The 2 Drills To Easily Apply Big League Movements
Hard work, it's great right?
I know I'm a fan.
It's the basis of our whole development system here in the states:
If you want to get better, you gotta put in the work!
If you aren't getting the results you want....get more time in the cage!
But while a willingness to put in the time to get better is a PHENOMENAL trait,
There's a big problem:
All of the hard work in the world is completely useless if you're working on the wrong things.
Because players and families today are spending 100's of hours (and 1,000's of dollars) each season working tirelessly to improve and chase their dreams.
And yet, progress is EXTREMELY slow or non existent.
The truth of the matter is that most hitters today have multiple swing flaws.
And the big question is....how is this possible?
It's the year 2019. We've got sensors you can stick on your bat that will give you 250 different measurements...
...and we've got a lot of guys online (well maybe not a lot, but some!) who do a great job of breaking down the swing...
AND we've got players who ARE putting in the time at practice and at home.
With this combination of information and effort...kids *should* be killing it these days...
But ...they're not.
The same flaws and problems are occurring over and over and over again.
So, where is the disconnect?
Well, there is one factor that we are overlooking.
One factor that is more important than hard work.
One factor more important than knowledge.
And that factor is....
APPLICATION!
Take a look at this picture:
For the sake of argument, let's just assume whoever drew these lines knows what he's talking about.
The coach comes off sounding really smart...
...but what is a hitter supposed to do with this?
And these instructions and breakdowns aren't necessarily wrong, but the fact is...
...they aren't helping.
And we as parents or coaches get frustrated when the kid doesn't make the adjustment...
But it's not the hitter's fault.
[Pay close attention right here, this is super important]
The reason hitters are stuck in this cycle of mediocrity is simple:
YOU CANNOT ARTICULATE FEEL
This is so big, I'll repeat it: You cannot articulate feel.
That quote came from Mike Brumley, hitting coordinator for the Atlanta Braves.
("Hitting Coordinator" means he is in charge of developing the entire organizations minor league hitters into big leaguers...no big deal!)
Mike has over three decades of experience at the professional level, as both a player and a coach.
And over the last year I've had the great fortune of being able to shadow him, watching not only WHAT he teaches...
...but HOW he teaches.
He told me:
"I've been in the game a long time and I've found it hard to "explain" adjustments to a player. You can't "explain" what a good swing should *feel* like. But over time I've tried every hundreds of different methods and the ones I use now are the best at forcing a player *feel* the right movement."
And do they ever. Mike put me through his sequence and I was genuinely blown away by the feel.
With these techniques your kid - whether 7 or 17, boy or girl, doesn't need to understand physics or kinesiology to improve...
...they just use these drills to force them to FEEL & APPLY the swing movements of a major league hitter.
Here are two of my favorite of Mike's drills:
Drill 1: The Ball Prop Drill
This drill is straight genius.
I'm gonna make a prediction that this drill and that little inflatable ball are gonna be staples at batting cages and in coach wagons very soon.
Take a look:
Basically, you just position that ball between the shoulder and *about* the top of the grip...and swing.
The simple way to explain it: this drill MAKES a hitter move more like a big leaguer.
To get more nitty gritty, keeping that ball in that position keeps the barrel from releasing too soon (barrel release basically means when the barrel gets OUTSIDE of the hands), which is a cause of "casting" and a more "round" swing which creates that small window of contact that we don't want.
And best of all, it forces proper SPACE between the hands/shoulder/elbow area.
If your hands are too tight to your body (which was my problem), then your movements must "spin" to get hands "around" the body and then to the ball.
Again, all of this works JUST FINE if your timing is right. But that's not the big league timing we're looking for.
My swing felt so noticeably different during this drill.
So smooth and much cleaner than before.
The best part is that this drill is pretty much plug and play. You don't need to explain what position your kid needs to be in.
"Ball on shoulder. Swing".
I got a ball for $3 at Kroger, used it on my team of 9 year olds and INSTANTLY saw their swings simplify and improve.
One player I've told to stop arm-barring since he was 4 and I stuck that ball in there and wham, first swing was on point.
I watched Mike use this same drill with one very prominent major leaguer (a 9 figure earner when he's all done - not a Brave FYI) looking to fine tune his swing...
...and two swings into this drill said "Wow that feels different. Different like, in a really good way."
After the round he said, "It just feels so much cleaner. It feels like it comes out so easy."
Trust me, start doing this one now.
Drill 2: Contact Catch
The goal here is to stay in that palm up/palm down position as long as possible.
