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SuperHuman Hitting Instructional Manual
HIT YOUR POTENTIAL!
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NEW INSTRUCTIONAL MANUAL!
NEW SITE! SuperHumanHitting.weebly.com SuperHuman Hitting Instructional Manual HIT YOUR POTENTIAL! 614-956-6430
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A base-runner steals second with ease and takes an aggressive lead off second. The pitcher delivers a pitch to the plate and the catcher makes a powerful pick-off throw behind the runner to the shortstop at second base. The base-runner, scrambling, dives back to the bag and is safe by a whisker. Next pitch, same scenario. The base-runner avoids being picked off, by the slimmest of margins. Third pitch, the catcher is confident and fires a dart to second base. As soon as the ball is in the air, the base-runner breaks for third base. He arrives safe, easing into the bag as the shortstop, on second base behind him, catches the ball. The defense was so concerned with the pick-off, they forgot that the base-runner wants to go forward, to the next base.
The aggressive and capable base-runner always looks to advance, to go forward, opting for the right time and the right place to take the next base in safe fashion. This base-runner, blessed with speed, smarts and great instincts, baited the catcher into making an unnecessary throw and stole a base with ease. Think "forward" as the goal and advance one base closer to scoring a run. Go forward; go great. The late, great Junior Seau was one of the most energetic, enthusiastic and dynamic players in the history of the NFL and is a virtual lock to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. A significant key to his long-term success was his take-no-prisoner, give-no-quarter all-out attitude that he displayed play after play, year after year. Every snap, whether in practice or in a game, Seau went full speed with reckless abandon and a wanton disregard for fatigue, pain or slacking.
This attacking mindset is not always prevalent in the NFL during practices. Most players prefer to "save" their maximal effort for a game. Early in his career, a teammate pulled Seau aside at practice and asked why he practiced so hard. Seau said, "...I get paid to practice. I play the game for free." Seau said that any player could feel the adrenaline rush of a game atmosphere and play in a fired-up state, but that it took a particular and special player to practice at game speed and with game intensity. Seau was that special player. And the player who asked the question, safety Rodney Harrison, went on to a long and acclaimed NFL career as the same type of player, one who practiced as hard as he played a game. Upon retirement, Harrison's coach said that Harrison practiced with more spirit and greater desire than any player he'd ever coached in his 30-plus year career. Harrison said that Seau changed his destiny as a player, and as a person, with that one piece of advice. Treat every play the same. Never take a play off. And practice as if it's a game Unless you are an anatomical fluke of nature, your longest finger is your middle finger. Thus, with few if any exceptions, when a pitcher throws a baseball, the last finger in contact with the ball is the middle finger. No matter how a pitcher grips the ball, the middle finger is the final contact point. So, the emphasis on grips is overrated, in this sense: because the final contact point remains the same regardless of grip, it is as important to vary the angle of the hand at that release point as it is to change the grip.
For instance, a 2-seam fastball is released with an over-the-top hand angle. In other words, the thumb is under the ball. A sinker, by contrast, is released with a pronated hand angle, i.e., the thumb remains under the ball although at an angle more to the outside of, or away from, the body. A so-called knuckle-curve is released with a supinated grip, meaning the thumb is on the inside and upper portion of the ball, almost as if the pitcher is throwing a football. Note: It is paramount that a young pitcher, in particular, recognize that each of the pitches described above, in addition to many others, may be released with the same motion as a typical 4-seam fastball. No twist or curvature or awkward movement of the hand, wrist, arm or elbow is required in order to impart movement of the ball. Focus as much on your hand angle as your grip, and see the improvement. The simpler a pitcher makes his task, the more he can focus on excellence. Throw strikes, throw great, and be great. Pete Rose was in large part a self-made hitter who became baseball's all time hits leader through sheer will-power and perseverance. He cared about little in the world other than getting base-hits that contributed to team victories - while his story presents many lessons on what NOT to do in life off the field, his obsessive, driven attitude is exactly the kind that leads to success on the field. He became the Hit King, and, as he tells everyone, his most important stat is not 4256 (his number of hits). His greatest stat and favorite number is 1972: the number of wins his teams accrued.
