Impact Zone Coach Riz @impactzone_riz

I worked with a D1 college player this morning. He has an unbelievable swing. Elite bat speed. Incredible raw power. By the end of practice, he was almost hitting balls over the fence at 385 to 400... Off a tee. But when we first started... He was hitting the ball over 100 mph with a wood bat... And the balls were barely getting out of the infield. Low line drives. Weak carry. His complaint? "I'm struggling to elevate the baseball." The problem wasn't his strength. It wasn't his bat speed. It wasn't his swing. It was his timing. He was starting his hands too early. His body wasn't ready. That made his swing choppy. Instead of letting the barrel work through the zone, he was rushing to the baseball. So I gave him one cue: "Hold the load longer." Think about throwing a punch. You don't throw your fist from wherever it is. You pull it back. You store energy. Then you explode. That's exactly what I wanted him to do. Stay loaded a split second longer. Stay over the back leg. Let the lower half get into position before the hands fired. Almost immediately... His attack angle improved. The baseball started carrying. Those low line drives became towering line drives. Some were nearly leaving the park off a tee. Here's what I'd try tonight: -Get into your load. -Pause for just a split second longer. -Feel your weight stay over your back leg. -Then fire. You should feel like you're storing power before releasing it. Because here's one thing I've learned: Power isn't always about swinging harder. Sometimes it's about staying loaded long enough to let your power show up. Thank you for reading, Jermaine Curtis P.S. If you enjoyed this and thought it was helpful, please share it. (It tells me you want more content like this.)

When I was younger, I was watching a baseball game with my dad. They were talking about Tony Gwynn. The announcers couldn't stop talking about how incredible he was. A career .300 hitter. I remember looking at my dad and saying... "I hope I can be like him one day." He looked at me and said something I'll never forget. "Son, the less evidence you have, the more you rely on hope." Then he said... "Our job isn't to hope. Our job is to build the evidence." So we made a plan. Not just a dream. A plan. We started with the big goal. Then we worked backwards. -A yearly plan. -A season plan. -A monthly plan. -A weekly plan. -A daily plan. Every swing. Every sprint. Every workout. Every day we were building evidence. Evidence that I was becoming the player I wanted to be. Because here's one thing I've learned: Confidence doesn't come from hoping you'll succeed. It comes from collecting enough evidence that success becomes expected. Thank you for reading, Jermaine Curtis P.S. If you enjoyed this and thought it was helpful, please share it. (It tells me you want more content like this.)

Many ballplayers are on the quest for “exposure”… But end up getting “exposed” 👇🏼 Before you even think about being seen and getting exposure, you’d better focus on: Getting your game right Getting some muscles Getting some protectable tools 👇🏼 I’ve seen too many ballplayers/parents wasting time and money chasing exposure when the tools just aren’t there yet. If the focus is on improvement, exposure has a better chance at creating an opportunity! If not, you will definitely get exposed by the many weaknesses that must be improved! #BaseballTruth

@jedge23 @BOGBackup1 Totally agree. Need only to look at Shelnut who went from Santa Fe to UF. Juco guys bring a tough competitiveness about them too.

Skip Johnson has talked a lot about "the dugout" throughout Oklahoma's run, the other guys who haven't seen the field as much as they did during the regular season still supporting their teammates I asked Skip about that today: "It's uncommon at every level. I mean, from Little League all the way up. When their kid's not playing, all they hear is the negative energy. These guys really have been selfless." "Man, if you can teach those young men to be selfless in a selfish world, is really big to me. It's really big to me. When nobody cares who gets the credit, you can do amazing things. It's pretty amazing." #Sooners:

As a baseball scout, there are two concerning hitting characteristics with HS & College hitters that stand out more today than ever before. 1) No Plan At The Plate Successful hitters don’t just hope to get a hit—they know what pitch they’re hunting, they exercise zone awareness, they know what part of the field they’re trying to use, they know how to work counts, and how they’re going to attack pitch to pitch. They have a plan, they don’t just “wing it.” If you fail to plan—then plan to fail. 2) Lack Of Competing In The Box Every pitch is a battle. Fighting off tough pitches. Refusing to get beat. Making the pitcher earn every out. Competing in the box isn’t about the “result”—a hitter can go 0-4, but have four quality at bats. Competing in the box is about your approach, focus, and effort every single pitch. Yes, swing operation and talent matters, however a “plan” and a “competitive” mindset in the box separate good hitters from the rest. Never forget . . Success is never owned. It is only rented, and the rent is due everyday!

