I can't tell you how passionate I am about people hearing this message! I've had more hitters on my teams see a hitting coach and come back worse. Then one guy worked with a hockey player who struggled because of the muscle memory of a hockey shot vs hitting. This guy told the dad he was going to work with his hockey mechanics and help him hit without fighting it. That player that year was the 2nd best hitter on the team and had 4 strikeouts all season. All because a hitting coach asked questions and developed a plan for the individual. Thanks for this video.
This made me curious to look into your stats. In 2007 you slashed .307/.404/.491. In 2011 you slashed .298/.390/.457. When you were able to do what was comfortable for you you always hit. I think as you got to higher levels the ego of some of the hitting coaches thinking they know everything and not truly evaluating you and other hitters got in the way. Great video.
Thanks Matt, I throw BP for my daughter's softball team and I totally get what you are saying. I hate it when it feels like I am just moving girls thru the cage like it's a station at the factory. Will definitely be asking more questions to my players now.
Yea I started to play baseball when I was 5 years old and started pitching when I was 9 years old and pitching when I was playing my primary position. But I also could hit and field a little bit as well and played recreational ball until I was 12 but your right especially at the recreational level they don't know what they are talking about. But at age 13 when I started to play travel baseball that's when things started to change and playing travel ball made me a better player. Because I played for coaches who played pro or college and until this day my baseball knowledge is rich even though I'm out of the game now. So I pitched in highschool and played firstbase when I wasn't pitching but even during those times there were things that just clicked for me. Like playing firstbase there were things that our highschool coach would teach us and I used it in a game I think and I became pretty good at playing first base. Then at the end of my junior year in highschool I went to tryouts that MLB was having and so I went to it and they told us that if they are interested in you then they would give you a call. So you had pro scouts I think all over the country at these tryouts but I got the call and the Florida Marlins which is now the Miami Marlins were interested in me and so I guess you can say that I was being scouted by them. But I was playing for a team during fall ball somewhere in Atlanta and there was a scout from the Florida Marlins there and he came to see me throw a side session at my highschool and after I was done he said. Be careful what you wish for because you might just get it so when he said then I thought that I might have a shot at the pros but during the side session he taught me a few things that just clicked with me. Like for example get your arm at a 45 degree angle and before you throw to make an L shape and then when you throw turn the hips and turn your back foot like your squashing a bug. So when he did all that with me it just something clicked inside of me and it all started to make sense. But to this day baseball is still a passion of mine but and there is a part of that wants to be a baseball instructor but it's tough for me to teach things that I was taught as a player to kids
This is great advice not only for baseball, but all sports. This is why many people who were great players or have tremendous knowledge of their sport don’t necessarily translate into great coaches. Coaching is about teaching and developing players at the individual level, helping them to fix their deficiencies and maximize their strengths. Many great coaches were very ordinary as players, but they learned from their experiences and have a gift for teaching.
Reminds me of Matt Carpenter going on his little batting hiatus, working with some guys on his own time. Makes you wonder if he had something similar going on. He clearly didn't just "lose it".
I am assuming you're not talking about team practices? I always feel like I have to aggregate my drills for my team to what fixes the most things for the most players. That said, we do schedule in 1:1 time in the cages with each kid to work with them on stuff, but I have to balance getting reps in.
Thanks Matt for sharing your life experiences, In baseball . Hope that some coaches can take your advice in motivated a player to wanted hit rather than dislike it and turn off the love of the game.
This is excellent. I helped several players on my daughters travel team improve their BA just by improving what they already had. Their hitting coach tried to change them, but I just worked with what they had and made it better. It made a really dynamic batting order because everyone had something a little bit different. Man I miss coaching!
Love it. I especially love that you said the second thing you do is "get them on video." I've seen too many coaches start shouting (incorrect), adjustments at young players, as they watch them with the naked eye... yet they've never taken the time to take video. It's easy to see a T-baller's swing with the naked eye but once kids have decent swings, you can't see much until you get the swing on slo-mo video. I don't care if you're a professional hitting coach or not... be humble, and take the time to watch the video. Everyone has a phone with a camera, so there's zero excuse. Better to say nothing until you can get them on video.
