Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast | ⭐Hitting Performance Lab⭐

Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast | ⭐Hitting Performance Lab⭐

By Joey MyersSportsEducationHow ToBaseball
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Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast | ⭐Hitting Performance Lab⭐ episodes

  • Injury Prevention in Pitching: Jason Colleran on The Kinetic Arm's Benefits

    MAT Specialist Jason Colleran discusses The Kinetic Arm, a tool designed to reduce stress on the elbow and shoulder while guiding the arm into the correct throwing position. Essential insights for injury prevention in pitchers.

    In this interview, we discuss the following:

    • Many things that differentiate you from others and it's MAT, explain MAT a little bit...
    • Talk a little bit about some of the things you're seeing out there the pitchers that are coming to you...
    • “I've got one research paper with 3D mathematical models showing you need over 2000 pounds of force, as compression shearing to get even a 1% change in length. And a 1% change in length for, ligaments that's called a grade one strain or sprain.”
    • Is all stretching bad or is there a time and a place for it?
    • What’s your view on weighted ball throwing programs?
    • What’s your view on the force plate metrics some experts are relying on?
    • The Kinetic Arm reduces stress on elbow-shoulder and guides arm into the right positions, is that a fair assessment?
    • And pitchers are using the Kinetic Arm to rehab Tommy John surgery?
    • Is the Kinetic Arm available in youth sizes yet?
    • Where can people find you, Jason?
      • 30 min
    • Boosting Pitching Velocity: Dr. Jocelyn Vartanian on Shoulder Health

      Physical Therapist Dr. Jocelyn Vartanian explains how improving shoulder health can increase pitching velocity by 2-4 MPH. Learn techniques to enhance performance and prevent injuries.

      In this interview with Physical Therapist Dr. Jocelyn Vartanian in Fresno, CA, we discuss:

      • You've had a huge influx of new clients, athletes... what are you seeing coming in right now?
      • What do you see different in softball, girls coming in with injuries versus the guys? Or is there any difference?
      • What's your advice on the ankle side of things?
      • What top two things would you suggest they do to help with those ankles?
      • On low back stuff, what kind of advice would you give the ladies?
      • What's your advice on shoulder? You mentioned that the boys are the elbow really elbow heavy shoulder...
      • “And your shoulder blade strength starts to pick up, your shoulders start to feel better. You add like 2, 3, 4 miles an hour on your velo like that, but I didn't throw harder”
      • Let people know where they can find you...
        • 31 min
      • Addressing Reverse Cervical Curve: Dr. Matthew Scott on Young Athletes' Spinal Health

        Chiropractor Dr. Matthew Scott discusses the dangers and causes of reverse cervical curve in young athletes. Learn corrective measures to ensure optimal spinal health and athletic performance.

        In this episode I interview one of my former Fresno State teammates, who was a pitcher and is now a Chiropractor.  Here's what we cover:

        • If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice, what would that advice be?
        • What were some of the pain symptoms you experienced in your pitching shoulder in college?
        • The dangers, causes, and how to fix reverse cervical curve in young athletes
        • What is a “Denner roll”? Not sushi?
        • What other things are you seeing in young athletes; besides neck stuff, that we need to look out for?
        • Where can people find you?
          • 28 min
        • Mental Health in Sports: Dr. Bhrett McCabe on Coaches' Roles and Responsibilities

          Sports Performance Psychologist Dr. Bhrett McCabe emphasizes the importance of coaches being prepared to address mental health concerns in athletes. Gain insights into supporting players facing serious challenges.

