Related Posts

• Will ProStride Hitting work for all types of hitters?

  We recognize that many players have been taught a physical and mental approach to hitting that may be difficult to change right away. However, if the player is willing to learn and practice properly with the ProStride drills he will start to develop the right feel and a more consistent bat path through the hitting zone.

• How can ProStride Hitting help me and my baseball program?

  ProStride Hitting will give you the most advanced, yet simple to understand, system for teaching young hitters. One of the real challenges we see high school coaches facing is that they are usually not experts when it comes to teaching the finer aspects of hitting. This forces their good players to seek outside instruction which causes confusion and potential alienation from the coach. These players bring new hitting ideas back to the other team members and parents' questions may circulate about what is being taught at the high school level. This can cause tension and often times a separation between the coach, his players and the parents. What should first be understood is that players and their parents are interested in helping support a coach and program that can help the players become the best they can be while developing them for the next level.
  
  Next, it should not be expected that a high school coach be able to instruct at a level of a professional hitting coach. By adopting ProStride as your hitting system you will not only become knowledgeable of the most advanced hitting techniques, you will demonstrate to your players and parents that you want to bring the best hitting system available to them. Implementing this program will also result in having college and professional scouts more interested in your players. Not only will they become better hitters, they will also possess a preferred type of swing and the mental approach that will give them a better chance to succeed at the next level.
  
  With each player being a member of the site they can learn and become experts themselves. The parents can also become educated and eventually start passing these skills and knowledge down to the younger up-and-coming players that will continue to feed into your program.

• Why Lifting is Good for Baseball

  

  Has your team been hitting the weights this off season? If not, why not? Some, especially at the high school level and below may find it as a waste of time. I thought the same thing, but I am here to tell you that once you enter into a college program that it is almost all you do in the off season.

  Lifting weights the right way plays a big part in “building up” your team and the off season is the perfect time to do that. The main benefits from lifting which I’m sure most of you have heard, include getting bigger, faster and stronger. Lifting will increase the power of a baseball swing and the power of throwing a baseball. Build stronger and more explosive legs to become faster.  Have a pitcher who’s wanting to increase his pitch speed? Strengthen up the legs with squats and build up the pecs with bench press.

  There are also different phases/cycles that players should go through in the off season that will help tremendously with the gains. Start the off season out with higher volume and less intensity which means higher reps and less weight to help build up some endurance. Then slowly taper down to doing low volume and high intensity which is lower reps and more weight. This last part of the training program should be solely focused on the fast twitch muscle fibers. Make sure players are being explosive in their movements. Baseball specific exercises should also be implemented during this period as well. Once in season, start a maintenance program with low weight and semi-high reps. Players should maintain the muscle they built in the off season and continue a lifting and stretching regimen to stay injury free. Keep all of this in mind and go out and have a great season! We are rooting for you!

• James Rowson connected to 3 players in HR Derby

  

  James Rowson is the MLB hitting coach for the Minnesota Twins. He had also been with the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs a few years ago. We had the pleasure of meeting him a couple years ago during the Yankees spring training and found out that he was taught the same hitting instruction from Gary Denbo in his playing days which is ProStride Hitting. 
  
  Coach Rowson is connected to Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Miguel Sano. Rowson helped coach Judge and Sanchez fix their swings in the Minor Leagues and is currently coaching Miguel Sano. 
  
  In his interview, Rowson talks about how fun it is going to be to watch these three players with tremendous power compete in the Derby. These players already had the power, but needed just a few tweaks in their swing to really bring them to the next level and that is where Rowson came in. 
  
  He worked on tweaking these players, not changing their swings so much but more changing how they approach the baseball. These are the little things that must be learned to make it to the next level and separates the good from the great. This same approach is taught through the memberships here on ProStride Hitting. Learn to hit or teach the methods that these great players and so many more use. 
  
  Read the full article here http://www.twincities.com/2017/07/10/twins-hitting-coach-james-rowson-has-three-connections-in-home-run-derby/
  
  Thanks for reading and good luck!
  
  
  

• Why have I not heard about Jay Ward or ProStride Hitting before now?

  During his professional career Jay maintained the ProStride Hitting Process as a proprietary teaching and development system that he taught his players and made available to the organizations that employed him. For various competitive reasons this material was not made available to the general public which is why Gary Denbo of the NY Yankees was surprised (but very pleased) that Jay had documented his hitting process in these videos. Many players and coaches over the years had asked Jay to document his work but until a couple of years ago he resisted until he could take the time necessary to do it the right way.
  
  Jay was one of the best coaches and instructors in the game and even though he was a very accomplished speaker, he was not a big self promoter of his work. Instead, he let his success as a coach get demonstrated by the players at the plate. He was not one to look for the spotlight or play political games to build his name and career. Instead, Jay enjoyed just working with players and took only a select few coaches under his wing to teach them his ProStride Hitting Process. Gary was one of those fortunate students and he has been a great example of what a coach can accomplish by understanding and teaching ProStride. Gary, in turn, taught other coaches the ProStride Hitting Process which has made it the most popular teaching method at the upper level of baseball. What most of you will recognize are the names of the great players he has instructed and some of the coaches who have provided testimonials about Jay’s ProStride Hitting system.
  
  Hall of Fame players, as well as future Hall of Famers who have been coached by Gary Denbo, recognize the unique Process and drills that developed their swings, kept them on track, brought them back from slumps and allowed them to elevate their careers. The ProStride brand of hitting is likely going to become the most recognized hitting and teaching process at all levels of baseball. We want to thank Jay for leaving us with his life’s work. He would be happy knowing that he has been able to share his knowledge with you and your players. Please contact us through the forum with your questions or email us at info@prostridehitting.com.

• When to Stride & Why

  

                  As a ProStride hitter you will be taught the right way to load to get ready to hit. This section will also touch a bit on the stride.

   

                  When you think about getting loaded to hit it is as easy as loading up at the same time as the pitcher. Think about it like dancing with the pitcher. As the pitcher gets loaded you as the hitter do the same thing. We are trying to get timed up with the pitcher. Load back on the inside part of your back knee and up and back with your hands as the pitcher is winding up. As the pitcher lifts his leg up you as the hitter will also lift the knee up or knee tuck depending on what your load is.

   

                  What Not To Do:

   

                  ProStride hitting does not teach loading and then striding before the pitcher pitches the ball. We do not teach the load, stride, stop then hit approach. Have you ever seen a pitcher wind up, stride out, stop, and then throw the ball? That’s what I thought, no. That is exactly why we do not teach it because it takes away all the momentum and power. The load is loading us up with power in the back leg and hands to then be moved forward at a forceful speed. This is not what the pro scouts are looking for and that is why we do not teach it.

   

                  Keep these tips in mind to become a better hitter!