What you said about hitting coaches is exactly what happened to me in the minor leagues. Before the traveling batting coach saw me take a single swing, he completely changed everything about my swing. I struggled. Then this coach moved on. I told my manager that I couldn't hit like this. He told me he didn't care if I stood on my head to hit. As long as I hit. I went back to my original swing and ended the season at .368. I really enjoyed this video because this stuff happens all the time.
Very well done! I’m sharing this with my son Jake! He’ll be at UW “Dawgs” in the fall of this year! I did make some of the mistakes you pointed out and I made good points to him! Thank you!
Perfectly said. Couldn't agree with you more. I've experienced this with pitching too where the coach made us all throw the same certain pitches from arm slots he wanted rather than asking us what we were comfortable with. Im sure it happens in other sports also and has held back a lot of young athletes who could've excelled in the future. More coaches need to be aware of this instead of thinking they always have the answers just because it worked for them and they like it or bcuz they are older/have more experience and feel like they are kind of in a more powerful position in a way (especially when coaching much younger ages). This situation really shows you how coaching, especially in baseball, is often more about finding ways to get the most out of a player by letting them be themselves (with appropriate guidance) in order for them to be the best player they can be rather then being the best player the coach thinks/allows and instructs them to be.
Soooooooooo true! I have a brother who was a 1st round pick back in the day as a pitcher. A number of coaches along his journey had to try and change things up, almost like they wanted to be the one who took credit for any success he may have had. After a couple of years of ups and downs, he just did things his way and became an All Star caliber pitcher and Cy Young award winner. All you young players out there, remember, trust yourself and your ability. If you need some help, find it but realize not every coach knows what they are doing.
I like these long videos that go all over the place because realistically us parents looking for the help that I am can relate to a little bit of everything you say. Then comes that one single line that you happen to rattle off that makes it all click for one of us. I love these long freestyle type videos. Thanks for the content. New subscriber here and I’m soaking up all that I can from you guys
My HS coach preached this 100%, and that was 30 years ago. “Let’s see the velocity. Not great, but not bad. Can ya spin it? Whoa, where’d you learn that? I know a guy who can get that curve in the zone and make it a strike”. Yeah, that was an experience to throw the curve for strikes.
Great video as always Matt! I’ve been watching your videos for a little over a year and they have helped me help my 8 year old tremendously. I’m happy to say I take a lot of videos but for how proud I and also to teach and help make adjustments. Needless to say these videos have made a huge impact.
What's in the background on the left side of the cage? Is that a target for BP pitchers? Looking for something new to help me throw accurate BP. I’ve tried a couple things but always looking for something better. Put a catcher there I can throw all day - without a catcher I tend to get wild a bit.
I’ve been a tennis professional for 22 years and I’ve seen many kids ruined because of coaches teaching improper technique or a particular style. There are certain basic fundamental elements that need to be taught and you let the player develop their style around the basic fundamentals. I like to hear from both parent and child as to what the issues are.
Baseball can be very cruel. I remember one year it took me six weeks in my adult league to get a hit, hitting piss rockets right at people. I swear I made a couple guys gold glovers just hitting line drives at them. The next year every Texas leaguer and ground ball found a hole. Stats don’t tell the Paul Harvey story.
My HS coach preached this 100%, and that was 30 years ago. “Let’s see the velocity. Not great, but not bad. Can ya spin it? Whoa, where’d you learn that? I know a guy who can get that curve in the zone and make it a strike”. Yeah, that was an experience to throw the curve for strikes.
My HS coach preached this 100%, and that was 30 years ago. “Let’s see the velocity. Not great, but not bad. Can ya spin it? Whoa, where’d you learn that? I know a guy who can get that curve in the zone and make it a strike”. Yeah, that was an experience to throw the curve for strikes.
I can't tell you how passionate I am about people hearing this message! I've had more hitters on my teams see a hitting coach and come back worse. Then one guy worked with a hockey player who struggled because of the muscle memory of a hockey shot vs hitting. This guy told the dad he was going to work with his hockey mechanics and help him hit without fighting it. That player that year was the 2nd best hitter on the team and had 4 strikeouts all season. All because a hitting coach asked questions and developed a plan for the individual. Thanks for this video.
