Below is a list of youth baseball hitting tips that work. I tend to return to this page to add additional ideas & thoughts about peak performance on the ball field that I share daily on Instagram @appliedvisionbaseball.com.
Achieve Freedom
More than anything, i think as ballplayers, what we’re really searching for is freedom.
Freedom from our stats. Freedom from the pressure to perform and produce results.Freedom from cooker-cutter coaching.
Freedom from any distraction that takes us away from developing as an athlete.In my mind, there is only a few ways to achieve freedom.
Redefine your definition of success from stats to goals within your control.
Choose who you allow into your inner-circle, wisely.
Focus on the result you want, and ignore the results you don’t.Staying process-oriented.
The challenge is clear. We run into trouble when we become a slave to our stats, associate with toxic people, focus on things we can’t control, obsess on the unavoidable while reinforcing a fixed mindset.
Strive towards freedom.
Learn To Build Self-Belief & Confidence
I believe self-belief is one of the most powerful skills a hitter can have. One, you need it to transcend the struggle of constant failure that every hitter faces.
Two, you can have the most mechanically sound swing in the world and all the confidence on the planet, but if you don’t have the belief that you can beat the pitcher, your mechanics will eventually break down & your confidence will shrink.
Self-belief is sorta like the chicken and the egg. What comes first?
Are we confident because we were successful or are we successful because we’re confident?
Eventually, hitters have to learn how to manufacture self-belief while redefining what success means to them.
If the only definition of success is getting a hit, then a hitter will always be a slave to their stats. When the hitter makes their definition of success based on something they can control like:
- Being prepared
- Finding a way to get 1% better today
- Building up a teammate
- Winning the at-bat (Doesn’t require that you get a hit)
- Getting your uniform dirty
- Putting pressure on the opposing defense in multiple at-bats
- Making the opposing pitcher work
Now they have the means to build confidence and ultimately self-belief.Too many players are waiting for something good to happen, in order to feel confident about their abilities.
The elite players, create the circumstances for success, and as a result, builds confidence with their own bare hands.
Learn How To Sharpen Your Instincts
When the swing is effortless, it becomes efficient. When a swing has intent, it becomes accurate. When the mind is empty, the body reacts.
Hitting a baseball is one of the most natural movements when left alone.
Batting practice is for addressing mechanics, hard & soft skills. The game is for competing and winning the at-bat. It’s okay to compete in practice but ultimately the game is for competing with confidence, not to iron our the swing or work on something new.
The moment you step in the box, the practice switch is turned off. You need to be in compete-mode. Forget your mechanics to let your instincts take over.
You will win more at-bats with 80% efficient mechanics while in 100% compete-mode…compared to 100% perfect mechanics but only at 80% compete-mode.
To play with more instinct, empty your cup, and free your mind.
Understand Pitch Selection
Pitch selection can be simple.
As hitters, our job is to be on time by hunting & sitting on the right pitch.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel or out-think the pitcher.
Just pay attention.
Most pitchers want to get ahead. So you’ll often see fastballs down and away early in the count. Be aggressive early and keep your finger on the swing trigger.
Most pitchers will double up on the pitch you missed, got beat, or looked foolish on.
If you got beat on the fastball or lunged at the curveball, you’ll probably get a steady dose of that pitch until you prove you can adjust.
A 2-2 pitch to contact curveball is common especially with a ground ball pitcher, double-play situation.
Pitchers will nibble on the corners with two strikes so make sure you’re not chasing even though you’re expanding the zone.
Ultimately, you have to let the type of swing you take, and the pitches you swing at be dictated by the situation of the game.
The focus is to get a good pitch to hit.
Watch the pitcher. Hunt pitches. Don’t get cheated by the fastball.
Get The Reps In
Your most impactful training will happen outside of practice. When no one is watching. No one rooting you on.
Just you, a bucket of balls, a tee, or weights in the weight room.
If you can go the extra mile here, you're setting yourself up for success.
Turn Success Into a Habit
Every at-bat is a chance to do two things.
- Set the tone & momentum of the game.
- Contribute to the success of your team.
When these two aspects of the game become your main priority, it will positively impact every, single stat that exists.
Becoming a competitor means transcending the vanity metric of the batting average or positive outcomes so that you have a process that allows you to build confidence and self-belief by controlling what and how you think on a baseball field.
When you redefine your definition of success, you can turn success into a habit.
Train Your Baseball Vision
Based on user surveys, 95% of hitters training in Applied Vision Baseball have said they feel MORE confident & are more consistent in recognizing & reacting to high-velocity fastballs & hard breaking balls.