Young players, this is the vast majority of the college coaching mindset. Young players, understand this: College athletics isn't a hobby. For coaches, it's their livelihood. Their job is to be competitive and win, and they'll play the best prepared players. Period. You're not owed playing time, a lineup spot, or opportunities. I've seen talented players coast through high school on athleticism and praise, only to get exposed in college because they never learned how to struggle, adapt, and compete. The players who last are the ones who:
• Work
• Fail
• Adjust
• Work more
• Earn opportunities
• Repeat Success is built through adversity, not comfort. Before chasing college athletics, ask yourself: "Am I willing to do whatever it takes to help my team win?" "Am I the type of player a coach would stake his career on?" If the answer is YES,that’s great. Get back to work, prepare and don’t stop. Chase your dreams. Get after it! Good luck.

Nolan Slaymaker (28, FL) working down the rubber with easy velo. Heavy heater at (91-93) and up to 94 and matches with the tight CB in the mid 70s. @Florida_PG #JrNational

Honestly, hitting quality off-speed is usually more of a hitting APPROACH issue than a swing mechanics issue. Most coaches teach pitchers to throw off-speed DOWN in the zone because hitters naturally chase it. So what I’d start teaching your hitters is this: Hunt FASTBALLS UP in the zone. Why? Because it naturally trains hitters to stop chasing soft stuff down. And when an off-speed pitch hangs UP… that’s usually the mistake they can hammer. If it starts down…take it. One thing I’d do in practice: Have hitters focus on driving fastballs and hanging off-speed pitches UP in the zone off a pitching machine/BP. Over time, they start: - recognizing spin better - seeing the ball slower - laying off pitcher’s pitches - and attacking hitter’s pitches That’s when handling off-speed usually starts improving naturally. At higher levels, hitters learn very quickly: You don’t survive by chasing pitcher’s pitches. You survive by laying off tough pitches… and doing damage to mistakes. And if you found this helpful, please share it so more parents and coaches can see it and get value from it too.

Here’s how I lost a chance to go to the College World Series. Super Regional. Bases loaded. I came up with a plan. I knew they were going to attack me with 94 mph sinkers in because they wanted a ground ball. My plan was simple: Don’t get beat in. Look for the sinker away or up that I could drive. First pitch: Ball inside. And in my head I thought: “I got him now.” But the problem was… I wanted to be the hero so bad that I stopped controlling the moment. Next pitch: same sinker in. I rushed. Got jammed. Hit it back to the pitcher. Double play. Season over. No College World Series. Here’s what I learned from that failure: 1. Want the moment. I wanted to be up there. Don’t be afraid of pressure. 2. Have a plan. In my case, it was hunting the sinker away and up. 3. Stay pitch to pitch. Breathe between pitches. Slow the game down. My mistake was jumping ahead to the RESULT. I was already thinking about being the hero instead of winning one pitch at a time. You can’t control the result. You can control the process.

I was raised in a baseball culture where you earned EVERYTHING. Playing time. Trust. Respect. Opportunities. Leadership. Blue collar meant earning respect through work, not demanding it through words. Nothing was handed to you. Nothing was explained 14 different ways to protect your feelings. If coaches got after you, you got tougher. You worked harder. You proved them wrong. Now too many athletes want accountability-free environments where every hard conversation is called “toxic” and every uncomfortable moment becomes someone else’s fault. Soft cultures create fragile players. The real world doesn’t care about your excuses, your feelings, or who you blame. It rewards toughness. Consistency. Discipline. Accountability. Competitiveness. Always has. Always will.

