Quality At-Bats

Many players get frustrated with the results of their at-bats and as coaches or parents we find it very hard sometimes to highlight, praise or communicate the many things that a hitter can do correctly during an at-bat when the hitter is upset or dissapointed after that at-bat ended with an out, a walk or even a strikeout.

And the main reason is that many players are not completely clear on, #1 what's their job or what they should be trying to do when they go to home plate and #2 what makes a good at-bat.

During a recent practice I asked the team what was their job, as hitters, when they walked to home plate. And the answers went from: "to get a base hit", to "get on base", to "move a runner over", to "not to strikeout". These are all great "results" from an at-bat, but a hitter that walks to home plate thinking that this is his job, is setting himself up for a lot of dissapointment and frustration.

Not all at-bats end up with a base hit. In fact not even half of the at-bats end up with a base hit. So for a hitter that thinks this is his job when he's in the batter's box, he's already set up to fail most of the time. The same applies to the hitter that thinks his job is to get on base --- not all at-bats end up with the hitter safely reaching base. If the hitter mistakenly thinks that this is his job, he will be unhappy most of the time after his at-bats. And the same applies to everything else: we won't be able to move the runner all the time (and sometimes that's not what the team needs); and we all know that strikeouts are part of the game and even the best hitters have their fair share of them. So it is no wonder why there are so many unhappy and frustrated players; and in turn so many frustrated coaches and parents.

Hitters are mistakenly putting their focus, or thinking that their job is based, on "results". Results that, no matter how good they are as players, they have no control over!

Instead I would like to challenge hitters to have a whole different approach and focus and I'm willing to guarantee that they will enjoy the game more, be more productive as hitters, and get rid of the "results" oriented mind-set that leads them to be frustrated and upset after games.

I want hitters to have this simple mindset: the job of a hitter is not to get a hit, or get on base, or move a runner over or not strikeout. The job of a hitter is to have a GOOD AT-BAT. As simple as it sounds. Understand the situation and have the best possible at-bat. No manager or coach will complain, regardless of the result, about a hitter that has a good at-bat (managers like to call them Quality At-Bats or QuABs).

But now the biggest challenge to have a Good At-Bat is to actually understand and know what makes a quality at-bat.

So What Makes a Good At-Bat?
There are many philosophies and even books written about hitting -- but I have found that philosophy and books don't really help you very much when you're at home plate facing a pitcher. So I have just three simple points for hitters to remember and understand on what makes a good at-bat.

1. Let Balls Be Balls -- sounds simple, so lets make it simple. Many hitters get themselves out by swinging at pitches that are out of reach or that are not going to allow them to have a good at-bat. So recognizing Balls from Strikes is very important. And tracking pitches in the cage or tracking pitches when a teammate is warming up in the bullpen is a great way to improve a hitter's pitch-recognition skills. So if you're at home plate and the pitcher throws a breaking ball in the dirt (ball one), a change-up just slightly off the outside corner (ball two), a high fastball (ball three), and another fastball away (ball four) -- and the hitter holds his ground and let those balls be balls, then he can sprint to first base with pride knowing he just had a very good at-bat. Now as a parent or coach -- how many times have you seen that same sequence of pitches go like this: first pitch breaking ball in the dirt / swing and miss (hitter starts to get anxious because he just looked like a fool); change-up away / swing and miss (now the hitter is even more anxious because he's lost at the plate and dad yells from the stands "you got to protect now!"); high fastball / big swing and miss (head down, slow walk to the dugout and a player that is now out mentally for the rest of the game). So we make it a habit of having a "pitch recognition" or a "read round" in batting practice for each player to work on recognizing pitches and understand that, even though we "are not out here to walk" like some parents like to say, we are not out here to get ourselves out either.

2. Swing at Good Pitches to Hit -- swing at good pitches to hit; notice that I did not say swing at "strikes"; I make it clear to hitters that sometimes (depending on the situation), what an umpire calls a strike, is not neccessarily a good pitch to hit. For example: bases loaded situation with less than two outs and a 1-0, 2-0 or 3-1 count, an umpire may call a fastball, a curveball or a change-up low and away a strike, but in that situation, that's not a good pitch to hit. With a runner at third, the infield playing back and no outs, on an 0-2 count -- that very same fastball, curveball or change-up low and away, may be a great pitch to hit and get a ground ball to second base and score a run. A 1-0, 2-0 or 3-1 "letter high" fastball may or may not be called a strike -- but it's not a good pitch to hit in that situation. But an 0-0 "letter high" fastball, with a runner at third and no outs, again, that may or may not be a strike -- it's a great pitch to hit in that situation to drive the ball into the outfield and score a run.

