Rick Saggese's Blog

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Podcast EP #26 
I wanted to talk about some great things on concepts for elite hitting in baseball. There’s certain things that all elite hitters do to make them self great. And I’m going to start with the preparation. I’m going to start with the training and then finish with the in game adjustments. So when we’re talking about preparation, preparing their mind, not only their body, but training their mind prior to any competition, mental simulation, mental visualization very key. Make sure you see yourself hitting that certain pitcher that you’re going to be facing the following day. If you don’t know that information, it’s vital that you find that out. Need to have an idea and a visual that you can mentally simulate who you’re facing, exactly what they’re trying to do. Going back to game plans, games that you’ve played this team.

What did this pitcher try to do to you? Go over these notes. If you don’t have, you can’t depend on your coaches to create notes. One of the things JD Martinez does is he creates a hitting notebook. This is something that you have to do personally. Don’t depend on your coaches to have that. So going back in time and going through those. If you have video, you can watch. If you have access to a video room or a video personnel, this is when you want to look at that, review those notes, and get yourself prepared mentally. What is going to be happening? What their plan might be, okay, and visually start seeing yourself execute the plan that they’re going to probably be producing for you. So that’s the first. The second thing is the training. Are you training properly? Purpose of training is to get the body ready for competition.

It’s not going to look good in practice. It’s to get the body ready and the swing ready for game competition. Nobody cares what you do at five. They care what you do at seven. So what you need to do is you need to make sure you’re facing other pitches than just meat balls down the plate. Fast balls that are just slow in BP. I’m not a big fan of that. You need to bring the game style in. You need to bring off speed into the equation. Work on if it’s a lefty, throwing, have a lefty throwing at you before the game, get the body ready for that. The visual side ready for that. The right handed do that. Submarine, same thing. You need to try to emulate what’s going to be coming to you. Off speed is the biggest, important [inaudible 00:02:36]. When we’re talking about BP before game, you can’t just hit fast balls.

You’re not going to just face fastballs. One of the hardest pitches to hit it is an off speed pitch in my opinion is the change up because they eyes can’t pick up that as well. So work on the hands staying back, driving the ball to the left center or right center gap, really executing the slow movement on the front side. The front side is slow controlled, and then as we get to the ball gets into the hitting zone, you becoming violent. That dictates the whole swing, the front side. So working on these things and working on getting your ball elevated, getting a good pitch playing. Pitch playing, getting good launch angle, all those things, but finally, make sure they’re throwing… If they threw your some fastballs, throw at game speed. Don’t throw batting practice speed. Game speed fast balls.

Okay. Now going into in game preparation. Great players and great hitters make adjustments in game. You can’t come in with a plan and not be able to adjust that plan based on what you’re seeing and what’s going on. You have to be very, very efficient at adjusting in game on the fly. So this is one of the most important things I’ve seen. The best hitters, they do the first two, and then they don’t do this so well. So they’re making adjustments the second at bat, third at bat, are you’re going to be able to adjust to what they’re going to be doing based on what you did the first at bat? These are so important. If you aren’t making adjustments, you are not going to progress up the levels in this game because teams, the best players, the best organizations are using so much data that they can adjust any time based on what they see and what they have in front of them on paper. You have to be as efficient to that.

You have to step up to that plate for that. If you’re not, at some point, it’s going to catch up to you. So making in game adjustments, meaning if you hit a breaking ball and you hit a solid line drive first at bat, you’re probably not going to see that location and pitch again. However, you’re always ready to do damage. Okay. You’re already ready to do damage on a certain pitch until two strikes. So if they leave that over the plate and make a mistake, you have to make sure you make them pay. Okay. So these are three things that I really want you to focus on. Short, simple, efficient, effective, not going to make this long and drawn out.

Make sure you do those three things. Those are three concepts that all elite baseball and softball hitters incorporate into their game. For more information, go to ricksaggese.com or thinkoutsidethediamond.com. Visit some of our blog posts. I’ll be posting more of these as well.

Post By: Rick Saggese, XFS, CSAC

The post Concepts For Elite Baseball Hitters For Maximum Success appeared first on Rick Saggese.

