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I've found that self-afflicted mental pressure is a huge component of this phenomenon. Most high school hitters can hit 90 off the machine with regularity when no one is watching and they know what is coming. In game mental pressure could lead to something as simple as death gripping in the box and losing bat speed as a result. Mental weakness can also lead to overcompensation in game and blowing up mechanics. It's almost like you have to turn your brain off and concede to instinct once you are in the box. Strategize in between pitches but turn off your brain and trust all the practice work you've done to lead you to greatness.

If I hit like I do at practice I would get drafted out of high school

I finished playing baseball in HS last year and your videos really make me miss it.........I still love your vids though man, your definitely helping a lot of people

Thanks for this Matt. Great video. Can't wait to get back to work. No shortcuts!!!!

Matt, I took your advice on all the hitting tips and went 4-5 with 3 doubles and all hard hits with some 0-2

Also I wanted to add a few points. Some guys have great swings and have the capacity to cover any pitch. But their approach could be awful or sometimes their nerves get to them. If you are anxious and panic, during a real at bat you might deviate from your normal swing. One way to fix anxiety is too play a tonnnn of games, so get use to that setting. Also, I noticed guys sometimes think about how they are going to swing in an at bat. You are tasked to hit a tiny ball coming at a high velocity. You should not think about your swing mechanics, but worry about how your gonna hit the ball. When you go higher up in level this will affect you more. Stay cool, practice a ton to get a nice swing and play a lot of games.

Do video about the outfield or do some drills that you recommend!

Wow, so much knowledge , true words from a true big leaguer. Always mentally successful before the plate Thanks Coach Matt

Thank you so much!!! Your videos help me so much!!

Great video!

Omg my exact problem thanks so much Matt

This has been very useful.

Great advice. I believe if you truly love the art of hitting ....the bat path you speak of is the purest way to find out your full potential. Great video....I will search your channel for the first step in covering the plate. Thank you coach !

Great content keep up the good work

Thank’s it worked!

Thanks Matt 👍

Very helpful, now I'm hitting doubles and singles!

I think you are absolutely right that most problems come from the swing itself, especially with the epidemic of short to the ball swing down philosophy, and I think your pet peeve on coaches saying things like, "it's timing", "it's dropping your back shoulder", "it's pulling off the ball", "It's your head, your front shoulder" etc. is an entirely valid frustration, as they say whatever they "see" last. But I do believe most of what they say comes from simply not understanding the swing and simply saying what is the latest en-vogue phrase, timing, swing-plane, sequence, etc. All valid things, just repeated too often by those who don't' understand them. For me, I find in young hitters that do have a good swing but can't hit in games is one of three things... 1. Confidence 2. Lack of Intent - ie being ready and aggressive for that one good pitch they see, vs the 50 chances they get in practice and 3. yes, timing (sorry) IF I had a dollar for every young hitter who waited for the ball to be on top of them before even starting the swing I'd be rich. They can do that off the tee, soft toss, batting practice speed pitches and get away with it, but not in games... and I think bad drills like "fast hands" and knob to ball help facilitate a late poorly timed and top down swing. But that's just me... Thanks for all the videos.. wish we lived closer to Danvers.

Great video. Now can you make a video about drills or something I can do to fix that? You're tell us to change the swing but what do I change about it?

I'm a new Catcher and I would like to learn how to frame and bring pitches into the zone better do you think you can do a vid on that?

could you do a video on the correct angle of rounding first base ?

Hi I’ve just seen this video and I am in a slump it’s been only two games but I’m so hard on myself I’m in fourteen u and during COVID and staying home with my thoughts it’s so so difficult. Also I’m scared of messing up plus I’m mad that I try to keep making up excuses on not making hits, and I don’t know what I do at the plate so reading these comments (deepzone) and this video is helping put my mind at eas and settling me in how emotional I really am Thank you so so much!

Ive been on c team for two years and it's actually much nicer being able to sit back and learn stuff like this. I swing harder and with more force than most of our varsity kids but my swing is terrible and I can't hit the ball. When I do, it usually is straight down about 2 feet in front of me or to the back fence.

hey matt can you please do a vid on how to get your arm stronger and is it different from pitchers and fielders because i will do this before lifting.

