you?

In this interview with clinical Sports Performance Psychologist, Dr. Bhrett McCabe, we go over: What are the top two mistakes that athletes make when it comes to dealing with those injuries? Psychologically? Dad's saying you need to tough it out. You need to get out there. What's your advice for some of those? What's your advice on a player that is VERY hard on themself? “To me, the first thing we can do as the coach is never assumed that they're going to be better. I think we must assume that they're going to struggle.” What do you, and it leads into some tough talks where, we're talking about suicide rates and things like that. What's your initial analysis? “Every coach strength, coach hitting coach, every coach should know what to do. If a player comes to them and says, coach, I just don't think about living anymore.” Where can people find you? Do you have any, so that could be social. That could be the website. I know we mentioned the beginning any kind of workshops or anything coming up?

Here's what we go over in this episode: “...hitting approach, something we've really used this fall to help assess our hitters and swing decisions” What would you suggest, to say a little league coach, if you were to pick one of those [Blast, Hitting Approach, Quality At-bats,etc], what would you say would be the best for 12U? “...you manually put in where the pitch crossed the strike zone, and it's almost like having a spray chart, but just digitally and the cool aspect of it, from what I've gathered, what I've seen, is that it creates a heat map.” You mentioned competitions in the outfield. Take me through that. What does that look like? The four-seam spin, just by putting a thin piece of athletic tape on the four-seam, in the middle. Talk a little bit about that... One of the other drills that you mentioned you didn't go into it too deep, but I'd like you to here, from Sammy's podcast, was a bucket drill. I think it had to do with the fly balls at the peak... What do you see as being the top two things when it comes to organizational practice at the high school level that maybe is missing? Where we can find you, give us a talk about your book Rounding Third and where people can buy it?

Here's what we go over in this interview with hitting academy owner, team coach, and one-on-one hitting instructor in Tennessee, Nate Headley (brother to Major Leaguer Chase): “I woke up to my first morning of college with the cops knocking on our door at five o'clock in the morning...” What do you see as the top two mistakes that academy owners make? “I think the toughest conversations I have are the ones with the parents that are so over the top that you have to sit them down and say, hey, look, man, if you don't back off, they're not going to make it.” “I think ultimately that's where you start to lose traction in the development process and building teams and I think that the more you can continue on a daily basis to pick up, if it's one thing a day...” What's your filter? How do you know to follow a guy or two to give it a try, what's your filter for that? “There's so much information available. If you're just paying attention to the game, if you're just paying attention to how they're attacking hitters in front of you, we force all our guys to get out of the dugout, out onto the field when they've got a guy getting loose.” “We can give you all the information you need to be successful, but what you do with it is ultimately all that matters, because the development process is not going to be there.” Where can people find you if they want to reach out, ask you questions, you got a website, social media, any of that?

Here's what we cover in this episode: What are the top-3 kid raising pitfalls parents fall into in middle school and high school in before college and professional ball? The DANGERS lurking in self-comparison from ages 14-18 years old “Getting repetition because through repetition, we're going to gain our retention.... “They won a college world series. It was a great moment. But suddenly, everything's winding down. I suddenly realize that journey had concluded...” “I use the term and I've used 40 years where I tell parents the whole objective is to trade athletic ability for academic excellence.” “What's the difference of success levels between your son who just played through college and the one who went pro in the way you treated them and brought them up?” Where to find the book Committed and purchase, and where to find you guys on the socials?

Here's what we go over in this part-2 episode with Joe Yurko: Joe's 10 Sports Psychology principles that are a part of his hitting system Fear: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod Crane, in the story, he was afraid, but it was his own imagination that caused him to be afraid, there was no Headless Horseman.” “These kids were walking around saying, we're going to face a guy throwing 95 miles an hour. I'm trying to counter that.” Conscious Brain: “...your thinking parts, the parts that land rockets on the moon and invent sticky notes and whiteout and things like that.” “The moment you said, I don't care anymore, you just turned your brain on.” “He called it the paradox that the upper parts of our brains invent the games that we play... Then the lower parts are the ones that play it.” Where can people find you Joe?