When I train my baseball or softball specific clients it’s a much different approach than when I train non athletes or my adults clients. First baseball is a sport with a lot of change of direction and rotation so the core of my programs focus on explosive rotational movements with a lot of agility.  My non athletes depending on their goals are approached with a focus to build lean muscle and decrease body fat (improve BMI).

Baseball and softball players bodies at the collegiate or professional level are tested thru a grueling 70-180 game season so our goal is to build a foundation at the beginning of our off season training then move into the pre season aspect which I want to peak their strength and power and finally moving into the in season I want them to be able to maintain their strength and power. Here is a type of workout I would construct for a baseball player:

Off-Season: (12-16 weeks) 4 day – Focus in Intensity over volume more reps lower weight moving fast!

Pre-Season (4-8 weeks) : 3 days:- Focus is intensity 2 days volume 1 day

Power/Strength 2.  Agility  3. Power/Strength-In-Season: 2 days: Focus is volume over intensity lower reps higher weight 2-3 reps

Adapt schedule so the agility workout day will always be closest to game day

 

Post By: Rick Saggese, XFS, CSAC

The post Baseball Softball Specific Strength Training For High Performance appeared first on Rick Saggese.

I have been helping players increase their bat speed successfully for many years!  Some of the concepts you need to understand is exactly how the neurological system works when you are trying to teach the body a skill or to move faster.  Many times I hear “swing a heavy bat that will make your bat feel lighter” and in turn give you bat speed.  Unfortunately it will make your bat feel lighter for a short period of time but within a few minutes that bat will feel exactly how it did before you swung the heavy bat.  So, why is that?  I like to explain this as it was a short term change meaning you didn’t tap into actually reconditioning the muscle fibers to move faster or to strengthen in any way.  Our muscles are made of millions of fibers I will refer them to green (fast twitch) and red (slow twitch).  When you swing or do something faster than you do normally you are training your green fibers to move faster and in turn when you add a load or weight and move a heavier object you are training your red fibers for strength.  The idea is you want to incorporate a balance of under-load (green) and overload (red) training to properly recondition your muscle fibers.  So, I like to begin many of my hitting sessions with overload (top barrel loaded & bottom handle loaded) to help stretch the muscles and then under-load and finish back to your normal weighted bat.  I like to add approx. 10oz and subtract 10oz  of your normal oz bat to the overload and under-load phases so example if you swing a 30oz bat then you want to use 40oz in the overload phase and 20oz in the under-load phase.  Always make sure you finish swinging your normal oz bat!  If you would like to receive your personal bat speed program that I put together you can do so by joining our all new training lab that has exclusive tips to improve bat speed.

 AMOUNT OF WORK (mass moved) / OVER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME= POWER

 

BONUS INSGHT: Another aspect you need to consider is MOI (moment of inertia) which is higher when you are lower on the bat handle.  Think about the axis point which is where the mass (barrel) rotates around and as you lower the position of your hands on the bat it enhances the mass which in turn increases the MOI (when contact made) since there is in essence increased mass moving and vice versa if you position your hands higher on the bat it lowers the MOI since you are lowering the mass (bat is lighter) when it hits the baseball.

Post By Rick Saggese, XFS, CSAC

The post Increase Bat Speed & Increase Hitting POWER (MOI) appeared first on Rick Saggese.

 

THOUGHTS:  The average person has 2k thoughts a day and over 60% of those thoughts are negative however world class athletes have roughly 1k thoughts a day and over 60% of those thoughts are positive. What you think, is how you feel which in turn will be how you will perform.  Short Term memory is key shutting mind off during competition allowing our body to perform.  You play with your sub conscious memory not your conscious.  I like to call it the 5 second rule, after 5 seconds success or failure you forget about it like it never happened.  You need to forget and move on to the next play or pitch to play at your best. Keep it simple I hit the core of the ball with an accelerated bat head..I throw to well defined targets with late breaking great stuff.