When hitters roll their wrists over too quickly (which almost all do), they're teaching themselves to pull out of the contact zone too soon.
They're giving themselves no margin for error.
This drill is SO good for keeping that bat in the zone for a little while longer, CRUCIAL for being competitive when timing isn't spot on.
I saw Mike's pro guys doing this and I liked it.
I did it myself and I loved it.
And I did it with my little guys and was SOLD.
So good. The kids are FORCED into using a better movement. Or better said, forced into FEELING the better movement.
Take a look at a couple of demo swings:
It usually takes a couple of swings to get the rhythm right. I found that a lot of kids really slow down leading up to contact and the ball falls straight down....like a bunt.
We want them taking FULL effort swings to contact and stopping after. Mike would rather them stop a little late then a little early.
Fantastic drill for all ages. Swings get better.
Quickly.
Now, I'm going to be completely honest with you right now - after Mike ran me through the sequence he uses with his pro guys...
I was kinda mad.
We're in the cage and he's packing up all of his props and I'm sitting there thinking:
"How can I be fourteen years removed from my playing days and JUST NOW LEARNING ABOUT THIS!"
I felt like Sandler in the Wedding Singer:
Here I was, someone who REALLY wanted to play in the Major Leagues, who had access to good coaching along the way...
...who had GREAT parents who cared enough to support my dream (spending 10's of thousands of dollars)
And yet I arrived in professional baseball with a swing that had no chance of consistent success.
No one was able to help me FEEL Major League movements.
And it's too late for me now.
The window to succeed is so small - and I just didn't encounter the right person when it mattered most.
But I take satisfaction knowing it's not too late for my boy.
Because I was willing to step out and learn something new - my son will get to benefit from Mike's lifetime of experience.
He is still small and time will tell if he decides to go full steam after this baseball thing.
And I believe kids should be kids and are being pushed a little hard these days....
HOWEVER...
With what we now know, there is absolutely ZERO reason why any kid should spend one moment practicing wrong & outdated techniques.
Because while he's still pretty little, there's something you may have noticed:
Time...it's moving on us.
My son's gonna be 10 this year...
...and I swear last year he was 6.
It remind me of what Yogi said: “Its getting late early out there”.
My kid, your kid - their experience and their memories are happening now. Not in the future.
Right now.
I'll be honest with you, Mike was pretty reluctant to share his methods with a wider audience.
When I asked him, he said "Clint, there's a lot of differing opinions on how to hit. I hate coming of like a guru. I'm no guru.
"I'm not saying that my way is the end-all-be-all, but I've spent 3 decades in the game and have seen what works and what doesn't. And what I'm teaching now works. It just does."
"I spend so much time trying to get my pro guys to "unlearn" what they've been taught their whole lives, most of it isn't very good. Somebody needs to do something. But I don't know if I want to be that guy."
But I kept at it, because while Mike cringes when I say this (because he's an awesome, humble guy) I truly believe his methods aren't just good:
They're important.
There are kids who are gonna quit...this year.
There are kids who aren't gonna play to their potential - ever - because they can't seem to apply the adjustment that would make all the difference.
And who knows what would happen if they were given a better chance to succeed?
If they were able to easily apply major league movements?
So, I'm VERY PROUD to say - that I've created an opportunity for YOUR KID to benefit from Mike's methods.
Your kid can experience the same methods he uses for his professional AND youth hitters...
...the methods that are easy to apply and have PROVEN to improve performance.
This opportunity is available to anyone who is willing to take a small step to make sure their kid gets world class training.
Introducing:
The Brumley Unchained Method
There's now a way for a hitter to unchain themselves from their bad habits and be free to just enjoy the game and play your best.
I might be biased, but I 100% believe this is the best training program that exists today.
It's definitely the best I've ever encountered.
To put it simply, this program.....works.
Hitters get better. They just do.
Mike likes the term "principles" better than "mechanics". Mechanics makes hitters think of their swing in parts instead of one connected movement.
And these "principles" work for pro hitters, they work for youth hitters.
They work for baseball and they work for softball.
No need to struggle "explaining" the correct adjustments.
No longer do you have to rely on the Youtube gurus....
Or the empty buzzwords that aren't helping.
When a player applies The Unchained Method they will:
Not to mention, parents and coaches get the peace of mind knowing they're giving their kid genuine, HIGH level training...
...no small thing.