Here are some of the topics to be discussed: What video analysis software do you use? Who is Chaz Henry? What's his background in? The fascinating history of Powerchalk and machine learning... Difference of amateur hitter's up shoulders at landing versus professional hitter's down shoulders... What machine learning, aka “Artificial Intelligence” (AI), means to the future of video analysis... “What I've done is I've kind of shown how the machine can grade you, can look at these frames and grade you [the swing] ...” How to objectively take a swing “red” light and turn it “green” ... “I don't pretend at all that I'm doing away with, or that I'm automating a real hitting coach; I see it as a second opinion...” Using machine learning to recognize dysfunctional movement like immobile joint and diagnose corrective exercise, so that a hitter moves better... Where can they go to find Powerchalk obviously, and then is there a place they can go to check out this new AI machine learning stuff? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/chazhtranscription Click short link for video of interview: https://gohpl.com/chazhvideo

“You Can Have Average Mechanics and If You Have A Good Approach, You Can Still Be Successful” Mark Gonzalez, @EastBayMark on Twitter, and inspirational parent coaching his High School Junior hitter Here's what we talk about in this episode: What do you find to be the biggest mistake, one or two mistakes on hitting that you see out there? Was there an aha moment at some point where you finally said Oh, you know what, I might be over overdoing this being the helicopter parent? “You can have average mechanics and if you have a good approach, you can still be successful...” Is it all about hitting dingers and doubles? What ever happened to playing Whiffle Ball in the street, and can kids learn anything from video games? What things have you guys been doing on the recruiting side? “If this college wants a certain type of hitting approach and if that's the hitting approach you really don't like well maybe that's not the school for you...” Any other parting thoughts that you would give to those parents out there with freshmen, sophomores, juniors in high school, coming from a dad who's coaching their own kid? Where can people find you Coach Mark and powerful BONUS tips???

In this episode with Joe Yurko, a retired teacher and baseball coach who taught a Sports Psychology class, we go over: Teacher-coach, what you were teaching, the psychology side, give everybody a little bit of a background... Joe Yurko's 10 Rules for Sports Psychology Success What do you mean by you can't ‘try' to hit? “The more you forget, the better you are at doing it, and the better you are doing it, the more you can forget.” - Lawrence Shainberg How did you get out of your head and just react when you play? The ‘Pattern Interrupt' “The mind is a great thing unless you must use it.” – Tim McCarver Joe, where can people find you?

Here's what we talk about in this episode: Stephen was accelerating his barrel early, which is what we were teaching at the time, but by the time he got to contact, it was slowing down. Talk a little bit about that... When I looked at Javy Baez, I was seeing him really turn, they say when the pitcher shows you their back pocket, then the hitter shows the pitcher their back pocket. I think that's flawed... It's not how much hitter loads their upper torso that's the issue with getting to inside pitch, it has to do with the barrel path... It was this way [swing down], but his barrel [Bonds] stayed this way [flat], and you'll look at videos, and it just stays flat to the ball that's up in the zone or inside in the zone. He was one of the best... There's a problem there if we want lower strikeouts, and we want a higher batting average, which some can argue isn't as important in today's game, but I still think it is... Where can people find you to get more information?

Bill Masullo of Ultimate Edge at GoodSports “I saw 6000 guys; I didn't see anybody who could hit a curveball. It's like, how are we not hitting a curveball?” What we go over: Give me your sales pitch on you guys' Academy, what you guys do, where you're located, etc. How long has it been since you started following me Bill? Do you guys do different experiments and stuff like that? Do you show those kids a part of your learning process? What's your advice on the biggest mistake you see some of these hitting academies making in the beginning? How are you guys applying Perry Husband's stuff? What hitting strategies are you talking about to your guys? And how are you practicing them? Why ‘keep hands inside' the curveball is a myth... Bill and Joey on the state of youth baseball and softball: ‘free play' Where can people find you Bill?

Coach Neil McConnell, the founder of MaxBP whiffle ball pitching machines, et al. products What Does It Mean To ‘Build The Database' When It Comes To Hitting? Here are some of the topics to be discussed: You're doing a lot of really big things over the last year or two? Go ahead and let them know what you guys are up to? What are some of those tools? I know you have a bunch of them, but say like top two or so outside of the actual pitching machines? It's not just about a whiffle ball pitching machine to hit on? What does it mean to ‘build the database' when it comes to hitting? You guys have done a lot of cool stuff with using max BP with catchers, how do you guys use that? “Where you're making them make a decision and ignoring one color versus being locked into another color...” “You can honestly get work in and probably 10-15 feet. 20 feet is a good space....” Do you guys test them before they go out? Where can people find you, the website, the social media, all that good stuff?