 

RELAXATION/POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT:  Breathing, yes we do it every day to survive but rarely do I see players using its power to help them perform better.  Breathing helps slow down our body and mind as well as helps us to relax.  When there is nervousness there usually is stress and stress slows our reaction time, decisions and our muscles that we need to perform at our best.  Breathing can help eliminate these obstacles however it’s must be done in a certain way.  As you remove yourself from the situation that you might be in take 3 deep breathes thru your nose until your lungs are full and then slowly exhale thru your mouth do not force anything in the exhale just let it naturally exit thru your mouth.  Another powerful exercise is tension release.  Tighten your facial muscles for 5 seconds and then release.  Now after you do that you want to apply an affirmation as I’m ready for this situation, let’s have I hit solid, see the ball hit the ball.  The power of both breathing and positive reinforcement cannot be overlooked and must be in any great athlete’s preparation.

 

VISION/VISUALIZATION:  This one of the Performance Cues (thought, image or strategy) and Visualization is a powerful tool to help you perform at your peak. What do you want out of life? You need to find the answer to this and visualize it! We have 3 types of visions broad (which we spend most of our days in), Tunnel (ex if we need to focus on getting a bunt down we can narrow our focus to get the job done), and Zone vision which is where your eyes double or triple their shutter speed to give you the illusion that everything is in slow motion or objects are larger than normal.   See our minds do not know the difference between reality and fantasy.  Meaning you can take batting practice while a passenger in a car if you have the proper environment to do so.  The best time to visualize is before going to bed at night and as soon as you wake up.  Picture yourself as the performer hear smell and feel as if you are actually doing it. Do this for 10 consecutive nights and you will see a difference in your performance..

 

ENJOYMENT/NO FEAR OF FAILURE:  Importance of enjoying what you do will help you perform better the best athletes have the most fun and perform better than the ones that don’t have fun playing their sport.  Be in the present moment don’t think ahead or behind just focus on what’s in the present moment.   Finally, no fear of failure; we are taught from society at a young age that failure is not good or acceptable but as baseball players failure is a big part of the game and is ok 3 out of 10 is .300 BA you failed 7 times. The fact is not if you will fail but how you will respond when u fail.  I hear all the time but the umpire made a bad call and my answer is this can u control the umpire? No that’s right so why are we spending so much time worrying about his bad calls and not more on what we can do on the next pitch?

 

CONCLUSION: Develop the “Q” game..Quality At Bats, Quality Pitches.  Change the way you look at success and you will see you are more successful than you think. Win the next at bat. Win the next pitch. Win the next inning. Win the game.  Set goals which lead to a defined vision and make a list of pro active items you will do to help achieve that goal. Every day review and make sure you did at least on item on your list. Physical ability will only be brought out if the most important skill is developed and that is between the ears. Doubters never win and winners never doubt.  I will leave you with this thought if you think you will you might if you think you won’t your right. If you prepared like a winner, trust it and now go play like a winner.

***LOOK INTO OUR PREMIUM “GET ICED” BATTING GLOVES TO HELP YOU CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS IN THE BATTERS BOX!

 

Post By: Rick Saggese, XFS, CSAC

 

The post Mindset For Winning Baseball Players appeared first on Rick Saggese.

How many times have you seen an athlete with all the ability in the world, however they “choke” as they say in the big moment? If you watch or play sports at all more than likely you probably have witnessed this. Success in sports today is 90% from the neck up. Confidence comes from practicing and mastering the skill your are training for and then having success at that skill in competitions. Sounds easy right? The only problem is it isn’t it takes not only physical practice but also mental practice to make sure you have the positive thoughts, confidence and in turn more success at your sport. Here are a few tips for athletes to stay mentally sharp.

Positive Self Talk: This is telling your self positive “yes I can, yes I will” over and over again daily.Performance Questions: Asking your self questions that will force the athlete to answer in a positive way. Ex: Why am I always getting the big hit for my team?Mental Simulation: This requires the athlete to be in a quiet room where she/she can concentrate. The athlete will see in there mind what he/she wants to work on however this is happening in the mind just as the athlete is performing during competition. This is a skill that takes practices but when mastered can be a very powerful tool for every athlete.

**COMBINE ALL THESE WITH THE POWER OF “ICED” (INHALE CONFIDENCE EXHALE DOUBT) BY DOING A SYTEMATIC BREATHING ROUTINE AS WE ACTIVATE THE RAS OF THE BRAIN WE WILL BRIDGE YOUR TRAINING AND PRACTICES TO GAMES.  BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF BY “GETTING ICED”.  LEARN MORE BY CLICKING ON THE TAB “ICED” AT THE TOP SELECT A PAGE DROP DOWN.

