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BVSA Teaches: Hard Drive Stride

BVSA Teaches: Hard Drive Stride

On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about the hard drive stride. Okay, one of the big problems that we see with a lot of kids is they stride too far open. So, their front foot comes down and as it’s going forward it rotates open. Meanwhile, their knee rotates open, their hips rotate open, and if it’s really bad their shoulders rotate open. They’ll lose all their torque, all their power potentional there and they’ve lost the ability, unless their really athletic, to get to the outside of the plate. So, one of the drills we like to use that helps, it’s kind of weird but we found this heavy electrical box in our facility from years ago that we use that we just put a little bit on a 45-degree, so again i’ll do it from this angle. A lot of kids will come down here, and they’re kind of cooked. If they come down open but their hips are here and they’re back here, they’re still in a good position to hit but that’s a really difficult teach.

Staying Closed

We like to teach it a little more consistent where that foot’s kind of at a 45-degree angle, that knee is facing this way, not that way and their hips are still facing the plate. This box is very helpful. You can do it with live, do it with tee, you can do the whole thing. But we place this heavy box down in front and have the student load, transfer and stride into it so it forces them to stay at that 45-degree angle and not open up too much. And this box is pretty heavy and doesn’t slide too much, so you need something heavy. Another thing that they can do on their own is just stride into a wall. At their house, in their garage, in their basement, just practice striding into a wall. Obviously when you’re doing it into a wall you can’t take the swing because you’re going to hit the wall. But just repetitive moves to get your student to understand they need to be here and not here giving away all their torque. Found that to be very helpful and hope it works for your.

BVSA Teaches: Hard Drive Stride

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Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: Up the Mound Drill

BVSA Teaches: Up the Mound Drill

On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about the up the mound drill. One of the major problems for young kids when you start teaching them the load and then the transfer is that they do everything too big, and they get out of balance. And when they go to transfer, too many of them come down way out here. If this happens, they’re never going to get firm on their front side. Their contact point gets way out there, so we’ve got to keep them landing balanced with their head over their belly button, with their weight here, not collapsing out past it. So we use the mound to get them transferred.

We also use the mound to teach stopping at the right time, not getting too far out. So we get on the mound, we get in a nice balanced stance, we do our load and our transfer. For the kids that are going too far, going up the hill will restrict them. But again, coach them through it, keep their head over the belly button, make sure they’re getting here. Put the mirror in front of them if you can so they can see it when it’s right. And again, you can do tee work here, you can do front toss, you can do all the progressions to keep your student from over transferring and to get their weight in the right place.

BVSA Teaches: Up the Mound Drill

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: Styrofoam Stride

BVSA Teaches: Styrofoam Stride

On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about the styrofoam stride. Alright, so we talked about the load, the transfer, and the proper effecient way to transfer. Generally speaking, you want to be getting that weight into your front side and back towards the pitcher. But a lot of times, with a lot of different levels, the kids will stride too closed into the plate or they’ll stride too open, putting them in a bad place. Getting in here you cut yourself off a little bit, it’s tough to get your hips through first. Out here you’re opening up, your hips are open, you’re giving away power, you’re giving away the outside part of the plate.

Different Options With the Beam

So, one of the devices that we like to use for a drill is just our styrofoam beams, again located throughout the facility. So, whether they have an open stance or a slightly closed stance, this I had set up for a student not to stride too close to the plate. You don’t want to be too constrictive. You want to give your athletes some independence to have a slightly closed stride or slightly open. However, you do have to gage whether it’s too much or too little. So, put the styrofoam here for tee work, for front toss, for regular BP. This will help them be aware that there’s something there and that they can’t stride into it. Conversely, if they’re striding too far out, you can put it behind them.

