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!
According to Jay Ward of ProStride Hitting
This is another big topic of controversy for some guys on whether to release the top hand at the end of the swing or keep it on. A big reason why we want some of our hitters to release is because they get more coverage and extension. What do I mean by this? They tend to stay in the zone longer instead of cutting off their swing which we have seen in some players who do not release. When hitters cut their swing off while holding on with both hands they tend to roll over on a lot more balls than they would if they were to release the top hand.
We are not trying to tell you this is going to be the right way for everyone. We have guys in the pros who release and guys who hold onto the bat. It’s whatever works best for you. If you are not comfortable with your swing, then none of this other stuff matters.
One more quick tip: Releasing the top hand at the end of the swing allows the bat to stay in the zone an extra 6-9 inches! Watch the Master of Hitting Instruction, Jay Ward elaborate on this in the Q & A video and much more!
Below are a few examples of players who release and do not:
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MIAMI -- It took only a week for Derek Jeter to add some pinstriped flavor to his new front office in Miami.
According to a source, Gary Denbo has agreed to leave the Yankees to join Jeter's Marlins, the first major hiring by Miami's new ownership group. Neither team has confirmed the move.
Denbo has been the Yankees' vice president of player development since 2014, but he'll join the Marlins as director of player development and scouting. Denbo, 56, had been rumored to be a candidate for the Marlins' general manager job.
Bringing in Denbo comes a week after the Marlins were sold by Jeffrey Loria to a group led by Bruce Sherman and Jeter. The official closing on that $1.2 billion transaction came on Oct. 2. The next day, Sherman was introduced as Miami's chairman and principle owner and Jeter was named chief executive officer.
"We're rebuilding it," Jeter said during a news conference on Oct. 3. "We're putting the right people in place. Everything is strategic, and we have a plan for what we're doing. But at the same time, we have to have patience."
Miami has endured eight straight losing seasons and comes off a 77-85 campaign, finishing 20 games behind the Nationals in the National League East and 10 games off the pace for the second NL Wild Card spot.
The Marlins have not asked the Yankees for permission to speak with any of their other front-office members, a source said.
Jeter and Denbo have a long history together. Denbo has spent more than two decades with the Yankees in a variety of positions, managing Jeter in the Minor Leagues and serving as the Yankees' hitting coach in 2001.
The Marlins are seeking to upgrade their organization at all levels. Their farm system has been thinned through the years, and Denbo was instrumental in stockpiling the Yankees' system to become one of the bests in the Majors.
All of the Yankees' affiliates, with the exception of one Rookie league club, reached the playoffs in 2017. Their three highest level clubs -- Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Double-A Trenton and Class A Advanced Tampa combined for a 263-153 (.632) record.
Like Jeter, Denbo makes Tampa home.
When Jeter was struggling at the plate in 2011, he spent time with Denbo in Tampa during a June stint on the disabled list and worked on his swing, hitting .331 for the remainder of the season after returning on July 4.
The Marlins don't currently have a general manager. President of baseball operations Michael Hill has been working closely with Jeter during the ownership transition.
Jim Hendry, a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman, has been rumored to be a candidate to join the Marlins, possibly as GM, but a source said there has been no contract between the two parties.
Joe Frisaro has covered the Marlins for MLB.com since 2002. Follow him on Twitter @JoeFrisaro and listen to his podcast. Mark Feinsand, executive reporter for MLB.com, has covered the Yankees and MLB since 2001 for the New York Daily News and MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Hear what Gary Denbo has to say about why you need ProStride Hitting