Post By Rick Saggese, XFS, CSAC

The post Mental Toughness In Sports appeared first on Rick Saggese.

Throughout the course of coaching athletes to be faster all coaches use the fancy drills, fancy equipment, and fancy programming. The bottom line is we need to improve a few things:

Technique– we need athletes to be as efficient as possible in order to eliminate wasted actions and to tap into proper action reaction forces.We need athletes to have great horse-power. If we can train their strength so the amount of force they apply into the ground is greater they will get faster.Finally, we need to make sure they recover so they have the ability to perform top quality reps to the potential of their energy system max.

One of the areas I feel coaches over-due early on when training speed is they introduce too long of a distance for the current level of physical preparedness. For example. Having athletes sprint 60-100 meters early on will lead to poor technique, over shooting their current aerobic capacity in order to recover between bouts, and increasing injury potential due to the tissues not being properly prepared and exposed progressively to stress.

My solution is to introduce acceleration work early on so the athlete can get the force production work on they need without over stressing the mechanical aspect of sprinting too soon. One of my favorite acceleration training methods is to use hills. A slight to moderate grade hill will allow the athlete naturally increase force production due to gravity, and a host of other valuable reasons. Listed below are my 5 Reasons to use Hill Accelerations.

Hill accelerations, from a mechanical aspect, force a couple great things to occur that can train the athlete very well to come out of blocks or accelerate quickly in field and court sports. The athlete automatically must drive the knee out (it actually forces greater hip flexion due to the horizontal lean) in order to clear the foot from hitting the toe into the ground. This natural aggressive hip flexion/knee drive increases the power of the force into the ground off the push off leg. More force is put into the ground due to the action reactionforces caused by the aggressive knee drive. Because gravity is constantly working on the athlete the force being put into the ground must consistently be aggressive to keep the center of mass moving (it isn’t like flat ground running where once acceleration is over sprinting begins).Hill accelerations limit the deceleration that must occur after each run. The athlete almost stops immediately when they stop producing force. In flat ground acceleration the athlete must actively work to “put the brakes on”. The fact the athlete doesn’t have to decelerate after each rep saves the legs and keeps the focus purely on acceleration.Arm action almost automatically becomes more involved and cleaner when accelerating up hill. The fact the athlete must constantly work hard to produce force in order to keep the mass moving the arms get tons of repetitions. The driving forces produced by the arm are seen through the longer leg actions which produces more force (see #1). If the arms are short in the swing phase the leg action becomes shorter to coordinate the action with the arms. When flat land training the acceleration phase is very short for beginner due to the fact they get out of acceleration so quickly. When training acceleration on hills they can work on the acceleration phase the entire repetition, therefore getting more arm action repetitions.Because hill work is very taxing on the nervous system programming is very simple. Once you see the athlete begin to reach the prescribed distance must slower than in previous reps you know he or she is getting fatigued. Once the fatigue factor shows up the reps will become much less effective so it is time to end the hill acceleration session. A great way to get as much bang for your buck out of programming is to perform less reps per set and add more sets. For example; rather than performing 2 sets of 6 reps where you would have less rest between the reps than the sets you would perform 4 sets of 3 reps. This allows for great effort and execution of the 3 reps followed by a nice recovery where ATP can be replenished more-so than in the 2 sets of 6 rep scheme.Hill acceleration training is a form of resisted training. The other forms such as sled, tubing, parachutes, or manual all have benefit yet they disturb the one factor that I personally feel is vital; they interrupt the natural kinesthetic nature of pure running. A band or harness tethered to your body is not as consistent with natural running. A harness attached around the shoulders might cause greater transverse rotation to the shoulders. A tubing around the belt line might cause more flexion than what is consistent with acceleration, a parachute might cause random shifts in the frontal plane due to wind pushing the chute off course. All of these disturbances can have benefits if you know what you are looking for, but when you want to improve the 3 things I mentioned above (technique, horse power, recover) the un-tethered approach might be best most of the time. Don’t get me wrong. I use resisted training frequently- but I always know why and what the results will be.

Guest Post By: Lee Taft 

The post Increase Your Sprinting Power For Greater Sports Performance appeared first on Rick Saggese.

