This episode is brought to you by baseballcloud and OnBaseU.

Guest: Rob Benjamin, baseball hitting trainer at R.I.O.T. Hitting

Rob Benjamin shares his upbringing in Puerto Rico and New York City playing baseball

His journey towards coaching began in the early 2000s

Who is the player, what is their hitting experience, and what are their parents’ concerns

Video review includes dissecting major league hitting swings

Recreate the unpredictability of the real game in the batter’s box

Playing sound effects of loud crowd noises helps players prepare for game distractions

Player assessment involves using video to help evaluate them

How does Rob Benjamin help clean up player’s movement patterns

Many players have been overcoached to the point that their body’s move too robotically

Players need to trust you to communicate what they need

How do you coach the timing of hitting

The swing starts as soon as the foot lifts off of the ground

What should be the focus when using videos for training

Do players have too many degrees of freedom to their swing

Bridge the gap between training information and the experience of movement solutions

What are training drills that Rob Benjamin’s players love

Watching his own children develop is an enlightening experience for Rob

Look for challenges and obstacles, and embrace failure

3 Key Points:

 Having a successful bat swing includes the launch, the barrell, and de-excelleration.

 Techniques during hit training include: throwing screens up, ball drop drills, and two pitchers throwing at the same time.

 Know what your players’ goals are.  

Tweetable Quotes:

“I want to see these players adapt.” - Rob Benjamin (10:21)

“Being the ‘teacher king,’ I don’t want to do that. I want the environment to do that for me.” - Rob Benjamin (12:27)

“Some kids have been so over-coached that a lot of the athleticism has been stripped from their bodies.” - Rob Benjamin (26:53)

“It’s important that you create a foundation of trust so they can talk.” - Rob Benjamin (29:10)

“I want them to make one choice...hit the baseball.” - Rob Benjamin (36:32)

“Figure out how players learn with respect to stable components of their swing.” - Rob Benjamin (41:47)

Resources Mentioned:

Ahead of the Curve Podcast

@AOTC_podcast

Instagram: @RiotHitting

Twitter: @riothitting

Books: “Dynamics of Skill Acquisition” “The Rise of Superman” “Talent Code” “Game Changer” “Outliers”

Email: [email protected]

Website and Social Media sites for the show 

www.aotcpodcast.com