It's hard to argue with success. Coach Kevin Long has been a major part of the Yankees return to the top. And while I'm not always a fan of using pro players to teach kids, the drill session with A-Rod is a gem, and so is his conversation. In fact, this DVD works on so many levels. The instruction is specific and focused and clear. Coach Long's explanation of hip torque and knee drive is excellent. His ideas about the proper approach to any pitch on any count are golden. And the DVD shows you how these same techniques apply with developing players. Plus there's some bonus insights into the mental game that are truly helpful. Highly recommended. - Richard Todd, WebBall
Kevin Long and A-Rod show you how it's really done.
In this just released DVD, Kevin Long, Hitting Coach for the 2009 World Champion New York Yankees, with the help of one of his star players, Alex Rodriguez, and Kevin's own high-school son, will provide you with the techniques needed to develop a truly effective hitter's workout.
- Learn how A-Rod transformed his approach with Kevin's help before his 2007 season.
- See the workout that has made him a feared hitter.
- Create a more efficient swing by eliminating unnecessary movements and attacking the baseball where it's pitched.
Coach Long will show you how all this can be applied to your approach in training and at the plate with six keys to becoming a great hitter...
Grip – Find the best grip to stay loose and increase bat speed.
Stance – Stay flexible to maximize the power in the lower half of your body.
Plate Coverage – Use your best swing regardless of pitch location.
Load – How to put yourself in a stronger hitting position for each swing.
Knee Drive – Learn how to level your swing and generate power.
Hip Torque – Increase your bat speed using your hips.
Watch as Coach Long takes A Rod through a batting workout to fine tune hitting mechanics with soft toss and tee drills using a short and regular bat. These drills focus on balance and staying tight to your core to get your bat through the hitting zone quicker. In addition, Long and A Rod sit down and discuss the key techniques from a hitter's perspective...
- Strategies to develop the best swing possible
- Scouting the opposing pitcher
- Guessing on pitches
- Batting practice for success
- Off-season work
What makes this video unique is that you can see how these drills are used at the Major League level and how they can be adjusted to work at any level: youth, high school, collegiate and professional.
Coach Long goes through a number of errors common among younger hitters and how you can correct them...
- Stride in – where the batter's hips won't get through the swing
- Stride Open – which mostly occurs with left handed batters
- Flexed Front Side - a real problem with many young hitters
- Turning In - which creates long bat path
- Leaning Forward - how being over the plate puts you in the way of your own swing
The DVD closes with a Coach Long Q&A session on...
- Absolutes of hitting
- Strategies for hitting against left- vs right-hand pitchers
- Scouting reports
- Two-strike approach
- Hitting when you're ahead in the count
- Identifying pitches
- Getting over the fear of being hit by a pitch
This is the workout that helped A Rod to one of his best statistical seasons as a pro in 2007. And you'll learn how it improved the entire Yankees batting order prior to their 2009 WS victory. 105 minutes. Produced in 2010.
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