ALL STAR BASEBALL ACADEMY TIP OF THE WEEK

This week’s All Star Baseball Academy Tip of the Week comes from Jim Fasano. Jim played collegiately at the University of Richmond and professionally for the Texas Rangers organization. Jim stresses the importance of staying consistent with your approach at the plate, regardless of what happened in your previous at bats.

A lot of ball players, both young and old, tend to get frustrated when their first few at bats don’t go the way they had planned. To compensate, they try to make up for it with one big swing, instead of sticking to their approach. Whether it’s driving the ball to the gaps or staying up the middle of the field, a player must keep an approach throughout the game.

In order to stick to your approach, you need to be both physically and mentally prepared. These can both be practiced in the cage. If your approach is opposite field, then work on hitting the outside pitch off the batting tee. When you hit underhand front toss, have your practice partner toss the ball on the outer half of the plate. When you’re ready for overhand batting practice, keep the same approach. This physical preparation carries over into your mental preparation. If you feel physically prepared, then you are mentally prepared, as you have the confidence to step into the batters box and stick to your approach. You have to be mentally tough in order to stick to your approach and be focused on every pitch.

Stay tuned for next week’s All Star Baseball Academy Tip of the Week. If you have questions about hitting or want to schedule lessons, please contact your local ASBA facility.