What It’s Like Being An Online Hitter

“What do you know about Driveline remote hitting?” 

Our trainers always ask that question on their initial Zoom call. It’s typically met with a shake of the head and a shrug. Sometimes the new hitter will say something to the effect of, “Weighted bats and bat speed?” 

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Zack Jones (one of our expert trainers) usually says.  

But, there is more to Driveline remote hitting than just swinging hard and trying to gain bat speed. That might be a main goal for a hitter, but it isn’t the only one. Driveline remote hitting takes all facets of a position player’s game into account. We create systems, not just goals; we take an end goal that an athlete wants to achieve and create a plan of attack that best suits them and will eventually get him or her there. 

That is why a remote hitter gets 24/7 access to a Driveline trainer who develops a hitting, throwing, and lifting plan, all tailored toward their needs and access. Our online hitting program is designed to help anyone learn how to hit a baseball better from anywhere in the world.  

WHAT GOES INTO MY TRAINING?

What does a remote hitter’s day really look like? 

To preface, it is important to note that access to equipment is not the same for every hitter. We work with hitters who have access to a cage, weighted bats, and a machine every day; we also work with players who only have access to a tee and a bucket of baseballs. Both types of players get a ton of value out of the program, as we customize our programming to each hitter’s available resources. 

Because of the differences in resources, one remote hitter’s day may be wildly different from another’s, but for the sake of this article we will look at a hitter who has full access to a cage and weight room. 

Below, you can see a weekly plan for this hitter, with each day showing workouts from various departments. This hitter has time to get his throwing done in the morning followed by his lift, but can’t hit until after classes, so we have throwing and lifting first in the ranking, followed by a mobility warm-up then a bat speed day. We can build your program around your personal schedule.

More specifically, each day is built around that certain player’s deficiencies. To find these swing problems, we start with a swing breakdown. After the five day on-boarding process, in which the athlete is introduced to our drills and how the program works, the trainer does a 10 minute voice-over video talking about the good and the bad of the player’s swing. This will often go in depth to talk about specific swing movements, any data the player has, and certain cueing or helpful feels. After this, the trainer builds a 4-week program around the specific swing deficiencies that were identified in the swing breakdown.

During the initial swing breakdown with the example athlete above, Zack noticed that this hitter’s bat speed was well below the average for his level of play. As a result, this athlete had trouble creating a good kinematic sequence, instead pushing his hands at the ball first. So, we created a six-day program so he could attack his bat speed and push sequence (an inefficient way of swinging where the hands are disconnected early and get ahead of the rest of the body). In order to get the most out of his swing, we make sure each day is filled with different drills and focuses. These drills make use of weighted bats in order to develop strength and intent, as well as hitting Plyo Ball ® to get real-time feedback about contact quality. We will utilize everything to which a player has access. 

As the programming progresses, it moves toward more game-like environments. After the warm up, the player hits off of the tee, then moves to front toss and eventually BP or machine, if applicable. We design overall programming this way so that it slowly gets more chaotic, which will help the athlete blend new movements and cues. We program a certain pitch to see on any given day for players that have daily access to a machine. With others, it’s slightly different, ranging from angled batting practice to mix-pitch BP. 

HOW MUCH ACCESS DO I HAVE TO MY TRAINER?

At any time during the day, especially during their training session, the athlete has access to their trainer. Traqchat, a chatroom built directly into our programming software, gives them the ability to chat with the trainer whenever they need. These conversations range from questions about a drill or focus all the way to setting up a Zoom call to have a more in-depth conversation about their swing flaws. 

The relationship with the trainer goes far beyond just the occasional Zoom call. The relationship entails an ongoing conversation to properly educate the athlete. Athletes and their trainers talk about anything from swing mechanics and reasoning behind certain moves all the way to approach and temperament in the batter’s box. This isn’t just a type of training where you get your programming and go—unless that’s what you want. Our trainers are dedicated to the athlete’s development. The athlete has access to a trainer who is all in and completely invested in them. 

TRACKING PROGRESS

The overall programming usually lasts for four weeks, unless special circumstances dictate otherwise. To keep Traq (see what I did there?) of their own progress, the hitter has a few things at their disposal. The hitter can upload video whenever they like, but the trainer and the athlete can also set goals for certain aspects of training. This way the trainer can keep up to date in regards to swing changes and improvements.

All of the videos that are uploaded by the athlete or trainer are stored in the hitter’s profile for future use. Every few months, Zack prefers to do a swing comparison for most athletes so they can see how far their swing has come in such a short time. 

Wondering about the results of the hitter mentioned above?

From there, the hitter is off to the races. Their systems are in place, their drills are programmed, and conversations are had about fixing swing problems on the fly. Driveline online hitting is tailored to allow all players who invest in it can become the hitter they want to be.

TRAIN AT DRIVELINE

Interested in training with us? (In-gym and remote options are both available.)

• Athlete Questionnaire: Fill out with this link
• Email: support@drivelinebaseball.com
• Phone: 425-523-4030

Written by Andrew Aydt & Zack Jones