          In this interview with clinical Sports Performance Psychologist, Dr. Bhrett McCabe, we go over:

          • What are the top two mistakes that athletes make when it comes to dealing with those injuries? Psychologically?
          • Dad's saying you need to tough it out. You need to get out there. What's your advice for some of those?
          • What’s your advice on a player that is VERY hard on themself?
          • “To me, the first thing we can do as the coach is never assumed that they're going to be better. I think we must assume that they're going to struggle.”
          • What do you, and it leads into some tough talks where, we're talking about suicide rates and things like that. What's your initial analysis?
          • “Every coach strength, coach hitting coach, every coach should know what to do. If a player comes to them and says, coach, I just don't think about living anymore.”
          • Where can people find you? Do you have any, so that could be social. That could be the website.  I know we mentioned the beginning any kind of workshops or anything coming up?
            • 30 min
          • Enhancing High School Baseball: Zach Casto on Improving Organizational Practices

            Zach Casto identifies two critical aspects often missing in high school baseball organizational practices. Discover strategies to enhance team performance and development.

            Here's what we go over in this episode:

            • “...hitting approach, something we've really used this fall to help assess our hitters and swing decisions”
            • What would you suggest, to say a little league coach, if you were to pick one of those [Blast, Hitting Approach, Quality At-bats,etc], what would you say would be the best for 12U?
            • “...you manually put in where the pitch crossed the strike zone, and it's almost like having a spray chart, but just digitally and the cool aspect of it, from what I've gathered, what I've seen, is that it creates a heat map.”
            • You mentioned competitions in the outfield. Take me through that. What does that look like?
            • The four-seam spin, just by putting a thin piece of athletic tape on the four-seam, in the middle. Talk a little bit about that...
            • One of the other drills that you mentioned you didn't go into it too deep, but I'd like you to here, from Sammy's podcast, was a bucket drill. I think it had to do with the fly balls at the peak...
            • What do you see as being the top two things when it comes to organizational practice at the high school level that maybe is missing?
            • Where we can find you, give us a talk about your book Rounding Third and where people can buy it?
              • 40 min
            • Balancing Training Intensity: Nate Headley on Preventing Athlete Burnout

              Nate Headley discusses the importance of balancing training intensity to prevent athlete burnout. Learn effective communication strategies to ensure long-term success and well-being.

              Here's what we go over in this interview with hitting academy owner, team coach, and one-on-one hitting instructor in Tennessee, Nate Headley (brother to Major Leaguer Chase):

              • “I woke up to my first morning of college with the cops knocking on our door at five o'clock in the morning...”
              • What do you see as the top two mistakes that academy owners make?
              • “I think the toughest conversations I have are the ones with the parents that are so over the top that you have to sit them down and say, hey, look, man, if you don't back off, they're not going to make it.”
              • “I think ultimately that's where you start to lose traction in the development process and building teams and I think that the more you can continue on a daily basis to pick up, if it's one thing a day...”
              • What's your filter? How do you know to follow a guy or two to give it a try, what's your filter for that?
              • “There's so much information available. If you're just paying attention to the game, if you're just paying attention to how they're attacking hitters in front of you, we force all our guys to get out of the dugout, out onto the field when they've got a guy getting loose.”
              • “We can give you all the information you need to be successful, but what you do with it is ultimately all that matters, because the development process is not going to be there.”
              • Where can people find you if they want to reach out, ask you questions, you got a website, social media, any of that?
                • 46 min
              • Balancing Athletics & Academics: Bryan Eisenberg & Walter Beede on Achieving Excellence

                Bryan Eisenberg and Walter Beede discuss the importance of trading athletic skills for academic success. Discover practical advice for parents navigating their young athlete's educational and athletic journey.

                Here's what we cover in this episode:

                • What are the top-3 kid raising pitfalls parents fall into in middle school and high school in before college and professional ball?
                • The DANGERS lurking in self-comparison from ages 14-18 years old
                • “Getting repetition because through repetition, we're going to gain our retention....
                • “They won a college world series. It was a great moment. But suddenly, everything's winding down. I suddenly realize that journey had concluded...”
                • “I use the term and I've used 40 years where I tell parents the whole objective is to trade athletic ability for academic excellence.”
                • “What's the difference of success levels between your son who just played through college and the one who went pro in the way you treated them and brought them up?”
                • Where to find the book Committed and purchase, and where to find you guys on the socials?
                  • 35 min
                • Mastering Mental Game Paradoxes: Joe Yurko on Sports Psychology (Part 2)

                  Sports psychologist Joe Yurko explores the fascinating paradox of how our brains create the games we play, but instinct ultimately guides performance. Understand the mental keys to unlock athlete potential.