 

In the ever changing world of sports performance “Motor Preferences” concepts is another to add to the lengthy list.  I will dive quickly into what this concept is about and why it’s important to factor it into your training.  Bio mechanics measure movement as movement profiles is trying to produce the best move and create a coordinated zone.  Even though “Aerial” and “Terrestrial” may sound new, they both have direct correlations to muscle chain dominance and central nervous system coordination.  Motor preferences refers to an individual’s inherent tendency to move in a specific way.  It is shaped by both neurological wiring and musculoskeletal architecture in other words what’s your relationship between the central nervous system and the body and how respecting this can have a positive effect on performance and injury risk.

There are 2 type of movement profiles of someone in the sagittal plane I will discuss here are:

Aerial- upper body dominant shoulder lead (toe dominant profile- postero median chain)Terrestrial- lower body dominant pelvis lead (heal dominant profile- antero median chain)

Aerial profiles get their power from speed mainly using their shoulders for transfer of energy.  They tend to supinate shoulders (roll inward) to gain speed while running they tend to have side to side swinging.  They are extention and horizontial/vertical force rebound thru core/glutes and hamstrings a preference of a rebound mode in the production of movement. They tend to be more symetrical.  This is also considered a more vertical organization their mobile point is higher T8 area and the stability point is lower L5 area.  The stability point is the area that is not moving during rotation we refer to this as association (move together).

Terrestrial profiles get their power from the hips a lower center of gravity just think of a squat as they transfer energy thru force.  They are mobile, fluid and move well thru spine flexion and use lower limbs like a pulley system.  They tend to be more asymetrical thru back/quads and calves.  This is also considered a more horizontal organization their mobile point is lower L5 area and the stability point is higher T8 area we refer to this as dissociation (move separately).  The stability point is the area that is not moving during rotation.

Teaching horizontal properties to a vertically organized athlete is likely to detract from performance and increase injury risk.  Everyone pulls or pushes differently.

Learning Resource: Motor Preferences Experts (MPE), LLC

Post By:

Rick Saggese, XFS, CSAC

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Hitting data is engulfing the baseball and softball industry like a great white shark does on their prey.  Data has shown to be priceless when it comes to perfecting a swing, throw or any movement where we can get objective feedback however it’s not the only part a trainer needs to look at.  Here is 5 reasons why data is not the only and final answer to peak performance in hitting a baseball or softball well….

Data allows us to make the proper adjustments to perfect bat to ball connection for maximum speed and distance but it won’t fix the movements to enhance that data. This is where the teacher comes into play.Does this data play in competition?  Meaning how is the athletes mindset, confidence and relaxation to allow their skill set to be maximized?Visually processing ball and strikes many times factor into how well we connect bat to ball, is this working properly?External distractions with limited focusing abilities have had a huge impact on athletes in the batters box the past decade. Concentration needs to be worked on.Off the field habits such as sleep and diet have a major impact on an athletes performance

 

Post by: Rick Saggese, XFS, CSAC

The post Why Training Data Is Important but Isn’t the Only Solution appeared first on Rick Saggese.

Photo via Pexels

As we age, our health tends to diminish as well. Our immune systems become less effective at warding off diseases and illnesses, making us more susceptible to pathogens and bacteria. Our muscles and bones become less sturdy and strong, resulting in a higher chance of developing sprains or broken bones. While some of these changes are unavoidable, there are several things seniors can do to maintain their physical, mental, and physiological faculties. Here are some tips for helping seniors to be, look, and feel healthier.

Improve Your Home’s Technological Abilities

Seniors face many challenges on a daily basis when it comes to moving throughout and managing their homes. There are many smart home modifications that people can make to their homes in order to make them more senior-friendly; for example, smart doorbells can help those who are hearing impaired feel more secure from potential intruders or other criminals. This technology also ensures seniors won’t miss any important visitors. Another great feature of these doorbells is wireless cameras that offer seniors a clear view of anyone at their front door without having to get up and answer a knock.

Enroll in a Medicare plan.