Strength & Conditioning Coach Joey Wolfe, owner of Paradigm Sport of Santa Cruz, California Do You Have Data Showing the Difference of AFTER Putting Athletes Through a Movement Screen & Do Corrections? Here are some of the topics to be discussed: Where did you end up on the baseball scene? Give me the origin story of Paradigm Sport. Why Paradigm Sport? What is you guys' main mission? Is there a specific kind of screen that you guys use a movement screen? Do you have any kind of data that's showing the difference after you put them through the screen and do the movement corrections? I could imagine that a lot of our shoulders were just dynamite waiting to explode... Is there a difference between your males and females? Or is there a pattern that emerges there? Yeah, it's like an incubator. You guys are creating an incubator for the result, obviously being the athlete and beyond performing the game, but there's a lot... Talk a little bit about the future of Paradigm Sport being online... Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/joeywolfetranscription

Geoff Rottmayer of StrategicHittingGuy.com “I Think We'd Like To Tell Guys More Than Seeing How They're Pitching Him...See How They're Adjusting To Them...” What we go over: What are your 5 Pillars to Preparation Success? Who is Geoff Rottmayer? What are some of the two-strike mindset approach type things that you guys talk about? Basing plan at the plate on pitcher observations & PBR? “Pregame data research, where you combine on and try to figure them out...” “Every pitcher is different, his fastball, not his fastball, his curveball, not his curveball. It's really individualized and everything. That's the key to it individualizing as much as you can...” “I think we'd like to tell guys more than seeing how they're pitching him...see how they're adjusting to them...” “There are three mindsets that we've been able to identify over the last five, six years, and then it's really been an eye opener...” What are some of the questions that you ask to take a player from compare-convince phase to compete-contribute? So where can people find you as of today? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/geoffrtranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: https://gohpl.com/geoffrvideo

Shawn Wolf, who I refer to as the “Team Whisperer” Did You Separate Your Kids Being A Parent, Being A Dad And Being A Coach? How Did You Do That? Here are some of the topics to be discussed: Give us a little bit about your background on the coaching side, what you did with your boys, when you started coaching, and then when you let go... Did you separate your kids being a parent, being a dad and being a coach? How did you do that? How to find the balance of not coddling your kid on the team, and not ripping them apart... How to not be the micromanaging or hover coach/dad... Advice on how to treat your kid after an awful game (e.g., 0-6 with 5 K's in the box) Advice to overly organized coaches, checking all the “boxes”, but team still isn't winning, Any advice that you think that we missed on the call for maybe new coaches out there starting or maybe some of those veteran ones? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/shawnwolftranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/shawnwolfvideo

Michael Gillen of PitcherPerfectPro.com “Top Two Mistakes That Coaches Are Making In Teaching Pitching?” What we go over: Give us a little look at your setup over there... Who you are, the kind of your mentors on the pitching side, who guides you and your training? Top two mistakes that either pitchers or coaches are making in teaching pitching? What do you feel with the whole Tommy John stuff? What do you feel like the top two issues that are leading to that? When reading about spinal engine springy fascia, were you were able to apply those principles to pitching? What are those two things that you go, alright, we need to fix those right away? Like hitting, is there such thing as over-rotating when pitching? Tell people where your website is, your social media, any kind of deals or what kind of deals that you do, obviously, locally, right? But are you doing some online lessons? Let people know that kind of stuff. Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/mikegillentranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/mikegillenvideo

“When It Comes to Guys, The Performance Determines Their Happiness. When It Comes to Girls, The Happiness Determines the Performance” What we go over: Come to find out you are an Aerospace Engineer, Where did you get White Zone Coaching from? When it comes to guys, the performance determines their happiness. When it comes to girls, the happiness determines the performance... ... You can give them more and more and more as long as you know where their edges at, “The Surfer's Code” and what softball and baseball players can learn from it, How do you coach your softball girls to deal with the 2020 challenges? Amanda, where can people find you? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/amandasmithtranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/amandasmithvideo

Ray Camacho of Fat On Fat Baseball & Softball Academy I Don't Use A Glove When I Throw BP, So I'll hold Curveball Like This. I'll Hold It. I Want to See If They're Smart Enough to Look at My Hand Here are some of the topics to be discussed: Tell me a little bit about your nonprofit, where you guys are and what it's about, Who are your top one or two follows for strength and conditioning? “It's ever evolving with me because one kid teaches me how to do something for another kid...”, "It's extremely tough as a parent to watch our kids struggle, fail, and be rejected. But if we don't let them experience it, while they're young, they'll have no idea how to handle it when life shows up later down the road. Our job is to love them and teach them how to work through it." “I like to pride myself in not being just like a scratch a surface guy. I get deep.” I think baseball and softball hitting a baseball softball consistently hard is the hardest thing to do in any sport, The toe tap to me is the most adjustable swing that I've ever had, I don't use a glove when I throw BP so I'll hold curveball like this. I'll hold it. I want to see if they're smart enough to look at my hand, Where can people find you, talk about the social media platforms... Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/rayctranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/raycvideo

