00:00:05 [Speaker 1]
Here's what we're diving into today and why you'll want to lean in.
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If you've been told just swing faster all weekend and still watched another round of weak contact, this episode flips that script.
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I'm Joey Myers, founder of hittingperformancelab.com and off the Amazon best selling Catapult loading system, and I'm breaking down down the real engine behind game day power, earlier pitch recognition, and cleaner decisions that turn bat speed into loud barrels.
00:00:33 [Speaker 1]
In the next few minutes, I'll show you how to train what actually transfers: simple vision cues to pick up spin sooner, a green, yellow, red decision framework any youth hitter can use, and a five minute practice block that blends recognition with swing intent so your athlete isn't just fast in the cage, they're dangerous in the box.
00:00:51 [Speaker 1]
You'll leave with parent friends to track, quality contact percentage, pitch selection success, competitive ABs, and one drill you can run tonight to raise contact quality without adding pressure.
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Coaches, parents, and athletes expect clearer at bats, calmer minds, and more balls jumping off the barrel starting this week.
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Baseball hitting success requires mastering two critical elements, swing mechanics and pitch recognition.
00:01:15 [Speaker 1]
While social media and training programs often emphasize metrics like bat speed and exit velocity.
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The equally crucial skill of reacting to pitches frequently gets overlooked in youth baseball development.
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Think about it like this, bat speed represents potential energy while pitch recognition is precision energy.
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Without the ability to recognize pitches and make split second decisions, even the fastest swing speed becomes meaningless.
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Parents often focus on comparing their child's swing metrics, worried their kid needs to hit speed numbers to succeed.
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However, what really matters at higher levels, from college recruitment to the pros, is consistent distance under pressure.
00:01:56 [Speaker 1]
Those radar guns showing sixty, seventy, or 80 miles per hour bat, speeds might look impressive, but they don't tell the whole story of in game success.
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The science behind hitting is fascinating and complex.
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When a batter sees a pitch, their brain processes multiple factors in about 150 faster than a blink.
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They're calculating the release angle, spin direction, velocity decay, and whether the pitch will cross the strike zone.
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Elite hitters like Mike Trout and Juan So to aren't just mechanically gifted.
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They've developed superior vision and recognition systems through dedicated training.
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Even Even accomplished players like Joey Votto attribute their success to seeing the ball early and making decisions late.
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Many young hitters face a common problem, they practice in isolation.
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Taking repetitions off a tee or during soft toss doesn't force the brain to recognize patterns or make real game decisions.
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This explains why some players dominate in batting practice but struggle during actual games.
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Their swing mechanics might be solid, but their brain isn't properly wired for live game decision making.
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It's comparable to training someone to punch faster without teaching them when to throw the punch.
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Doctor.
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Brett McCabe, a prominent psychologist who works with college baseball programs and professional athletes, emphasizes that under pressure the brain always reverts to what it trusts.
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If a player only trusts swinging fast, that's what they'll do regardless of the pitch quality.
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The goal is to build trust in their recognition and reaction abilities, creating a foundation for consistent performance under pressure.
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Pitch recognition isn't just about eyesight.
00:03:33 [Speaker 1]
It's about perception and processing, moving information quickly and accurately.
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The visual cortex and prefrontal cortex work together to handle pattern prediction, reaction, and decision making.
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Every time a hitter practices seeing the ball earlier, they strengthen neural connections between their eyes and motor cortex.
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This creates what's called visual confidence, allowing hitters to anticipate rather than merely react to pitches.
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Professional hitters employ anticipate rather than merely react to pitches.
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Professional hitters employ specific training methods to enhance their recognition skills.
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They use occlusion drills where pitch videos cut off before contact, forcing the brain to predict the outcome.
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They predict quick time out if your hitter looks like a BP star but guesses in games, here's the fix.
00:04:17 [Speaker 1]
We've been talking about how see to side swing beats raw bat speed screenshots.
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The fastest occlusion training from Game Sense Sports.
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It shows real pictures, but the clip cuts off early, so your athlete must read release, spin, and early flight, then call ball strike or pitch type.
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Ten focused minutes, three times a week, and you'll see fewer chases, better count leverage, and morals without changing the swing.
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Here's how to use it with your current work.
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Heavy light game in the cage, then plug in Game Sense at home to train the eyes and brain.
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It's perfect for busy parents.
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Phone, tablet, or laptop.
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No extra gear.
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If you want your child making green zone swings and passing on yellow zone bait, start today.
00:05:03 [Speaker 1]
Hit the link in the show notes or go to hittingperformancelab.com forward slash pitch recognition to try Game Sense Sports now.
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Train the read and the results follow.
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Decision based batting practice where they must distinguish between strikes and ball.