If you just put the ball in play, you will score more runs and win more games. It ain’t rocket science! K’s are going to happen, it’s inevitable, some pitchers have nasty stuff… But, when a TEAM shrinks it’s K percentage, they instantly are better. Take pride in putting the ball in play! #BaseballTruth

HS Baseball Players ⚾️ I’ve been around this game a long time, and something’s changed... We’re losing respect for the game. • Chirping after every pitch. • Celebrating routine plays like it’s Game 7 • Trying to embarrass opponents instead of beating them. That’s not toughness. That’s insecurity. 💯 Somewhere along the way, being loud became more important than being good. And the worst part? It’s being allowed. When I came up… • You showed up early. • You handled your business. • You played hard. • You shut your mouth. • If you had something to say… you said it with performance. • And if lines were ever crossed, the players took care of it. The truth: 👇 • Baseball is hard. • You’re going to fail. • You’re going to struggle. • The game doesn’t need more noise… • It needs more respect. • Nobody remembers who chirped. • They remember who showed up. • Who competed. • Who handled adversity. • Who left the game better than they found it. Want to separate yourself? Stop talking. Start working. Respect the game. 💯⚾️

The #1 question dads ask me: “Coach, does my son have what it takes for college ball?” Answer after 35 years: Does he love baseball more than the highlight reel? Skills can be taught. Obsession cannot.

Your body language is a billboard for your mental toughness and maturity.

Absolutely correct! Unfortunately a lot of today’s players can’t take criticism…which is why we see softer players. Stop being so sensitive and understand that those coaches are trying to make you better! Soft parenting and social media are to blame! #baseball

Vala Afshar @ValaAfshar

3 months ago

Tom Brady: “You need coaches that push you outside your comfort zone because that’s how you grow and that’s how you develop self confidence and self esteem. They push you to deal with failure.”

24 777 4K 399K 1K

HITTING IS HARD You don’t hit .300 every day. You might go three weeks & hit .150 then have a week where you hit .600. I don’t love batting average as an indicator of if you are hitting or not but the players gravitate towards it. Most rather get a hit with a bad swing & bad EV than line out. When players go into an extended slump( Yogi-No slump just not hitting) they lose confidence often over thinking & getting bogged down with too many mechanical thoughts which exacerbates the situation. To get out of the slump, you eventually have to get your hits when you are not confident. We talk about process over outcome & redefining success so that you are not only successful when you get hits(IE hard contact/putting a good swing on your pitch) but ultimately you need to get hits to regain your confidence. That doesn’t mean you can’t tweak your routine,etc. But hitting your way on base changes everything. It’s not easy. It’s takes a high degree of mental toughness. There are a couple things you can do to help your team & your psyche when you are not hitting. Play great defense, take your walks & run the bases aggressively & intelligently. Help your teammates play better & help your team win. Stay present. Don’t focus on your failures & how many future hits you’re going to have to get to match the stats on the back of your baseball card.

Most mistakes in baseball happen between pitches. Not during the play. The pitch ends. Now what happens? Most high school players relax. They look in the dugout. They fix their batting gloves. They drift. College players reset. They check the runner. They confirm the count. They know the next play. Before the sign is even given. Baseball rewards attention. Pitch after pitch. Inning after inning. If your focus disappears between pitches, you’re always one moment late. And late decisions lose games. High school lets you relax between pitches. College punishes it. That’s Baseball IQ. Built at 15. Proven at 20. Routine Over Flash. #3LeftsBaseball #BaseballIQ

So sick of “D1 or Bust” mentality. And for what? So your parents can tell people at a dinner party? 6-7% of HS athletes even GET the opportunity to play in college IF you even get the chance to play at the next level...GO where you can play four more years. THATS what matters.

Before school. Before practice. After practice. The so called off season. Late nights. Early mornings. Addicted to the weight room, conditioning, nutrition, enough sleep. Competing like a JYD. Playing with energy. Playing like you love the game. Want to be a great player? There it is.