Im really struggling with the low outside pitch think you could make a video about that?

What are some drills to help create a proper bat path through the zone? Love the videos btw

Here's a good question I would say. What do you do during a rain delay or after a game gets rained out?

When you were a kid were you a Baseball card collector, if so could you do like a pack opening? Could be really cool, and if there were guys you recognize or have stories of it could make for a great vid!

I end up hitting better in a game than practice.

Dude if u can't hit in a game but you rake in the cage, it's not having an approach and walking up with no idea what you're doing. You can't expect a pitcher to throw the ball exactly where you want every time and if you're looking for a spot and you get it, you need to be able to capitalize on your opportunity.

Good video overall. You're definitely onto something. My take on it would be we practice SWINGING (tee, toss, dry swings etc) much more than we practice HITTING (game scenario practice). We didn't learn to ride a bike by riding a stationary bike why do we believe we will learn to hit by hitting off a tee etc?

A video on drills to work on swing path

Can you post some drills on using your body to turn the barrel?

For me my swing is good, I’m on plane in practice but I get too much under the ball during games. I just try to think about hitting line drives. Any other suggestions?

I appreciate that brother...it makes since to me #RSPCT ⚾

Would it be a timing issue if I always hit the other way even in BP

You’re the best at turning a 2:00 minute video into a 6:00 minute vid. ;)

Hey Matt I notice that in the majors lots of hitters foul balls off, could you do a video on how to practice these and tips on them

What age should you start throwing curveballs

You should do outfield advice for a vid

How I wish you could break down videos of my 9 year old’s swing. Your videos have helped greatly, but there’s something not right. Instructor here told me he’d be making adjustments his whole life.

Can you talk about not being able to hit pitches in the zone, and or missing pitches you should kill?

What kind of balls do you recommend using for practice, training, etc?

I don't know what it is but I used to at least get 1-2 hits a game and like you say I drive the ball in every instance like BP but as soon as I put the uniform on and umps show up I choke, so much this year that it just seems to me that the game hates me now when it used to love me. Lol, I am so sick of struggling. Yes, i am much older now but I can never seem to even make hard outs anymore or I am just hitting ground balls when I used to hit doubles and home runs. It is maddening!

bats... i use a 271 33" 30oz for bp, Maple for game and ash for bp, Carolina Clubs..... i use the same style for bp as game....do you use 1 size or mix in something similiar, like a 243, bigger barrel but a bit more end heavy... i have one bat a b86... really not end heavy but feel light, more for contact almost.... do you recomend this.... say 2/3 bats for main use or 1 bat for really slow pitchers... ?

Do you have any drills on how to see the ball better/improve pitch recognition?

Hey Matt where do I put my hands when I swing? Not vertically I think I'm pretty solid there but from left to right from the start of my swing to how far my hands should go back when I load and all that? Great videos!

Hey Matt, I have a question. My high school pitching coach is Sean Thompson. He's a short LHP and was with the Padres awhile ago. Do you know Sean? He was drafted straight out of high school from Colorado.

In the game, the pitcher throws a ball inside of the strikezone. If I swing it will hit on the skinny part of the bat and barely go anywhere. Do i risk the strike 3? Or do I swing and possibly miss or barely hit it? Thanks matt your awesome

I have a problem my coach has terrible throws when practices i hit home runs off all of them and i can easily the best hitter in practise. But in game i can never hit anything i have only hit 1 home run in game before. Any tips???

My son said his problem was other distractions.overthinking the umps strike zone, not timing up the 1st strike deciding whether to swing or not on a third strike. He can hit 95mph in our cage, any pitch but seems to let the moment become bigger than it is instead going with his natural instincts.

I do well in the game but not in live bp practice any thoughts?