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These methods create transfer training, skills that directly translate to game situations.
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A practical training framework called see, decide, swing can help develop these skills in just ten minutes.
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It consists of three rounds.
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One, see it.
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Players identify ball colors or call strikes, chucker balls without swinging five reps.
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Two, decide it.
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Players track mixed pitches and only prepare to swing at strikes, five reps.
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Three, swing it.
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Live hitting with scoring based on swing decisions, five reps.
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Combined with a heavy light game bat progression to integrate control, quickness, and precision.
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The heavy bat helps develop control and proper posture, the light bat enhances quickness, and the game bat brings everything together.
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Take Tyler, a 13 year old travel ball player, as an example.
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Despite achieving impressive bat speed numbers around 70 miles per hour, he struggled with breaking balls and high fastballs in games.
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After implementing the see to side swing approach, his contact rate improved by 40% in just for at home practice, two effective mini drills can make a significant impact.
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Shadow recognition.
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Drill.
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Watch and analyze pitch videos.
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Pausing right before the pitch crosses the plate to predict strike or ball outcomes.
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This helps players subconsciously pick up on spin, angle, and release cues, dash green yellow red game.
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Color code pitch zones where green means crush it, yellow means manage it, protect with a shortened swing, and red means take the pitch.
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This systematic approach builds strike zone discipline and confidence explicitly telling players not to swing.
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The best hitters aren't necessarily the most mechanical, they're the most adaptable.
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They excel at reading situations and adjusting quickly.
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When working with young hitters instead of immediately fixing swing mechanics after a tough game, start by asking, what were you seeing?
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This opens the door to more meaningful adjustments and helps players develop a more comprehensive understanding of their performance.
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Marcus Aurelius' wisdom applies perfectly to hitting.
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You have power over your mind, not outside events.
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While players can't journal factors like umpires or pitchers, they can control their perception, decisions, and responses.
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The goal is to develop hitters who approach each at bat with curiosity and determination rather than frustration, building lasting confidence through improved recognition and decision making skills.
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This comprehensive approach to hitting development, balancing physical mechanics with mental skills, and visual training creates more complete players who can perform consistently under pressure.
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It transforms players from simply having fast becoming intelligent, adaptable hitters who can read, adjust, and respond effectively player walks back to the dugout after a strikeout, the ideal response isn't frustration or defeat, but rather a determined curiosity to better read and react next time.
00:08:19 [Speaker 1]
This mindset combined with proper training of both mechanical and recognition develops the kind of hitter who succeeds at every level of the game.
00:08:28 [Speaker 1]
It's not just about swinging faster, it's about swinging smarter and making better decisions in the critical moments that define success in baseball.
00:08:36 [Speaker 1]
Hey, it's Joey.
00:08:37 [Speaker 1]
If your hitter looks like a BP hero but chases junk or freezes in games, this is exactly why I built swing shift.
00:08:45 [Speaker 1]
In today's episode, we talked about training what actually transfers, seeing the ball early, making green zone decisions, and turning fast swings into loud barrels.
00:08:55 [Speaker 1]
Swing shift gives you done for you five to seven minute practice blocks you can run at home.
00:09:00 [Speaker 1]
No guesswork.
00:09:01 [Speaker 1]
You'll blend a simple see decide swing sequence with heavy light game bat progression then track three parent friendly metrics quality contact percentage, pitch selection success, and competitive at bats.
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That combo builds decision speed, cleaner posture, and collision quality, so exit velo climbs without yelling swing harder.
00:09:22 [Speaker 1]
If you're a busy parent or coach who wants repeatable plan that fits real life, try swing shift free for seven days.
00:09:30 [Speaker 1]
Jump in, run tonight's block, and watch confidence and hard contact show up under the lights.
00:09:36 [Speaker 1]
Grab your trial at performancelab.com forward /swingshift.
00:09:42 [Speaker 1]
Let's train smarter and make every rep count.
00:09:44 [Speaker 1]
If this episode got you thinking about how your hitter sees the ball, make sure you're subscribed so you never miss the next breakdown.
00:09:51 [Speaker 1]
If you're on Apple or Spotify, a quick five star review and one line about what helped you most really helps other baseball and softball families find us.
00:10:01 [Speaker 1]
Share this with a coach or parent in your circle who's battling chase swings or timing issues.
00:10:07 [Speaker 1]
And, for drill libraries, step practice plans, and programs built for busy families, head to hittingperformancelab.com.
00:10:15 [Speaker 1]
That's where all the good stuff lives.
00:10:17 [Speaker 1]
Thanks for listening.
00:10:19 [Speaker 1]
Keep training with transfers and I'll see you in the next one.