Taylor Gardner of BackspinTee.com If One Of The Best, Mike Trout, Is Giving Up An Average 20-mph Of Ball Exit Speed, How Much Do Mere Mortals Give Up Doing The Same Thing? Here are some of the topics to be discussed: What do adjustments mean to you when it comes to talking to your hitters? True or False: Hitters MUST straighten their front leg to be effective What if hitters used a more precision approach like golfers when operating between 90-degrees? Instead of writing off the arm bar as it doesn't work, why not ask how can it work? Is there ever a time when ‘swing down' or ‘barrel above the hands' cues can work? If one of the best, Mike Trout, is giving up 20-mph of ball exit speed, how much do mere mortals give up doing the same thing? Where can people find more about you guys? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/taylorgtranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/taylorgvideo

Derek Mayson of LockedInMentalTraining.com “What Anxiety Disorders Do You See with Young Athletes Today & How to Fix?” What we go over: Give us a Little Background from where you Started – you have a Great Story... What Anxiety Disorders do you see with Young Athletes Today and How to Fix? What's your advice to a young player that is putting a lot of pressure on themselves and is almost given himself deadlines if this doesn't happen? Contrarily, what is your advice to parents who have kiddos that don't have motivation or inspiration to practice? What was the one big thing or was it a few other factors that helped you to break out of your anxiety disorder? Explain just a little bit about what the product is and walk us through that, where we can find your website, any kind of social media, YouTube, all that kind of stuff? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/derekmtranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/derekmvideo

“Gain an Average of FIVE To SIX-mph Ball Exit Speed In A Couple Sessions Using Square1System” Here's some of what will be discussed: What is the origin of the Square1System? What is your elevator pitch for the Square1System? Where was that aha moment where you saw the rabbit hole, then you started digging? Why is the traditional model of ‘stretch what's tight and strengthen what's weak' not so effective? What does the timeline look like using your system? When do you see the benefits? After using your system, what are you seeing on the ball exit speed increase for hitters and the velocity increase for pitchers? What does the fixing movement compensation look like? What has your experience been with Tommy John, maybe athletes that are looking at that or have that? Where can people find you? What kind of projects you got going on now? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/shawntranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/shawnvideo

Justin Lewis, Softball Hitting Coach for the Fresno State Bulldog softball team. “What Are You Looking for When Recruiting Hitters?” What we go over: How did you get to being the hitting coach for Fresno State softball? What do you do when you come into a new program? What are you looking for when recruiting hitters? Do you guys do game planning? Do you have your girls hunt the rise ball? Do you do pitch recognition stuff with the girls? You're getting ready in a short amount of time? What's high priority right now? Anything else that you're working on? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/justintranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/justinvideo

Lee Comeaux, Professional Golf Instructor in Beaumont, Texas “How to Apply The ‘Precision' Golfing Principles to Hitting?” Here's some of what will be discussed: “You're going to ruin low backs if you teach that!” “Golf is about accuracy. If you ain't accurate, you're not gonna play a good score” “All of a sudden, I realized, turn your rib cage, and then boom...” “You got to understand how the fascia and these trains all play because there's layers upon layers in the body” Hitting for targets and areas on the barrel How to apply the “precision” golfing principle to hitting How to take pressure off the low back by flaring front toe out Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/leepdf Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/leevideo

Part-2 Perry Husband of HittingIsAGuess.com and father of Effective Velocity, interview titled: “Mike Trout reduced to a high school baseball player on fastballs on the inside part of the plate?” What we go over: What consequence does loading up 80-90% of your weight on back leg? Powerful forward momentum demonstration so easy a 4yo can understand Mike Trout reduced to a high school baseball player on fastballs on the inside part of the plate? The hanging fastball? Why don't instructors experiment and test hitting mechanics off the tee? Twin 13yo girls with 72 and 73-mph exit speed? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/perrytranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/perryvideo2

