I've been getting this question often - "Hey Mark, any tips on how to achieve the perfect batting stance?".
For me, there is no perfect batting stance, just like there is no such thing as a perfect swing.
I believe that baseball is one of the most over-coached sports in the world.
Hitting, in my opinion, is one of the most natural athletic movements if left alone.
lemme be clear, mechanics & fundamentals are crucial to an effective swing.
But when mechanics are the first and only thing addressed when striving for peak performance, you’re teaching a hitter to be two things.
a perfectionist & a hitter with no mental game.
There’s no such thing as a perfect swing, and 90% of hitting is how you feel when walking up to the plate.
Make sure your approach & mindset is on point.
The approach, the mind, and then…the mechanics.
Instead of striving to achieve the perfect batting stance, focus on becoming a great competitor who swings with intent.
You can train this by:
- learning how to hit elite level pitching
- mastering the inner-game
- becoming intrinsically motivated
Hitting Elite Level Pitching
If you try executing a “perfect swing” when facing an elite pitcher, you will throw away at-bats.Hitting a pitcher that brings it will require that you let go of the concept of perfection so that you can focus on the concept of competing.Trying to execute the perfect swing is the exact opposite of:
- Trusting your abilities
- Staying athletic
- Competing with confidence
- Swinging with intent
- Having fun.
Wanna reach peak performance while facing an elite pitcher?
Trust that what you learned in practice will show up in the game, then focus on hitting a line drive off the pitcher's neck.
Your abilities will surface when you learn how to have fun, compete, and play with a little "swag".
How To Master The Game
Some players have the right recipe but the wrong ingredients.
Some players have the right ingredients, but no recipe.
For almost all players, the missing piece that will take them to the next level is:
The right approach, strategy & mindset or more strength, explosiveness, range of motion, and efficient mechanics.
As ballplayers, much of our development will come from working alone, getting the reps in to achieve a mastery of the game.
Ultimately, to have all the right ingredients and a good recipe for being an elite athlete, you have to be a student of the game to master the game.
How To Stay Motivated
In baseball, you get broke down when you deserve to be built up.
You might get benched when you deserve to be in the starting nine.
You might get bumped down in the lineup when you deserve to be hitting at the top of the order.
Never stop doing your best because someone doesn’t give you credit.
Baseball can be a thankless sport.
Learn to be intrinsically motivated.
Stop playing for validation.
Continue playing to be a better competitor on the field, and a better person off the field.
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Pitch Recognition App
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Keep in mind - we make new iterations, add new pitchers and drills in the app quarterly, so chances are the interface & features will be optimized.