Hitting Drills and Strategies for Baseball 2-Pack

with Chris Hanks,
Colorado Mesa University Head Coach; 2014 NCAA DII National Runners-Up;
11x Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Champions, including 5 straight titles (2011-15)
Two-time ABCA Regional Coach of the Year; 8x RMAC Coach of the Year; with over 700 career wins, he is Colorado Mesa's all-time winningest coach

Chris Hanks' teams have been an offensive juggernaut at the D-II level. Coach Hanks' teams have put together 18 straight seasons of top 5 finishes in national team hitting statistics since 1999. That success has taken them to 14 NCAA Division II Regional appearances and two College World Series berths through 2015.

Hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things to do in any sport. Chris Hanks provides a concise, yet detailed plan for developing consistent, effective hitters. Through a progression of simple and productive drills, Coach Hanks teaches hitters how to hit to all fields and how to adjust to pitches. Driving the ball to all fields is an ability that will help every hitter raise their batting average and be a more productive teammate.

Turn Hitters into Run Producers

It's important for hitters to be able to meet the needs of any scenario; driving the ball into the gap, going to the opposite field, laying down a timely sacrifice bunt or bunting for a base hit. Follow along as Coach Hanks walks you through a drill progression that takes hitters from fundamentals to game-speed simulations through the following:

• Drills such as seven drills, angle toss drills, middle drills, and gauntlet drills to teach appropriate contact points and timing adjustments to build a reliable swing and help players feel success.
• Drill stations to maximize practice time and minimize delay time.
• Front toss, soft toss, and live arm drills to maximize hitting mechanics and pitch recognition to gain confidence.
• Field drills to get immediate feedback on hitting plane and contact points.
• Live batting practice is used to make it all come together at game speed.

One of the unique aspects of this video shows Coach Hanks working with his hitters, showing not just perfect swings and mechanics, but the flaws observed, and then shows Hanks and the hitter working toward correction through the drills. You'll see the improvement in the short-term for the hitters, and, the reasons why each drill helps the hitter with their specific area of need.

Winning Offense for All Scenarios

Hitters will love being armed with multiple strategies for beating opposing defenses. With Coach Hanks' instruction, your athletes will be able to take advantage of the scenario and the opportunities that defenses give them to become a run producer.

Every program wants to be able to hit and produce from the top to the bottom of the lineup. The techniques shared in this video will help your program do just that. Coach Hanks' proven methodology will allow your hitters to grow into the best they can be!

36 minutes. 2017.

with Chris Hanks,
Colorado Mesa University Head Coach; 2014 NCAA DII National Runners-Up;
11x Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Champions, including 5 straight titles (2011-15)
Two-time ABCA Regional Coach of the Year; 8x RMAC Coach of the Year; with over 700 career wins, he is Colorado Mesa's all-time winningest coach

Chris Hanks' teams have been an offensive juggernaut at the D-II level. Coach Hanks' teams have put together 18 straight seasons of top 5 finishes in national team hitting statistics since 1999. That success has taken them to 14 NCAA Division II Regional appearances and two College World Series berths through 2015.

Baseball teams are always looking for ways to put added pressure on opposing defenses. Techniques that improve your ability to take other teams out of their comfort zone will allow you to take advantage and get more wins.

Chris Hanks shows you how to develop a dynamic offensive team that puts continuous pressure on opposing defenses. Hanks and his assistants demonstrate a progression of drills to teach players how to execute the short game, which includes the hit-and-run, moving runners, sacrifice bunts, bunting for hits and the safety and suicide squeezes. This video not only demonstrates how the batter should execute these fundamentals, but also presents baserunning techniques, especially how to maintain consistency in leads and how to track the ball after it leaves the bat.

Advancing Runners

Coach Hanks takes you through a drill progression that will allow you to incorporate more hit and run opportunities and to develop better bunt and run or slash and run techniques. Learn proper timing, hand and foot placement, and recognition and reaction to pitches for both hitter and runner(s). Learn to control the strike zone and create proper barrel angles for each situation. These components of the offense are critical in advancing runners and even for advancing runners multiple bases.

The integration of baserunner and batter is critical. In addition to the hitting fundamentals, Coach Hanks demonstrates drills for practicing taking leads to run effectively in different situations, which include:

• A walking lead from third base - The baserunner puts pressure on the defense, and can score much easier on a passed ball or a squeeze play. The momentum created with the walking lead helps the baserunner get into full speed much quicker.
• Disguising the hit/run from the pitcher - Train runners how to take a step back, creating a slight delay, before breaking on a hit and run against a left handed pitcher.
And more!

Defending the Short Game

While simultaneously working the offensive side of the game, pitchers gain experience at defending the bunt. Drills that allow you to improve offensively and develop pitchers' defensive prowess make for incredibly efficient and effective practice time.

Colorado Mesa University has experienced great success under Coach Hanks' leadership. This video represents an opportunity to learn from a proven winner that no coach, serious about taking their program to the next level, should miss!

55 minutes. 2017.