Great players are great for a reason. Most people have no idea how many swings are taken during an average day in Major League Baseball. Trust me, it is way more than you think it is. I haven't been around him in a couple of years, but Mookie Betts took more than anyone in the big leagues in 2018-2019, I can almost guarantee that!
I was fortunate enough to be apart of the education process, JD Martinez the player/coach & Mookie Betts the curious student. Tim Hyers and myself, who were the two hitting coaches, served as facilitators as JD explained & demonstrated very simple concepts & movements. Once Mookie understood the why and the how, it was time to go to work, and boy did we work. He won the MVP in 2018 and there wasn't a day that he didn't take at least 100 swings. Now, I don't necessarily recommend that for everyone, I'm just illustrating that great players aren't great by accident. It takes know how, dedication to your craft, a desire to be the best & a willingness to always want to learn and grow.
Most of the hitting program I currently use with my Remote Training Clients, as well as how I teach players individually, comes from those times as a fly on the wall watching a transformation of one of the best players of our time.
The video below is from 2019, Mookie is paying it forward to my son Isaiah, who is currently a Junior baseball player at Stetson University. He is showing him a drill to help create and maintain space, as well to engage the ground & swing with connection. A year earlier, I watched Mookie learn all of this with curiosity & skepticism, then super neat to watch him teaching these concepts, a year later, with such conviction.
100%
Great video and a simple way to build/show path of the swing. Can see path to and through the baseball and how his body moves and creates space for swing. Great add to the drill series. Delivers the barrel with a line drive hitting head behind ball. I utilize this drill often and offers immediate feedback on path and connectivity. All ages can learn from this clip. Thanks AB!!