So letting Balls be Balls and Swinging at Good Pitches to Hit are two great things for a hitter to constantly have in mind when they make that walk from the on-deck circle and into home plate and they're trying to have a good, quality at-bat. And these are two things that any hitter, from any level can work on, do, and get better at.

The third point I use and the most difficult one to achieve is:

3. Hit the Ball "Square" -- at any level, a hitter needs to hit the ball on the barrel of the bat to be able to drive the ball and make something happen. This holds true for all situations: when you're hitting the ball to the opposite field, when you're hitting an inside pitch and even when you're laying down a bunt! The barrel needs to meet the ball on the "sweet" spot to be able to get the most out of the effort. I was surprised to find out that many hitters don't understand or don't know what hitting the ball square means. Or they don't understand that, within their $100, $200 or even $300 bats, there's a "sweet" spot where, when you hit the ball there, it will travel further and faster than when you hit it at the end of the bat or in the shaft. These hitters just swing the bat and whatever happens, happens; and they don't fully understand why their ground balls are fielded by the pitcher, shortstop or second baseman, while the good hitters on the team hit balls that shoot right through into the outfield. Most hitters just swing the bat, really good hitters try to put "good wood" into the ball. When I find players that don't know what hitting the ball square means, I explain it and then I take them into the cage and have them hit a few, and after each hit I ask them -- did you hit that one square? Yes/No; how did it feel?; how about that one? did you hit it square? Yes/No; how did it feel?; without knowing where each went (since we're inside the cage), which one felt better? -- and I make sure they understand what hitting the ball square means so when they swing they can work on hitting the ball square so they can drive it. With all these aluminum and composite bats that they have now, hitting balls square can make the game a lot of fun even for kids that don't have natural power or above average strength.

Now, knowing that you need to do that is one thing, and having the ability to do it is another. But I think that understanding the concept goes a long way for a hitter. Now that the hitter understands what his job is, he will pay more attention to his pitch selection, he will pay more attention to what are the pitches that he can hit good and with authority and, hopefully, he will be more focused when he's working on the Tee or in the cage trying to hit the ball square.

And now armed with the understanding of what his job is as a hitter --- to have a Good At-Bat --- and with this quick, 3-point checklist of what makes a good at-bat (Let Balls Be Balls, Swing at Good Pitches to Hit and Hit the Ball Square), a hitter can go to home plate and make the most out of his opportunity. And by replacing a "results" oriented approach with this simple approach --- that is 100% controlled by the hitter, not the pitcher, not the umpire and not the fielders --- a young hitter can start understanding the game better, have a more satisfying experience, and have a good reference to mentally review after each at-bat and easily "coach" himself on what he did right or what needs improvement.

If you want drills for your players to address any of these concepts, feel free to email me at ltoyens@ltgsports.com and I will be more than happy to share some drills with you. Or, if you have good drills that have worked for you and your players and you want to share them, please send them to me at that email. We run practices and training sessions almost every day, at different levels, and we are always looking for new things to do; so we will definitely put them to good use!

Repetition-Repetition-Repetition

The key to elite level performance in baseball is to be able to execute fundamentals and techniques, the right way, under pressure. Simply put, the ability to hit your cut offs, turn an inning-ending, bases loaded double play, lay down a bunt, execute a hit & run, stay back on a curveball and hit the ball hard the other way or execute an important pitch with the game on the line is what separates big time players from the rest.

Without the context of a game, or without the pressure situation, these are just baseball fundamentals. What it takes to put players in position to execute them under pressure is consistent repetition and concentrated drills. These are two of the most critical components of making the complete ball player. As baseball players, we are what we repeatedly do. And success on the baseball field then becomes the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.

