Hitting coaches and swing coaches aren’t the identical factor.
I heard these actual phrases, or variations thereof, a variety of occasions this season whereas speaking to coaches. Extra typically that not, the phrases had been accompanied by an opinion that too many hitters — particularly younger hitters — are overly centered on honing an ideal swing, whereas what they need to primarily be specializing in is… nicely, truly hitting the baseball. That’s to not low cost the significance of fine swings — each hitting coach understands their worth — however way more goes into squaring up pitches inside a recreation atmosphere. As San Diego Padres particular assistant Mark Loretta put it in yesterday’s Talks Hitting interview, “Clearly, it’s a must to swing to hit the ball, however swinging isn’t hitting.”
Here’s what three MLB normal managers needed to say on the topic, primarily because it pertains to participant improvement.
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Ross Fenstermaker, Texas Rangers GM
The Texas Rangers named a brand new normal supervisor on November 4, selling Ross Fenstermaker from assistant GM/participant improvement and worldwide scouting, a job he’d held since October 2021. A College of California Davis graduate, Fenstermaker has been with the group since 2010, initially approaching board as a baseball operations intern.
Given his PD expertise — and with swings in thoughts — I requested Fenstermaker in regards to the developments the Rangers made in that space over current seasons.
“Greater than something, we’ve systematized a number of our processes, issues that we’re finally making an attempt to have our gamers obtain,” Fenstermaker advised me at this month’s GM Conferences in San Antonio. “We’ve altered a few of our key efficiency indicators and reoriented our gamers towards issues that we worth, issues we all know are main indicators of future main league success. I believe we’re continuously evolving our processes.”
“At occasions there have been pursuits of bat pace and bat pace improvement packages,” he continued. “There have additionally been suggestions loops associated to swing choices and high quality of strategy. Finally, we’re emphasizing the issues that we need to worth. On the finish of the day it’s about run creation, so we’re at all times stress testing what we’re emphasizing — whether or not or not it’s resulting in the meant objectives, which is to create runs and create main league gamers.”
Which introduced us to the query I had in thoughts, not only for Fenstermaker, however for different GMs as nicely:
How do you steadiness hitting coaches vis-a-vis swing coaches — typically two utterly completely different animals — inside participant improvement?
“That’s an important query,” he replied.” I believe a number of coaches can do both, and plenty of can do each, however it’s difficult. You’ve obtained swing technicians that may actually break down the mechanics of the swing, the best way the physique works, the best way the physique strikes. Then there are extra of the hitting coaches, which I’d say are perhaps somewhat bit extra psychological in nature. They’re strategy oriented, recreation prep, ensuring that the participant is able to not solely swing at their optimum skills, but additionally carry out when the time comes, have the ability to fight that pitcher that night.”
His response having served extra as a synopsis of the variations than the kind of reply I used to be in search of, so I adopted up:
How a lot would you like that balanced — hitting coaches versus swing technicians — all through the system? Furthermore, does it fluctuate between ranges, from Rookie Ball as much as Triple-A?
“I believe you need to mix,” Fenstermaker mentioned. “Every participant is completely different. They’re in all probability going to wish somewhat bit completely different strategy, and we now have very particular, individualized participant plans. On the foundational degree, you need to actually refine gamers’ approaches as finest as potential, understanding that swing modifications, or swing enhancements, alongside the best way are going to occur, whether or not that’s simply pure bodily maturation and improvement or if it’s one thing extra hands-on. It may be one thing bigger scale that you should undertake. However yeah, I believe it’s a mix, and finally it will depend on the person — prime, backside, backside to prime.”
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Ben Cherington, Pittsburgh Pirates GM
“We’re making an attempt to do each,” Cherington mentioned of the hitting coach/swing coach steadiness. “Now we have people who find themselves centered on each of these issues. Now we have people who find themselves centered on assessing the motion and designing the coaching atmosphere that we predict will assist enhance the best way that guys are transferring, in addition to connecting the work within the weight room to the cage. Then we now have different people who find themselves centered extra on, ‘How will we prepare for the sport and the way are we going to beat this pitcher?’
“The secret’s that these persons are linked and collaborating with one another, as a result of they do intersect. There’s a relationship between the alternatives you make — the swing choices and the strategy — and the way you’re transferring, and the place your swing is. You’ll be able to’t work on one in isolation. You need to discuss to one another.”
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Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants GM
“I believe it’s essential to have course, general, for the group,” Posey advised me. “We need to have an identification of who we need to be, and what our strategy is. A few of that may play out 12 months to 12 months, based mostly on who’s within the lineup. However yeah, that’s an fascinating query about hitting coach or a swing coach. I personally assume, from my expertise, that this can be very essential for a hitting coach to be that man who’s at all times transferring up with the power they’re bringing every day. It’s such an extended season. To have the ability to are available in after a tricky stretch and maintain the fellows motivated and sticking to the plan is essential.”
As with Fenstermaker, a followup for Posey was so as. I requested the All-Star-catcher-turned-executive if gamers developing by way of a minor league system can typically over-focus on their swings, and never sufficient on being “a hitter.”
“I believe thats’ a risk,” Posey replied. “That will be true now [and] it could be true 15 years in the past once I was developing. It might be true in all probability way back to you need to go. One of many messages I need our gamers to know is that you need to be your personal finest coach. There may be accountability that comes with that. Now we have so many alternative voices giving course, and it’s factor, however typically there’s a tendency to let these voices be crutches. That you must make it recognized, ‘Hey, you should be accountable for what you’re doing.’ All these coaches. and voices, are a useful resource for you — they’re completely different opinions and you’ll take it in and filter it — however finally you should be liable for your personal profession. That’s to not decrease the significance of coaches. I perceive that coaches are essential.”
