Just finished working with this stud player.
His dad told me:
"He's reaching for the outside pitch."
And honestly, I could see it too.
The farther away the pitch was, the more he felt like he had to go get it.
So here's what we did.
I had him choke up about 6 inches.
Then I started flipping him baseballs middle-in.
I wanted him driving line drives back through the middle and into the left-center gap.
Not pulling.
Not hooking.
Just staying through the baseball.
Then we moved to middle.
Same goal.
Line drives through the middle.
Then we moved to away.
Still choked up.
Still staying through the baseball.
Still focused on letting the ball travel.
Something interesting happened.
The more reps he got...
The more comfortable he became letting the baseball get deeper.
The outside pitch stopped feeling so far away.
Then I told him:
"Okay. Now swing normally."
No choke up.
Same thoughts.
Same targets.
And almost immediately he started covering the outside part of the plate better.
Then we took it into BP.
And he started consistently driving baseballs into the opposite-field gap.
So try this tonight:
10 front toss swings choked up 6 inches Middle-in.
Drive the ball through the middle and into the left-center gap.
10 front toss swings choked up 6 inches Middle.
Line drives through center field.
10 front toss swings choked up 6 inches Away.
Let the ball travel and drive it into the opposite-field gap.
Then grab your normal bat.
10 swings
Same thoughts.
Same targets.
One thing I've learned in baseball:
The more comfortable a hitter becomes letting the baseball travel...
The more they stack the odds in their favor of gettng consistent hits.
Thank you for reading,
Jermaine Curtis
P.S. - if you enjoyed this, and thought it was helpful, share it.
(This tells me you want more content like this.)
What does being “Coachable” look like?
- Eye contact
- Good body language
- Nodding when listening
- Growth mindset
- Seek feedback
- No excuses
- Leave ego at the door
- Accept criticism
Being coachable isn't knowing it all.
It's being willing to learn it all.
When I was in pro baseball, I started making a lot of weak contact.
Weak fly balls.
Weak ground balls.
Jammed contact.
Honestly…
I felt like if I didn’t figure it out, I was going to get released.
Then I remembered what Barry Bonds told me:
“If you’re making weak contact, your top hand probably isn’t working TO and THROUGH the baseball correctly.”
He explained that the top hand helps create the barrel path through the zone.
So every day, I practiced 3 things:
1. Top-hand-only tee swings trying to drive the ball to center field and the opposite-field gap
2. Split-grip soft toss working through the middle of the field
(2–3 inch gap between the hands)
3. Regular BP trying to hit line drives gap-to-gap with the thought of “catching” the ball with the top hand
That’s when I started squaring baseballs up and driving line drives with authority again.
Thank you for reading,
Jermaine Curtis
P.s. - Try this if you’re making weak contact and let me know how it works for you, by posting a video below.
P.s.s - And if you found this valuable, share it with another hitter.
We have a couple of schedule additions. Tomorrow. Saturday the 16th, we have a make up game at home at 11am. It's also senior day. Some out and celebrate our lone senior, Campbell Kiser and show her how much we will miss her.
Monday the 18th at 5 we will play Bellevue at home.
Nick Saban said, "Everything starts with discipline."
"It's what are you willing to accept from yourself."
Discipline isn't punishment. It's a choice.
• A choice to be consistent.
• A choice to put in the work.
• A choice to demand more from yourself.
INSTEAD OF WATCHING AN HOUR OF NETFLIX.
This 60-minute MIT lecture will teach you more about building companies than every startup book you've read combined.
Bookmark it and give it an hour, no matter what.
🚨 Pitchers: You’re Leaving Velocity & Arm Health on the Table 🚨
Start throwing footballs. Here’s why:
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Spinning a tight spiral forces the thumb down — the same movement that protects your elbow and powers your release.
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If you’re serious about throwing harder and staying healthy… this is just the beginning.
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The 10 Truths Parents Rarely See
1. Coaches lose sleep.
2. Decisions aren’t personal.
3. Playing time is complex.
4. Culture matters more than stats.
5. Accountability is care.
6. Coaches invest emotionally.
7. Development isn’t instant.
8. Hard feedback is intentional.
9. Wins don’t tell the whole story.
10. Coaches remember kids forever.
Perspective matters.