The program consists of two parts:
Mike's main eight core drill sequence (the same sequence he puts his pro guys through)
Along with a second section that includes additional drills AND a deeper dive into the principles of hitting, such as:
Mike uses several simple and common props (frisbee, resistance band, foam roller, inflatable balls and short bat) which help to FORCE a hitter into FEELING the correct positions.
The drills combined with Mike's commentary will quickly clean up a player's swing and allow for them to be the VERY BEST version of themself on game day.
This is the same training professional organizations in OTHER COUNTRIES are seeking out.
(One of the top pro teams in Taiwan convinced Mike to come out this past off season to apply The Unchained Method to their hitters. Though Mike doesn't speak the language, "FEEL" is universal, and the hitter improvements were immediate.)
Check out what people are saying:
"You know you've got the truth when the things that you teach work so well for a 41 year old big league veteran AND for a 12 year old kid." - Raul Ibanez [who after working with Mike asked him to work with his son - to great success]
"This is the best stuff out there right now and it's not even close."
Randy F. Division 1 Head Coach
"Wanted to let you know how much Mike's program has helped my son stop pulling his front shoulder and collapsing his back side! A huge improvement in just a couple days. Now he does these drills - or at least a few of them - four or five times a week.
I spent 10 seasons with the Padres clubhouse video crew and working with Tony Gwynn and Merv Rettenmund (hitting coach) and the the rest of the guys. All this knowledge and I could not explain to my son how to feel what I was talking about. This has been huge!!! Thank you!!!" - Chase P.
Just got done watching the program. This is great stuff. I'm a former pro player (Braves, Orioles) and current hitting coach for a back to back district and sectional championship little league team (10's and then 11's). I can REALLY use this for things I've had trouble getting to stick. I love that instead of having a hitter visualize and HOPE to feel this forces the feels. Great stuff man.
Stephen B.
If you're like me, I'm sure you don't love investing $1,000's every season into equipment, tournaments and uniforms...
...or like some of my friends, a couple hundred bucks per month on weekly lessons.
Yet we do it because our kids are important to us.
It's a terrible feeling to think that we could be spending all of that money and NOT be giving them the training that ACTUALLY makes a difference.
I mean, what's the cost of another season of mediocre training and lackluster results?
Now, I know what you're thinking:
"This *sounds* fantastic. I'd LOVE for my kid to get the training as high level professionals....BUT, this is the internet and all...
....so what if I don't see improvement?
I don't want to invest in anything that under delivers."
This thought....is totally understandable.
I get it.
It's smart, really.
I want you to be comfortable, feeling NO risk. Not just a win win, but a NO LOSE for you. So here's what I'm gonna do:
100% Money Back Guarantee
I know you're looking for results, so if you aren't totally fired up about the program or if your player just isn't getting results, you get ALL of your money back.
Zero risk to you, all the risk is on me. I don't know how to make this any easier for you :)
And to make this even more of a "no-brainer" I'll even throw in our PITCH DECODER program ($100 value) for you, for absolutely free:
Pitchers of all ages - and especially youth pitchers - are ABSOLUTELY TELEGRAPHING what pitch they're about to throw.
You will learn the top eight tells to look for - that pitchers don't know that they're doing, along with extra bonus tips on how to relay that info to the hitter, watching the catcher and on deciphering coach signs.
I don't see this being taught NEARLY enough. This is $100 training that you get as a free bonus for acting now.
What is the value of laying off just one pitch a game - that curve off the plate - because you knew it was coming? The value of turning a 1-2 count into 2-1? (MLB hitters hit .166 on 1-2 counts, .344 on 2-1 counts!)
This is worth the investment alone, IMO.
"You may delay but time will not"
Benjamin Franklin
This training is worth several thousand dollars...but we're not gonna charge you that.
So now is the time.
If you value experience and you believe your kid can benefit by using big league movements...
...to increase their consistency and train with one of the top hitting coaches alive today...
AND receive the Pitch Decoder training completely free ($100 value)...
then I'd invite you to check out and save...
The Brumley UNCHAINED Method
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Everything is possible for 2019.
But you've gotta take action and do something new if you want new results.
I highly suggest you check this out.
You'll be happy you did.
Regardless of your choice, 2019 will only happen once.
And because we want to kill it this year, this is what my son and team will be doing.
And what Mike's future big Leaguers will be doing.
If you are ready to join us, Click that button to get started right now.
Thanks for listening and I'm rooting for you - I'll be sending up prayers for your kid's growth and success ...
...and for a DOMINANT 2019!
Hope to see you on the inside.
Copyright Baseball Notes LLC, 2019