Curtis Nelson, premier hitting instructor at Atkinson Baseball Academy in Kirkland, Washington “Random Pitch Training: How to Transition Cage Swings to The Game” Here's some of what will be discussed: Rapsodo getting used as a paper weight? What are the top two mistakes that you see coaches doing when they're teaching hitting? Random pitch training. Explain that a little bit, how you guys do that, and how that looks... How to transition grooved cage swings into the game Do you teach your hitters any kind of plate or pitch approach? How do you evaluate hitters and teach them to make an adjustment? How do you get a pull happy hitter go oppo, and how do you get an oppo happy hitter pulling the ball? "Curtis, so and so said that timing cannot be taught?" What do you think about that? What are some of the adjustments you have hitters make to slow pitchers? Where can people who want more information find you? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/curtispdf Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/curtisvideo

Jedd “Napalm” Johnson of DieselCrew.com, foremost expert on grip and forearm training “Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball & Softball Players” What we go over: Where did the nickname “Napalm” come from? Why “finger” pullups aren't a good decision... What are eight principles you guys work on for grip strength? Why elbow issues can be solved through the shoulder or wrist, not the elbow... Why the traditional wrist roller isn't good for ball players, and how to make it more functional... Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball (and Softball!) Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: http://gohpl.com/napalmpdf Click short link for YouTube video of interview: http://gohpl.com/napalmvideo

Jeremy Frisch founder of Achieve Performance Training, youth athletic development “What Do you Think About Totally Shutting Down Overhead Shoulder Development for Baseball or Softball Players?” Here's some of what will be discussed: What do you feel the biggest mistake is when those kids are being trained by strength and conditioning coaches? What do you think about something like that, where you're totally shut down any overhead shoulder development for baseball, softball players? When you do an evaluation of a hang, what do you look at? How long if a player is poor in that, versus is good in that? How long can they hang for? When you get a kid like that a high school, junior high school on up, what do you do with that kid? Do you have to go back in time, work that out? And how long does that usually take? “...you had them wrestling or something similar?” Are you looking to do some franchising or something like that, to where people can have access to that around? Is there a certain formula like maybe the four or five things that you look for that we make sure in one hour that we're getting done? Where can people find more about you? And so that's number one. And two, are there anything new? Any kind of projects you're working on right now? Any other parting thoughts before we go? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/jeremypdf Click short link for YouTube video of interview: https://gohpl.com/jeremyvideo

Jim Macarelli, hitting instructor and founder of BoomStic “I'll have kids doing fielding drills, and then I'll stop and I'll say, I'll have mine up and I'll go you, you and you, you can't touch your toes, can you?” What we go over: People just lockstep obeyed the order, instead of questioning it, and going into the science is that about, right? Give me an example of a cue that you wouldn't use? When teaching, it goes back to something you said in the beginning, trying to have an open mind, trying to think of different ways... How do you get the kids to take their work that they've done with you and to actually work on it at home? To me, I think stay back is a good thing “I'll have kids doing fielding drills, and then I'll stop and I'll say, I'll have mine up and I'll go you, you and you, you can't touch your toes, can you?” BombStic: Why the design and how does that benefit the hitter? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/jimtranscription Click short link for YouTube video of interview: https://gohpl.com/jimvideo

Rob Bruno, co-founder of NorCal Baseball development program How to Recruit Like Cal Berkley Football – ‘Our Kind of Guys' What we go over: Very unique approach NorCal Baseball took when COVID hit If people call your program a travel ball program, why is that so offensive? Advice for players to do, evaluation wise, to get picked to play in your program? What factors do players need to pay attention to when shopping for college programs to play for? If player doesn't have strength and conditioning program, do you guys provide them one? Where can they find some information on you guys? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/2FQhmhJ Click short link for YouTube video of interview: https://gohpl.com/2Thp5IL

Danny Cahill, aka HitDr LLC, hitting instructor out of Connecticut, and Northeast hitting director and regional evaluator for Area Scouts Area Scouts: The “Carfax Report” for Athletes Here's some of what will be discussed: Tell me what the difference is in what you're doing on the scouting side... Area Scouts: The “Carfax Report” for Athletes How long has Area Scouts been online with this program? Program will reveal those effective hitting trainers, and most importantly, those ineffective Do recruiting coaches get to see a player's injury report? Why you should not be training towards the “number” How the best make more frequent swing adjustments... What's real and what's feel are two totally different things What are some of those costs with Area Scouts? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/3mjbzB7

