Technique vs Style - The Baseball Barn

Rich goes over the difference of technique vs style on a quality baseball swing. See more at http://www.vacavillebaseballbarn.com

Epstein Hitting System and Process - The Baseball Barn

Rich goes over the simple processes that make it easier for students to improve their swing and technique. See more at http://www.vacavillebaseballbarn.com

Science of Hitting -- Evenly Balanced vs. End Loaded

Choosing a bat with the right length to weight ratio is an important decision.

High end Fastpitch bats are designed to be either "evenly balanced" or "end loaded".

Bats with a bigger length to weight ratios; -10, -11 or -12 are usually considered "evenly balanced" bats. The weight of an "evenly balanced" bat is distributed evenly through the barrel. The lighter the weight, the easier it will be to get it through the zone. Younger players will generally have more success with an "evenly balanced" bat.

Bats with smaller length to weight ratios; so lower numbers like -9 or -8, are usually considered "end loaded" bats. The extra weight is an "end loaded" bat is distributed more towards the end of the bat, making it a little heavier swinging bat.

Most players prefer a lighter swing weight, but if you are a stronger player and can handle a little more weight, an "end loaded" bat is going to be the bat for you.

Momentum Pitching...How To Instantly Boost Velocity By Moving Faster Into A Long Stride

Momentum Pitching was developed in 2007 by Dick Mills and Dr. Brent Rushall. It is a new way for all pitchers to increase velocity.

By taking a step back instead of to the side and pushing into the pivot, the pitcher automatically will increase his momentum because his body will have to move a longer distance toward the plate while moving faster. In Momentum Pitching the pitcher pushes twice. He pushes after he steps back so he forcefully moves into the pivot and he pushes again once he initiates back leg drive.

Thus that added energy from the body stretching out fast into a stride 100% of the pitcher's height or more...more elastic energy is created which is the source of velocity for all pitchers.

Sport science research has proven that arm strength has little to do with improving velocity. Velocity is all about momentum, speed of movement going from the back leg to the front leg and a long stride...plus getting the arm involved as late as possible.

Sports science research has also proven that the faster an athlete moves the less chance of mechanical error...which is completely opposite to what most coaches believe and teach. Thus why so many pitchers today do not maximize their velocity because they are moving their bodies much too slowly and robotically.

What has been learned since January of 2007, when Momentum Pitching was developed is that it is much easier to teach and learn than conventional pitching where tempo is slow and every pitcher is told to reach a balance point. There is no balance point to get to. All a balance point does is slow the pitcher's forward momentum. Balance is easily corrected by all athletes by simply making them aware they are off balance.

If pitchers want to throw fast...they must move fast like Giants's Tim Lincecum...who has the fastest tempo of any starting pitcher in the big leagues and the longest stride to body height ratio. 

Hitting Instruction Tour - The Baseball Barn

Rich gives a tour of the hitting instruction section of The Baseball Barn. See more at http://www.vvbaseballbarn.com

Video Analysis Program - The Baseball Barn

Rich from The Baseball Barn goes over their video analysis program for both pitching and hitting. See more at http://www.vvbaseballbarn.com

Science of Hitting -- MOI: Moment of Inertia

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There are two different kinds of weights, when talking bats. Dead Weight and Swing Weight.

The Dead weight is the standard weight if you were to put the bat on a scale and tells you how hard it is to lift a bat.

The swing weight measures how hard it is to swing a bat.

The measure of this resistance is called Moment of Inertia (MOI). The MOI considers where the weight is placed in the bat, not just the amount of weight.

Think of the hammer example. When the head of the hammer is far from your hands it is harder to swing than if you hold the head of the hammer. The further the hammer head is from your hand, the harder it is to swing the hammer.

This is the same with a bat. The lower the MOI, the faster the swing speed.

Pitching Mechanics Produce More Velocity And Less Stress

Pitching Mechanic's that are efficient will produce more velocity with better control and less stress to the arm. Both of these major league pitchers Rockies Jiminez and Royals Greinke have efficient mechanics which allows them to throw 95 mph plus. This means their bodies are producing the force instead of their arms .

Pitching Velocity Comes From Powerful Well Timed Pitching Mechanics

Pitching velocity can be reduced with poor pitching mechanics, if for example the lower body is not used efficiently and correctly to deliver the trunk which delivers the arm. This means the throwing arm must do more work thus more stress to the arm.

Science of Hitting -- Length to Weight Ratio

The length-to-weight ratio (also know as the "Drop Weight") is the difference between the bat's length and the bat's weight.

Bats are generally measured in inches and ounces. So for an example, if a bat is 30 inches long and weighs 20 ounces, it will be referred to as a -10 or a "drop 10".

In high school and college baseball all bats must be -3's. But in youth baseball and in fastpitch softball, the bat's length-to-weight ratio is an important attribute when selecting a bat. A bat with a greater length-to-weight ratio will have a little swing weight, which enables the player to have a faster swing speed.