This made me curious to look into your stats. In 2007 you slashed .307/.404/.491. In 2011 you slashed .298/.390/.457. When you were able to do what was comfortable for you you always hit. I think as you got to higher levels the ego of some of the hitting coaches thinking they know everything and not truly evaluating you and other hitters got in the way. Great video.
Thanks Matt, I throw BP for my daughter's softball team and I totally get what you are saying. I hate it when it feels like I am just moving girls thru the cage like it's a station at the factory. Will definitely be asking more questions to my players now.
Yea I started to play baseball when I was 5 years old and started pitching when I was 9 years old and pitching when I was playing my primary position. But I also could hit and field a little bit as well and played recreational ball until I was 12 but your right especially at the recreational level they don't know what they are talking about. But at age 13 when I started to play travel baseball that's when things started to change and playing travel ball made me a better player. Because I played for coaches who played pro or college and until this day my baseball knowledge is rich even though I'm out of the game now. So I pitched in highschool and played firstbase when I wasn't pitching but even during those times there were things that just clicked for me. Like playing firstbase there were things that our highschool coach would teach us and I used it in a game I think and I became pretty good at playing first base. Then at the end of my junior year in highschool I went to tryouts that MLB was having and so I went to it and they told us that if they are interested in you then they would give you a call. So you had pro scouts I think all over the country at these tryouts but I got the call and the Florida Marlins which is now the Miami Marlins were interested in me and so I guess you can say that I was being scouted by them. But I was playing for a team during fall ball somewhere in Atlanta and there was a scout from the Florida Marlins there and he came to see me throw a side session at my highschool and after I was done he said. Be careful what you wish for because you might just get it so when he said then I thought that I might have a shot at the pros but during the side session he taught me a few things that just clicked with me. Like for example get your arm at a 45 degree angle and before you throw to make an L shape and then when you throw turn the hips and turn your back foot like your squashing a bug. So when he did all that with me it just something clicked inside of me and it all started to make sense. But to this day baseball is still a passion of mine but and there is a part of that wants to be a baseball instructor but it's tough for me to teach things that I was taught as a player to kids
Great video
Great stuff!
This is great advice not only for baseball, but all sports. This is why many people who were great players or have tremendous knowledge of their sport don’t necessarily translate into great coaches.
Coaching is about teaching and developing players at the individual level, helping them to fix their deficiencies and maximize their strengths. Many great coaches were very ordinary as players, but they learned from their experiences and have a gift for teaching.
Great video.
Reminds me of Matt Carpenter going on his little batting hiatus, working with some guys on his own time. Makes you wonder if he had something similar going on. He clearly didn't just "lose it".
I am assuming you're not talking about team practices? I always feel like I have to aggregate my drills for my team to what fixes the most things for the most players. That said, we do schedule in 1:1 time in the cages with each kid to work with them on stuff, but I have to balance getting reps in.
This video is awesome!
It would be great to hear you go into detail about what didn't and what did work for you.
Thanks Matt for sharing your life experiences,
In baseball . Hope that some coaches can take your advice in motivated a player to wanted hit rather than dislike it and turn off the love of the game.
This is excellent. I helped several players on my daughters travel team improve their BA just by improving what they already had. Their hitting coach tried to change them, but I just worked with what they had and made it better. It made a really dynamic batting order because everyone had something a little bit different. Man I miss coaching!
Love it. I especially love that you said the second thing you do is "get them on video." I've seen too many coaches start shouting (incorrect), adjustments at young players, as they watch them with the naked eye... yet they've never taken the time to take video. It's easy to see a T-baller's swing with the naked eye but once kids have decent swings, you can't see much until you get the swing on slo-mo video. I don't care if you're a professional hitting coach or not... be humble, and take the time to watch the video. Everyone has a phone with a camera, so there's zero excuse. Better to say nothing until you can get them on video.
I love Matt's honesty about his struggles and success.
Thanks Matt for sharing this valuable information. Great video
Well said, Matt. This fundamental understanding is why i think it’s so important for pros to work with younger kids.
Good stuff my friend!!!
What you said about hitting coaches is exactly what happened to me in the minor leagues. Before the traveling batting coach saw me take a single swing, he completely changed everything about my swing. I struggled. Then this coach moved on. I told my manager that I couldn't hit like this. He told me he didn't care if I stood on my head to hit. As long as I hit. I went back to my original swing and ended the season at .368.
