“If I knew now what I knew then?”  Is a question I always ask myself.  As a high school, college and professional player, I spent countless hours in batting cages all over this great land and even world wide!  Wasted!!!  No, I don’t mean that.Even though I was able to play in the major leagues, I wasted a lot of swings, working on trying to hit the ball harder or farther, or this mechanic or that mechanic, etc., etc., etc.  Looking for the missing link that will make me a major league hitter.  Most career Triple-A players fall into this category.  Good work ethic, good ballplayers, but something is missing for them not to be in the big leagues.  Most of the time, all of them have the same problem:  consistency.

All baseball players who compete in a 12 year old level or above possess an “A-SWING”.  An “A SWING” is when all things come together.  The hitter gets started on time.  He sees the ball.  He lets it travel in a ready position and delivers a line drive swing, right back at the pitchers noggin.  100% of young hitters have felt this at least one time.  That is an “A-SWING.”  All of us have one.  Very few of us know how to dial it in all the time!  That is the difference between a guy who hits the ball from time to time.  He can have a good game here or there, and can even carry the team with his hot streaks, but he swings and misses too much at times for as good as he is, and sometimes, he isn’t even close.  Compare that guy, to the player that has a good at-bat every time or close to every time up.  He sees pitches, has a game plan of what he is trying to do and what he thinks the pitcher is trying to do to him.  His approach is right back up the middle or just off-field a tad.  He doesn’t go up there trying to pull, because he knows, that pulls his front side off the ball.  He stays within himself and appears comfortable.  I heard this the other day, “In order to hit a baseball consistently, you need to learn how to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.”  I don’t remember who said it or I would be happy to give them credit!

Andy Barkett, Manager, Jacksonville Suns

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