Medical coverage isn’t cheap, especially for seniors who typically need more prescriptions and appointments than the average individual. Every senior who is 65-years-old or older should enroll in a Medicare plan in order to help cover their medical costs. These plans also ensure that members receive all of the necessary medical attention to keep them healthy. There are many different kinds of Medicare plans from which eligible seniors can choose. Depending on the plan, enrollees may receive benefits for dental care, vision care, prescription medication, and other wellness-focused programs as well. Take the time to research the best plan before you apply for Medicare between October 15 and December 7.

Work with a Physical Therapist

Staying active is a great way for seniors to look, feel, and stay young. Because many elderly individuals stop moving regularly after retirement, their physical health begins to diminish. If you aren’t in a position to participate in a sport such as tennis or golf, it doesn’t mean that you have to give up exercise altogether. Working with a physical therapist can give you the perfect combination of movement and professional attention. You can rest assured that every exercise and stretch will be aimed toward improving your mobility and physical health overall.

Take Up Cooking as a Hobby

Throwing something together in a rush is one thing, but taking the time to cook an elaborate meal is another. Cooking is a great hobby for seniors, and it doesn’t require a lot of energy or investment. It can help to improve cognitive functioning by utilizing a person’s multi-tasking, memory recall, and improvisation faculties. In addition to the mental benefits, cooking also encourages individuals to make healthier food choices. Instead of heating up that frozen meal or cracking open an instant dish, you’ll be prompted to go to the store and hand-select healthy ingredients. This is also a great opportunity to be creative and try something new.

Stay Socially Active

After retirement, seniors face the difficulty of maintaining a socially active lifestyle. However, a reduction in this interaction with other people can lead to less physical activity, loneliness, and/or depression. Several studies have established a connection between social engagement and better health overall. Seniors can achieve easily improve their number of social interactions by volunteering, having weekly dinners with family or friends, and becoming more active in their community.

Even though everyone experiences some physical and mental decline when they age, the rate at which these changes occur can be controlled. A healthy lifestyle with effective habits and sufficient medical attention is a step in the right direction for all seniors who want to be, feel, and look healthier.

Guest Post By: Susan Treadway; Rehab Holistics

The post How to Be, Feel, and Look Healthier as a Senior appeared first on Rick Saggese.

Photo Credit: Pexels

Exercise to many people is just another ‘to do’ on their long list. During long work days, or long days at school, the last thing many of us want to do is exercise. We fall into a routine and the gym/at home exercise becomes a duty rather than a privilege. Our minds become detached from exercise, and your work out is consequently belittled as your body simply goes through the motions.

I am a firm believer in the concept that you won’t get results of any kind if your mind and heart aren’t into it. For this reason, I refuse to step on a treadmill; I absolutely despise it. In my eyes, I could run for miles and miles, and step off no better than I was before. Several fitness experts say you shouldn’t engage in any sort of exercise that you dislike, as it won’t be beneficial. Find exercises you love, and be willing to try new things in terms of exercise. Once exercise becomes routine, it is very easy to fall into a pool of boredom. 

Sometimes, the fix is easy: create a new playlist to listen to as you train (search for apps that allow you to customize your upbeat listening, like Spring) or watch a motivational speaker prior to exercise. On that note, my personal favorite is Inky Johnson, who is easy to access & listen to on YouTube. 

I am a frequent gym goer, and I therefore often see the same people there; unfortunately, they are usually utilizing only the same two or three machines each and every time. Your body adapts to these few exercises, and only works on those few muscles. It is extremely unhealthy to isolate one part of your body and work solely on improving that constantly. In order to keep my entire body seeking improvement and to keep my mind in a state of desire to continue to exercise, I try to always incorporate things I’ve never tried before.

I have been lucky enough to recieve plyometric and speed training and participate in crossfit. I’m constantly trying to incorporate exercises I have learned im these sessions into my everyday workouts. Attending any sessions like these, or a training/fitness session at Thinking Outside The Diamond, LLC, allows for us to continue to discover new exercises and workouts, keeping our minds fresh towards the subject. 

Don’t be afraid of skipping the gym either; instead, go for a run on the beach or through the park, or swim in the pool. Be open to doing a yoga or spinning class. Keep in mind that not every workout needs to be intense. 

Ultimately, each workout is what you make it. If you’re able to keep your mind and heart into your workouts, you will continue to see results.

Guest Post By: Taylor Bouchard

The post Turn Exercise Into “Fun”cise appeared first on Rick Saggese.