Love all your videos. My son hits well in the cage but his game swing and cage swing are completely different. I have video after video of him in the cage releasing his top hand 99.9999% if not 100% of the time, during games he never releases his top hand 0%, During BP on a field launches home runs again releasing his top hand. Every single AB in a game I have ever seen he has "never" not even once released his top hand. He was not even aware of it until I showed him, but still can't release in the games. Not saying this is causing the problem but how can you do something so many times in a cage or even in BP on a field but get a real pitcher on the mound and you change something like that? Any ideas on how to take the cage swing to the game? I thought about paying someone to throw live BP in a game like tempo and see if he can do it then?

can you also do pop ups

Hey Matt I'm 13 and I really want to play ball at the next level but my problem is just like what you discussed in this video (hitting well in practice but not in games) but my main problem is that I'm absolutely petrfied Everytime I step up to the plate.what things can I do to get over this fear.Thx

Why do I roll over to the second baseman (I'm a lefty)

It can also be like the driving range in golf, your bad hits have no consequences. You forget the bad hits and remember the good ones. Then when you play you only have 1 chance and now you do notice all your fly balls and ground outs.

Can you please do the mental side of why someone wouldn’t be able to hit in a game? I think thats all it is for me. In the cages, I’m a beast, I’m able hit absolute piss missiles during bp and even live at bats that aren’t even much harder than the at bats I have in a game. Please help me out with this, I’m doing a lot of work and I need to be able to hit well when I get the opportunities to.

I do good on everything but I can’t hit on the game especially on showcase I did 6.6 yard today but I went 0-3 all strike outs

I've had this problem for a long time and i get wjat your saying but for me i just dont think its my swing. Not saying your wrong or anything but the reason i dont think its my swing is that i can hit well in all the situations you said but i can also hit well against my pitcher friends in scrimages and other situations where they're pitching just like in games using different pitches and actually trying to get me out. Im obviously no expert but i think my problem might be psychological . i think i just get to nervous and afraid of striking out.

Matt I'm struggling to time my stride in the game, is there a reason why I am unable to do this and if so what can I do to fix it? Thanks.

My sons can't hit good in practice but hit great in games usually

Not enough coaches let their young pitchers, pitch to their young team! Mostly a pitching machine and tee. I don’t know if it’s a liability or not?

For me, it’s really weird, I hit well off the tee, not that great in bp and get on average I’d say around 1-2 hits a game.

My problem right now is squaring the ball up right at people. It sucks you do everything right but you hit it right at someone and you smoke it too. Might also be a lil bit of over thinking too.

And which is that swing?

How do I fix my swing then

It totally depends on your level, the lower level if you do well on practice you will be fine on real games

He sounds like Chris Walkins

I had my first game ever yesterday i didnt get on base but i was good at center i cant hit it but it is my first year

Good vid

I think the problem is that pitchers are uncooperative regarding hitters having a good game!

I hit everything 100x better then in a game, flips, front toss, Bp, tee, live Bp, fuck I probably hit .500 against our best pitcher. But once I get to an actual game situation it’s a whole different story

How to throw with more velocity

2nd

We're you ever intentionally thrown at?

How do I stop getting walked. I keep finishing tournaments going 0-1 0-2

I just don’t think this makes sense at all. If I’m hitting 90 mph off a machine or in live batting practice with a real pitcher, but can’t do it in a game then how is that because of my swing? Makes zero sense

I crush in practice then in a game I suck

Christopher Walken?

This is not helpful really. Truth is, if you hit the ball consistently well in practice, you should hit well in games. However, the biggest challenge is psychological. Kids put a lot of pressure on themselves and their lack of confidence and tension mess up their swing. Experience and more at bats helps, but also learning to relax and be confident.

I cant hit at all

How are we supposed to get better when our coach can’t even hit?

To watch an American video tutorial is exactly the same like to sit in a church watching the priest talk.

I can't hit in a game for shit

Duh. In every type of practise the person throwing the ball is allowing you to hit it. They WANT you to hit it. In a game, the opposite is true. Seems pretty obvious. If you KNOW what pitch is coming, you should be able to hit it. If you DON'T know what pitch is coming, you guess wrong sometimes and don't hit it. You should know, Matt, you went hitless in 20 consecutive at bats in San Diego. What a stupid question. You SHOULD be aggravated by it.

What in the frick is that bat?

hitting is science or black art?