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Coach Bass Learning Center
Hitting
- How Coach Bass Teaches Hitting
- The Purpose of HittingThe purpose of hitting is to swing to hit the ball. Try to make hard contact. When you swing with purpose, you get the barrel to the ball with the back…
- Hands Start Comfortable and RelaxedBefore the hitter attacks the ball, the hands need to be in a comfortable position where they are relaxed. There is no one required hand position —…
- The LoadThe hitter needs to get the hands to the same location when starting the load — a repeatable starting location for THIS hitter, not a universal position.…
- The Bottom Hand Throws the KnobThe bottom/front hand pulls the knob as hard as the hitter can, throwing the knob to the ball. Once that action begins, the front hand and the knob do not…
- The Back Hand Throws the BarrelThe back hand throws the barrel of the bat straight to the ball and through the ball. If the ball was a nail and the bat was a hammer, you are throwing…
- Momentum — The Front ShoulderPeople call it pulling off the ball. Coach Bass looks at where the momentum of the body goes instead. The front shoulder should be attacking the ball:…
- Attack Points — Let the Ball TravelCoach Bass's three attack points: inside — inside front knee; middle — belly button; outside — inside back knee. The ball is in front of the hitter at all…
- The ApproachFocus on middle and away. React on an inside pitch. When a hitter gets in the box, he has to be looking for a pitch in a location he can drive. Once a…
Swing analysis
Swing problems
- Baseball Swing Problems
- Baseball Swing ProblemsSwing problem guides written from Coach Bass's own teaching: the problem people see, the first cause Coach Bass looks for, and what the hitter works on.
- Late on the Fastball: What Coach Bass Looks at FirstWhen a hitter is late, Coach Bass looks first at the load and at whether the hitter is a see ball, hit ball hitter with no plan.
- Pulling Off the BallCoach Bass looks at where the hitter's momentum is going. The fix is one thought: take the second baseman's (righty) or shortstop's (lefty) cap off with a line drive.
- Rolling Over: There Is No Such Thing as a Roll OverCoach Bass does not treat the rollover as the cause. The hitter did not let the ball get deep in the zone and went out to get the pitch.
- Why Your Hitter Swings and MissesCoach Bass's main cause of swinging and missing is attack point: a middle or away pitch attacked as though it were inside, so the bat is not long enough.
Hitting, bat speed and power
- Hitting Development: the 12-week hitting programCoach Bass's 12-week, 36-session hitting program for baseball and fastpitch hitters: hands, direction, barrel, momentum, approach and competing, with assessments, swing video and a Personal Hitting Plan.
- Bat Speed: faster hands, the same swingA focused 4-week, 12-session bat speed training program for baseball and fastpitch hitters: move the bat faster without making the swing longer, losing direction or giving up barrel control.
- Power Hitting: harder contact without giving up the swingA 6-week, 18-session power hitting program for baseball and fastpitch hitters: harder contact with direction, balance and barrel control. Hard, clean contact, not chasing launch angle.
- How to Increase Bat SpeedIn Coach Bass's teaching, bat speed comes from the hands: two hand actions at the same time, a direct path, and speed that survives in a game.
- How to Hit for More Power (Without Swinging Worse)In Coach Bass's teaching, power is the barrel moving through the ball in a useful direction with a swing the hitter still controls: direction, barrel delivery, hard contact, and the right pitch.
Hitting plans and game approach
- Two-Strike Approach PlanAnswer Coach Bass's two-strike questions to write your own plan, save it in this browser, and print it as a full page or as pocket cards.
- Game-Day Hitting RoutineCheck the steps from Coach Bass's game-day hitting routine that you will use, add your own notes, save it in this browser, and print it as a full page or as dugout cards.
- 7-Day Hitting PlanPick what you have to hit with and get Coach Bass's 7-day hitting plan for it, with the drills for each day. Mark each day done, save it in this browser, and print it.
Throwing and arm care
- Throwing & Arm Care: a throwing program you can run every dayCoach Bass Throwing & Arm Care: a daily throwing program and arm-care plan with workload limits and a return-to-throwing ramp, plus the 12-week Throwing training in the Coach Bass app. Baseball and fastpitch.
- Baseball Pitch Count TrackerCount pitches live on your phone and keep each pitcher's log. Enter your own league's pitch limits and rest rules, and see when each pitcher is eligible again under the rules you entered.
- Fastpitch Softball Pitch Count TrackerCount pitches live on your phone and keep each pitcher's log. Enter your own league's pitch or innings limits and rest rules, and see when each pitcher is eligible again under the rules you entered.
Strength, speed and agility
- Strength Development: a year-round strength program for baseball and fastpitchCoach Bass Strength Development: a 52-week strength program for baseball and fastpitch players, up to three workouts a week matched to stage, equipment and readiness, with five checkpoints and a Training Year 2.
- Speed & Agility Development: from the first step to game speedSpeed & Agility Development: a 12-week, 36-session program for baseball and fastpitch players covering first step, acceleration, deceleration, change of direction and game-speed reaction.
- Hitter Strength
Infield and outfield
- Infield Development: a 12-week infield training program built around your positionInfield Development: a 12-week, 36-session infield training program for baseball players at 1B, 2B, SS or 3B. Footwork, both sides and the transfer, charging and the bag, range and game speed.
- Outfield Development: reads, routes and the throw, in orderOutfield Development: a 12-week, 36-session outfield training program for baseball players in left, center or right. Reads, routes, the catch, crow hop and throw, wall play and communication.
Drills and videos
Player development
- Player Development
- Baseball
- Fastpitch
- Infield Drills: What Each One TrainsEvery Coach Bass infield drill and the one thing it trains, grouped by the part of the play it builds: ready position, footwork, hands, both sides, range, slow rollers, double plays, the bag and game speed.
- How to Measure a Hitter's Progress (Without Chasing Numbers)Coach Bass measures progress by consistency over time and by new video evidence: what is the hitter doing now, what is working, and did the thing being trained improve.
- Outfield Drills: What Each One TrainsEvery Coach Bass outfield drill and the one thing it trains, grouped by the part of the play it builds: the first step, routes, reads, the wall, catching on the move, ground balls, the throw, cutoffs and communication.
- Throwing Development: Build a Complete ThrowerThe eight lessons of Coach Bass's Throwing Development program, with what to look for and the common mistakes in each: throwing has a purpose, and the goal is a complete thrower.