However, drills must be creative, fun, and stressed to the athlete of how important they are. It is very easy for a player to lose focus, concentration, and interest in the drill as it is often seen as unnecessary and boring. Many players have a high level of competitiveness and intensity so when they are forced to do a drill that breaks down their flaws and mechanics, they get frustrated or bored and would just rather go at full speed. At times you can tell when they are just going through the motions to make you happy as the coach or instructor.

But doing drills is important because it isolates problem areas. Do you think the players you see on TV don't do drills or are "too good" to do them now? NO chance! It is the complete opposite, they understands that to be able to play at their level it takes a total comitment to the basics of the game.

Recognizing what a player needs to work on is a large part of the battle, but then knowing which drills to consistently do to cure the problem is just as important. The key word is consistent! Drills specific to a particular mechanical flaw must be executed on a routine basis and done PROPERLY. It takes another set of eyes to ensure the player is doing the drill the right way, otherwise, he could "think" he is doing it the right way when in reality he is simply practicing more wrong fundamentals and developing even worse habits. These must be done in front of a coach or instructor who knows what to look for. There are many drills out there for even the smallest corrections in baseball mechanics. I encourage to mix the drills up and keep them short, fun and entertaining because that will only make the player want to do them more AND do them correctly with complete dedication. I am always looking for new drills because there will always be a certain drill that works for one player - but it may not work for another. And in those instances, you must have a few back up drills that accomplish the same task. I have learned that the most effective coaches or instructors use drills to fix mechanical flaws, without even bringing attention to what that flaw is.

If any of your players, or your son, have specific mechanical flaws that you would like to address and you are not sure what drills to use - feel free to email me at ltoyens@ltgsports.com and I will be more than happy to share some drills with you.

20 Minutes of Practice that Will Transform Your Team!

Run prevention and defensive efficiency is all the rage now for all the "sabermetrics" fans and "stat-geeks". With the reduction in homers and the overall shortage of quality pitching arms it is only natural to find other areas to improve and make up for other deficiencies. Well I'm going to share with you how an open mind, a little bit of commitment and 20 minutes of each practice can cut down the runs your team allows, reduce pitch counts, improve your defense and add Ws to your team's overall record. And the best part is that it's easy for the coaches to implement, fun for the kids to practice and, best of all, incredibly effective from day one. It worked for us -- I have a 6-month case study to back it up!

For this past season I was able to recruit a pitching coach to help us with our 12U Travel team. A young guy more than 10 to 15 years younger than the rest of us. Jake Dixon had played college ball with the Ospreys at the University of North Florida and professionally with the Anaheim Angels. A week or two before we were to start our practices we were talking about the team and he mentioned that he would like to practice Pick-Offs in every practice, and that at UNF pitchers would practice Pick-Offs during every practice and for about 45 minutes per practice.

Now I know what you're thinking because I thought the same thing. I actually have "Pick-Offs" as one of the six basic defenses that I like to practice (along with Bunt Defense, Pop Fly Resposibilities, Run Downs, Runners on 1st & 3rd Defense and Outfield Cut Off-Relays) but EVERY practice? For 45 minutes each time out? With our limited field space and limited practice times it took some discussion and explaining but I was convinced to try it; besides, if this was good enough for a Hall of Fame Coach like Dusty Rhodes at UNF and for a major league manager like Mike Scioscia, it had to be good enough for me. So we reached a compromise and worked it out to practicing Pick-Off plays during every practice session but for 20 minutes per practice.

The first adjustment I had to make was to my own personal approach towards Pick-Offs. I had always approached Pick-Offs not to get an out, but to throw off a runner's timing and shortening his lead to, eventually, have a chance to throw him out while trying to steal or throw him out trying to advance an extra base on a base hit. Many times just one step is the difference between safe and out; so with my approach I was trying to cut that one step from the lead to give us a better shot. If a Pick-Off play resulted in an out by itself -- then it was a bonus. I don't need to tell you that with this passive mentality towards Pick-Offs, rarely had I ever had a pitcher really excel at picking runners offs. Jake's mentality (and the mentality at UNF) was very different. Pick-Offs were meant to get outs. The picks were meant to be agressive, persistent and called from the dugout, from the catcher or from the infielders. There was a real purpose to these Pick-Offs.