I really enjoyed this video because this stuff happens all the time.
Very well done! I’m sharing this with my son Jake! He’ll be at UW “Dawgs” in the fall of this year! I did make some of the mistakes you pointed out and I made good points to him! Thank you!
Perfectly said. Couldn't agree with you more. I've experienced this with pitching too where the coach made us all throw the same certain pitches from arm slots he wanted rather than asking us what we were comfortable with. Im sure it happens in other sports also and has held back a lot of young athletes who could've excelled in the future. More coaches need to be aware of this instead of thinking they always have the answers just because it worked for them and they like it or bcuz they are older/have more experience and feel like they are kind of in a more powerful position in a way (especially when coaching much younger ages).
This situation really shows you how coaching, especially in baseball, is often more about finding ways to get the most out of a player by letting them be themselves (with appropriate guidance) in order for them to be the best player they can be rather then being the best player the coach thinks/allows and instructs them to be.
So true especially for coaches who don’t play ball
Soooooooooo true! I have a brother who was a 1st round pick back in the day as a pitcher. A number of coaches along his journey had to try and change things up, almost like they wanted to be the one who took credit for any success he may have had. After a couple of years of ups and downs, he just did things his way and became an All Star caliber pitcher and Cy Young award winner. All you young players out there, remember, trust yourself and your ability. If you need some help, find it but realize not every coach knows what they are doing.
Hope you had a happy and sane Thanksgiving, Matt. Stay cool, Man.
Awesome video Matt. For a parent this was an awesome video to hear.
I like these long videos that go all over the place because realistically us parents looking for the help that I am can relate to a little bit of everything you say. Then comes that one single line that you happen to rattle off that makes it all click for one of us. I love these long freestyle type videos. Thanks for the content. New subscriber here and I’m soaking up all that I can from you guys
Thanks so much glad that it helps!!
My HS coach preached this 100%, and that was 30 years ago. “Let’s see the velocity. Not great, but not bad. Can ya spin it? Whoa, where’d you learn that? I know a guy who can get that curve in the zone and make it a strike”. Yeah, that was an experience to throw the curve for strikes.
Great video as always Matt! I’ve been watching your videos for a little over a year and they have helped me help my 8 year old tremendously. I’m happy to say I take a lot of videos but for how proud I and also to teach and help make adjustments. Needless to say these videos have made a huge impact.
What's in the background on the left side of the cage? Is that a target for BP pitchers? Looking for something new to help me throw accurate BP. I’ve tried a couple things but always looking for something better. Put a catcher there I can throw all day - without a catcher I tend to get wild a bit.
Tee with a ball or just aim for the tee top
Looks to be an Oates TAP™ Advanced Command Trainer. Protects your balls.
Have you Checked out Trevor Bauer’s channel he’s all about the pitching 🤷♂️
10/10
Thanks!!
“Trust the process” = keep giving us your money.
Matt have you seen that Daniel bard got a one year deal
I’ve been a tennis professional for 22 years and I’ve seen many kids ruined because of coaches teaching improper technique or a particular style. There are certain basic fundamental elements that need to be taught and you let the player develop their style around the basic fundamentals.
I like to hear from both parent and child as to what the issues are.
What a great lesson but question…how could you have respectfully told those coaches to pound sand?
Baseball can be very cruel. I remember one year it took me six weeks in my adult league to get a hit, hitting piss rockets right at people. I swear I made a couple guys gold glovers just hitting line drives at them. The next year every Texas leaguer and ground ball found a hole. Stats don’t tell the Paul Harvey story.
I can’t find any adult leagues within 50 miles of me man xD you lucky
My HS coach preached this 100%, and that was 30 years ago. “Let’s see the velocity. Not great, but not bad. Can ya spin it? Whoa, where’d you learn that? I know a guy who can get that curve in the zone and make it a strike”. Yeah, that was an experience to throw the curve for strikes.
My HS coach preached this 100%, and that was 30 years ago. “Let’s see the velocity. Not great, but not bad. Can ya spin it? Whoa, where’d you learn that? I know a guy who can get that curve in the zone and make it a strike”. Yeah, that was an experience to throw the curve for strikes.