In a recent short-film documentary, Rose was asked for his keys to greatness. He responded that greatness does not reside in pure technique. Rather, greatness is a result of an attitude comprised of 3 essentials. 1) Be aggressive. 2) Be more aggressive. 3) Never be satisfied. If you want to win on the field, and in life, heed the words of the Hit King! “Intelligence is quickness to apprehend as distinct from ability, which is capacity to act wisely on the thing apprehended.”
Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher. From January 2011, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com “Today you are true, that is truer than true - there is no one alive that is truer than you!”
Dr. Seuss, author. From January 2011, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com Few creatures embody strength and power better than a rhinoceros. The large, primitive animal’s bulk (a weight often in excess of 7000 pounds) and rugged outer hide are fearsome and intimidating, especially live and even in photographs. A massive neck and foreboding chest are supported on short and sturdy legs. Add a frightening horn or two, and the rhino, even in repose, carries a permanent aura of menace.
A rhino has keen senses of smell and hearing and can run at a speed in excess of 30 m.p.h., which is faster than a squirrel, and is comparable to a deer and a kangaroo. The phrase “rampaging rhino” inspires fear and trepidation in thought, let alone in person. However, a rhino is limited by poor vision. A typical rhino can only see about 30 feet, maximum, in any direction at any time. The hard-charging behemoth is quick to outrun his field of vision, somewhat akin to running full speed into and through a thick wall of fog. Most creatures would curtail or eliminate running, or at least move with caution and in a timid manner, considering their limited vision. Not the rhino. The hard-charging rhino never appears timid when in motion, perhaps helped by its protuberance, the horn that threatens to impale anything in its way. A rhino in flight plunges full steam ahead like a runaway locomotive without brakes. No trepidation, no slowing down. No consideration of its veritable, practical and literal blindness. It is ironic that a group of rhinos is called a “crash,” which seems an apt description of a likely scenario should one run in your direction. The term is indicative of their frightening potential, and is appropriate to their overall intimidating nature. Live like the rhino. Pursue your dream with the same rampaging style. Don’t worry about crashing or running too fast or being unable to see a clear path toward your objective. Charge, full blast, and trust that you will smash and bash and yes, crash through any obstacle in your path. You don’t have to see it, to defeat it. Run right through it and reach your destiny! From January 2011, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com “If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start.”
Charles Bukowski, writer. From December 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com Mount Athos is an isolated, narrow peninsula in Macedonia, Greece oftentimes called “The Holy Mountain.” It is considered the Eastern Orthodox religious equivalent to the Vatican City of the Catholic religion. It is populated, almost to exclusion, with monks scattered about 20 separate yet linked monasteries. Sometime prior to the 7th century, the first monks arrived and they and their successors have honed their faith in exclusion and almost without interruption ever since. Each monk takes a vow to pray without ceasing for as long as they reside on the peninsula, meaning they commune with God on a deliberate basis during every activity. The promise is taken seriously: no females are allowed in Mount Athos, in order to minimize distractions of the holy men.
Access to the monasteries is limited, almost without exception, to members of the Orthodox religion. All visitors enter via the Aegean Sea and request permission to set foot on the autonomous land. Legend has it that, in a long ago time, a certain man made an annual trek across the steep mountain range, also known as Mount Athos, to a particular monastery. He remained in prayer for his entire stay, one week, then returned to his home. The trip came at great personal expense and inconvenience. When asked why he made the trip each year, the man said, “Because every time I return to my home, I return a better husband, a better father, and a better man.” Find your equivalent. Journey somewhere for a time, even if only in your imagination. Once there, take a vow of great import to you and keep your promise for the duration. You might vow to work on a certain school project without ceasing or to study your football playbook without pause or to practice your concentration skills without relaxing, for instance. Whatever your mission, complete it to the best of your ability. Emerge a better student; a better athlete; a better man! From December 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com |
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