We ended up implementing 5 Pick-Off moves to first base for right handed pitchers (2 for lefties), 5 Pick-Off plays to second base, 2 Pick-Off plays to third base, and 2 Pick-Off plays with runners on 1st and 3rd.

The kids loved the fact that they were executing Division I and professional caliber baseball plays (to make it even more fun --- the WBC Champion team from Japan ran one of our plays during a game in the spring's World Baseball Classic). And every other practice or two we would add runners to the drills and practice run downs at the same time we were practicing our Pick-Offs.

In all honesty, it was painful at first. I remember that the first pratice was a complete disaster. We wanted to take about 30-minutes during that first practice to implement all the plays first so it would be easier to go over them in 20 minutes over the next few practices..... but instead we spent about one full hour just trying to get the first Pick-Off play right. Talk about one frustrating afternoon! And I'm sure more than one parent wondered in the stands what the heck we were doing practicing such a small part of the game so often and with so much focus (after all, everyone just loves hitting in the cages).

But all it took was that first Pick-Off during a real game for EVERYONE to notice the value of this. And we got better at it, and we got better QUICK!

In all we picked off 39 Base Runners for the Season. If you don't think that's a lot, think of it this way. That's more than two full baseball games (6-inning games) worth of outs WITHOUT HAVING TO DELIVER A SINGLE PITCH HOME. I'm going to repeat that just because even I find it hard to believe --- we got two 6-inning games worth of outs (w. 3 more to spare) without having to make a pitch home.

I will be totally honest with you; someone much more intelligent than me will have to calculate how many runs that really saved us over the lenght of the season. But with my basic math I can tell you this: based on the number of batters we faced per inning, those 39 Pick-Offs saved us from facing approximately 68 more batters over the course of the season. At 3.31 pitches per batter (our season average), that translated to 225 less pitches that our pitchers needed to make. That's about 3 games worth of pitching that we saved. Less pitches on the pitch counts meant that the pitchers we wanted on the mound could stay on the mound deeper into games. Many of these Pick-Offs were third outs of innings -- which meant we got our defense out of the field and our offense back into the batter's box. Less runners on base meant less pressure on our defense to have to make plays. You have a defense with less pressure, and that's a defense that's going to play better and take more chances and make more plays.

For coaches that value momentum and the composition of an inning, you can add the whole psychology of being in a hole, with bases loaded and two outs and the opposition's best hitter at the plate just licking his chops --- and then all of the sudden, with one soundly executed play, you have your team running to the dugout while the other team is frustrated and trying to figure out what just happened. There's no formula to evaluate that -- but if you have coached, you know the feeling if you have been there.

Our Pick-Off moves got to be so good, that with time runners where moving BACK to the base when the pitcher threw home, rather than taking secondary leads. And I'm not even adding to the equation that our catcher's were FINALLY able to throw some runners out during the season just by the fact that runners were being so concious of not getting picked off and leaving very late while trying to steal.

I definitely became a believer. And like I said, all it took was an open mind, some commitment to stick with it and 20 minutes two times per week. Our team went from a 6-34 record to a 29-27-2 record. We did have better players (you can't do anything without the players) and it would be silly and unfair to the players to give too much credit for the whole turn around to just this aspect of our game. But I can guarantee you that it didn't hurt! And with limited practice time and with limited practice fields, if you want your team to improve you better be concentrating your time and efforts into high-yielding activities and drills. And this is one way to make your team a lot better with just 20 minutes of practice time every time you have them.

Only one way to do it!

I hear Bobby Valentine talking about why he enjoys managing Japanese baseball so much -- saying that there, guys are so disciplined and so detail-oriented that he never has to worry about guys missing signals, or not giving full effort or not practicing the right way. And it makes me feel good and confident that the way I do things is the right way of doing things. I devote a lot of time and energy into the simplest and most mundane details on the baseball field. And I get disgusted when I see a player not playing to his full capabilities and even more irritated when a player -- knowing what the right way of doing things is, chooses (for whatever reason) to take the lazy road and cheats himself out of a good repetition or exercise.

It may seem obsessive to some -- but like an expensive Ferrari -- the beauty of the game for me is in seeing all the pieces fit together and having the whole perform in-tune and at a high level.

If a few fungo bats have to be sacrificed in that pursuit - so be it!