During this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I interviewed Chase Lambin, Hitting Coach in the Texas Rangers organization. Coach Lambin shares information about hitting, pushing players to be their own coaches, learning from everybody, creating a proper teaching environment, and how to deliver data to players without overwhelming them.  Episode Highlights: How did Chase Lambin get involved in baseball and as a coach?   What are some learned lessons Chase has acquired? What does the off-season look like for Chase Lambin  Where does he start in the process of coaching? How does Chase relate to and get to know his players better? What does Chase Lambin say to players to access their confidence? How does he help players make better decisions? What are some different competitions that he uses with players? How does he balance individual training needs within the team setting while trying to win games? How can we filter data to players to be the most beneficial to them? Is there anything that Chase Lambin believes that other coaches might disagree with? What are some things that he works on with players on a regular basis?  What are some of his favorite books and resources? Play baseball with joy. It is what we do, not who we are.   3 Key Points: As a coach, be a “mentern” - a combination of a mentor and an intern. Every swing is like a snowflake. Each one is different for the situation and the moment. Chase Lambin wants his players to be their own best coaches.  Tweetable Quotes: “I have a list of goals for the off-season, and all of it involves learning and growing. First off, I have to make up for lost time with my wife and kids because I think pro ball can be a bit of a grind and it puts a strain on a family.” – Chase Lambin (03:57) “Everybody has something to offer. Whether it be a first-year pro player, a college kid, a 10-year big league veteran, or a coach that has coached for 40 years.” – Chase Lambin (04:47) “There is no right and wrong. There is what does and does not work. I really don’t subscribe to absolutes.” – Chase Lambin (07:55) “We are more psychologists than we are mechanic. I usually start with a lot of questions that have nothing to do with baseball. I try to ask about their siblings, their parents, or do they have a girlfriend.” – Chase Lambin (11:28) “I think sometimes all a hitter needs to hear sometimes is that they are not alone.” – Chase Lambin (22:10) “You’ve got to create the environment to teach. You’ve got to train it.” – Chase Lambin (26:14) “When you make the preparation and the training as competitive as the game. It’s like getting a running start into the actual competition.” – Chase Lambin (33:10) “The last thing I want to do is muddy the waters. My main job is to distill information and give it to them in digestible chunks.” – Chase Lambin (41:45) Resources Mentioned: Ahead of the Curve Podcast Twitter: @AOTC_podcast Chase Lambin: Linkedin Facebook