                  Here's what we go over in this part-2 episode with Joe Yurko:

                  • Joe’s 10 Sports Psychology principles that are a part of his hitting system
                  • Fear: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod Crane, in the story, he was afraid, but it was his own imagination that caused him to be afraid, there was no Headless Horseman.”
                  • “These kids were walking around saying, we're going to face a guy throwing 95 miles an hour. I'm trying to counter that.”
                  • Conscious Brain: “...your thinking parts, the parts that land rockets on the moon and invent sticky notes and whiteout and things like that.”
                  • “The moment you said, I don't care anymore, you just turned your brain on.”
                  • “He called it the paradox that the upper parts of our brains invent the games that we play... Then the lower parts are the ones that play it.”
                  • Where can people find you Joe?
                    • 50 min
                  • Improving Swing Mechanics: Chaz Henry on Video Analysis as Your Virtual Hitting Coach

                    Chaz Henry discusses how sport video analysis software complements hitting coaches by offering a valuable second opinion. Learn how technology enhances swing mechanics and player performance.

                    Here are some of the topics to be discussed:

                    • What video analysis software do you use?
                    • Who is Chaz Henry? What’s his background in?
                    • The fascinating history of Powerchalk and machine learning...
                    • Difference of amateur hitter’s up shoulders at landing versus professional hitter’s down shoulders...
                    • What machine learning, aka “Artificial Intelligence” (AI), means to the future of video analysis...
                    • “What I've done is I've kind of shown how the machine can grade you, can look at these frames and grade you [the swing] ...”
                    • How to objectively take a swing “red” light and turn it “green” ...
                    • “I don't pretend at all that I'm doing away with, or that I'm automating a real hitting coach; I see it as a second opinion...”
                    • Using machine learning to recognize dysfunctional movement like immobile joint and diagnose corrective exercise, so that a hitter moves better...
                    • Where can they go to find Powerchalk obviously, and then is there a place they can go to check out this new AI machine learning stuff?

                      • Click short link for transcribed interview in pdf format: https://gohpl.com/chazhtranscription

                      Click short link for video of interview: https://gohpl.com/chazhvideo

                      31 min
                    • Winning at the Plate: Mark Gonzalez on Why a Great Approach Beats Perfect Mechanics

                      Hitting coach Mark Gonzalez explains why a solid hitting approach can outperform flawless mechanics. Learn strategies to succeed offensively even if your mechanics are still developing.

                      “You Can Have Average Mechanics and If You Have A Good Approach, You Can Still Be Successful”

                      Mark Gonzalez, @EastBayMark on Twitter, and inspirational parent coaching his High School Junior hitter

                      Here's what we talk about in this episode:

                      • What do you find to be the biggest mistake, one or two mistakes on hitting that you see out there?
                      • Was there an aha moment at some point where you finally said Oh, you know what, I might be over overdoing this being the helicopter parent?
                      • “You can have average mechanics and if you have a good approach, you can still be successful...”
                      • Is it all about hitting dingers and doubles?
                      • What ever happened to playing Whiffle Ball in the street, and can kids learn anything from video games?
                      • What things have you guys been doing on the recruiting side?
                      • “If this college wants a certain type of hitting approach and if that's the hitting approach you really don't like well maybe that's not the school for you...”
                      • Any other parting thoughts that you would give to those parents out there with freshmen, sophomores, juniors in high school, coming from a dad who's coaching their own kid?
                      • Where can people find you Coach Mark and powerful BONUS tips???
                        • 43 min

                      About Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast | ⭐Hitting Performance Lab⭐

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                      Hosted by Joey Myers—Amazon bestselling author and founder of HittingPerformanceLab.com—the Swing Smarter Hitting Training Podcast delivers powerful, science-driven hitting insights for baseball and…

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