Taylor Gardner co-founder of the Backspin Tee, in this Part-2 interview (Part-1 was in Issue #1) ANSWERED: Most Hitters Want to Pivot On Back Foot Instead of With the Hip, A Key To Prevent That? Here's some of what will be discussed: What is the role of the hands in a swing? Removing the "arm-yness" of youth swings. I struggle getting them to not want to pull the bat forward linearly. “Because your spinal engine is what dominates our swing, we know that the swing kind of starts inside out not so much ground up...” “I like to take the weight of the bat completely out of the equation. And let them self-organize by swinging a wiffle ball bat...” Most still want to pivot on foot instead of with the Hip, a key to prevent that? “What you have to keep in mind is that there is mobility, ankle mobility issues at work here as well...” “We like to use the coaching cue of ‘hit it first, rotate second'. And it's just a cue...” “I fear for the coaches that there's a lot of them out there that don't understand timing or buying time... BOGO Sale: Buy one Pro Model Tee, and get a Pro Standard Lite FREE! Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/3kLoNFN

Matt Nokes, former 11 year Major Leaguer, 2-time All-Star, and Silver Slugger Award Winner. Dangers to Performance of Over-Rotating the Lower Half What we go over: What's the Major Benefit to “Staying Sideways”, What is Making the Hips Turn? Dangers to Performance of Over-Rotating the Lower Half, What is Directional Force? And Why is it Important? And, Around the Zone Drill for Staying Sideways. Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/33XxDcI

Matt Pierce in Houston, Texas, private instructor, Houston Christian High School coach, and works with DFT training facility “Does the ball go up because the swing goes up? Or did the ball go up because the swing was too steep?” What we go over: What kind of advice have you been giving players during this time of COVID? What advice do you give Seniors in High School? Do you see any Big Hitting Gems, like could be one or two on hitting Twitter? Please give some Advice to a New Coach coming into Twitter, what to Watch out for... “Being able to control your verticals or your horizontal, so your line to line approach on the field, I think is a lost art. Is that something you do with your hitters?” “Does the ball go up because the swing goes up? Or did the ball go up because the swing was too steep?” When you're looking at Evaluating a player for power, what exactly are you looking for? What are the top one or two drills that you do to help with timing? What do you see the biggest mistake that some of these coaches are making? For BBQ'ing, what's your favorite meat of choice? What's your favorite method of cooking it? What kind of rubs are you using? Time on the grill? Give me your best shot. Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/3jrTz6b

Aaron Miles, 9-year Big Leaguer, played for Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals (with Pujols), Chicago Cubs and ChiSox. Career slash line: .281/.320/.352 How to make 95-mph pitching look like it's 85-mph Here's some of what will be discussed: “...players in dealing with this COVID layoff like to return at the top of their game? What would be your advice in that?” How Bunting can help players learn how to hit better How to make 95-mph pitching look like it's 85-mph What are the two-mission critical one or two mission critical hitting skills that you think are, that need to be really reinforced in today's game? How the lost art of “hitting” is disappearing How to use “tinkering” to get the dial on the right learning channel when teaching hitters Do the best in the game make adjustments consciously or unconsciously? Where to find Aaron Miles... Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/3hBjGXu

Jeremy Johnson, well researched hitting instructor in Louisiana Locomotion, Reciprocal Movement, and Mentioning ‘Rotation' in the Cage will get you Kicked Out? What we go over: Pushing the Hands versus Getting the Hands Connected What is the Greatest of All Time Athletes Way? How did GOATA et al. Methodology Increase Ball Exit Speeds by 7-mph? Teaching Surfers the Skateboarders Halfpipe via Talent Code? When it comes to Coaching Cues, How Less is More... If you were to Choose, which would you pick? Locomotion, Reciprocal Movement, and Mentioning ‘Rotation' in the Cage will get you Kicked Out? Where can we find out more about Jeremy Johnson? Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/2WMrYUd Click for YouTube video of the conversation: https://gohpl.com/3jwJZj1

Dr. Joe LaCaze of RotexMotion.com You Too Can Experience More Flexibility & Better Movement Patterns In 5 Minutes A Day with Rotex Motion Here's some of what will be discussed: What do you Find to be the Biggest Mistake Coaches, Instructors, or Strength & Conditioning Coaches make in training Athletes? What makes Rotex Different? The Secret ‘Cat' ‘Cow' Rotex Exercise “Every Single Natural Movement in the Body is some Form of Rotation.” How Long do the RotexMotion Benefits Stick? Moving Better in TWO to FIVE Minutes per Day One Handheld Model: Half the Price of a Metal Bat 10% OFF Discount Code to Apply to Checkout Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/2WH9GUs