And obviously with the younger kids you’ve got to make them be aware that if they step out they might fall. They like that, it’s kind of fun for them. But again, just giving them a little bit of a guideline of where they shouldn’t go and where they should go. And for the little kids you can even put the foot down and give them an idea of where they should be striding to. So, just little guidelines, rep it out over and over. Give them some independence to be themselves and have little variations. Meanwhile, try and keep them in the right place that they’re going to land for the most success. Hope that helps.

BVSA Teaches: Styrofoam Stride

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: Tee-Ball Drill

BVSA Teaches: Tee-Ball Drill

On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about the tee-ball drill. Okay, so one of the issues with teaching younger kids how to hit is that they often just lift their front leg up in the air and bring it back down without properly loading their backside. Meanwhile, this can cause them to fall too far forward. One drill to help with this is to place a cone or small ball between their legs. You will teach them to turn their knee and point the bottom of their foot towards the pitcher when they lift it. This helps them get the feel of properly loading their backside and not rocking outside of their back foot. This drill can also be done on balance discs or a balance beam. The key is to make sure they are turning their knee into the ball to get their backside loaded.

BVSA Teaches: Tee-Ball Drill

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: Balance Beam for Load

BVSA Teaches: Balance Beam for Load

On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about using the balance beam for load. Just like for the stance, we have the kids getting on this to establish a nice balanced stance, but we could also work the load here. It forces you to stay in balance. Some kids are going to do it really easily at first and some aren’t. You can put them on this beam and have them get into that balanced position. Then, begin to figure out what that move is that works for them. Being on this will keep you from rolling out here to far and will obviously keep you from going forward or back or else you’ll fall off. It will help the player understand that they really have to control this or else they’re going to fall down. So you can spend a lot of time here.

Correct Rotation

Here I’m holding the bat in one hand and get to the point where they’re holding the bat in two hands. They will be looking at the pitcher. You’re just working some type of a load here. Make sure you’re not overrotating, you’re not going too far back, your head is staying over your bellybutton. You’re getting this back hip loaded and there’s a little bit of a turn in your hip. You’re showing the bottom of your shoe to the pitcher, not just up and down. This doesn’t actually address the up and down, they can do it up and down and be in good balance. We want to get that knee turned in just a little bit, show the bottom of the shoe to the pitcher. And again, work this until they get it before you move on to the transfer.

BVSA Teaches: Balance Beam for Lo

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: High Jump Drill

BVSA Teaches: High Jump Drill

On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about another drill for balance and getting to the correct stance. This drill is having them jump into position and I have a chair that I’ll show you in a second. Have the kids take a couple of steps and jump as high as they can in the air and come down and land in a balanced position. Most times they’re going to land in a nice base position where their legs are roughly shoulder-length and they’re definitely going to bend their knees. And if they don’t then you have to teach them, explain to them what you want to do. This is if they don’t do it naturally but most kids will do it naturally.  Then you can put the bat in their hands and have them look at the pitcher and get a feel for where that stance is.

Advanced Version

A little more advanced, obviously requires someone watching but get them to get up on a chair. Bring a chair over to the cage or the field or even a bucket, buckets wobble a little bit but again tell them to jump in the air and land. And when they land, they bend and now stand up a little bit and now you’re in a nice position. So simple little things to get the kids to feel their balance, to feel their weight. Getting their head over their bellybutton, inside, shoulder-length apart. For the BAP’s, your clients, do it at the beginning of your lessons or the beginning of your BAP’s. Have them feel it until they do it correctly, keep repping it, alright.

BVSA Teaches: High Jump Drill

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: Balance Beam Drill

BVSA Teaches: Balance Beam Drill

For this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen will be talking about the balance beam drill. Another good drill for teaching kids the proper stance and balance are the balance beams that we have here. Just have the kid get on to the balance beam, slightly wider than shoulder length or about shoulder length. And again, it forces the student to get their weight in here in that pyramid position.

Some kids could just easily hop up here and be balanced. The biggest thing is getting them to bend their knees a little bit and feel that weight in here. Some of them are going to really struggle at first, some it will be easy. Once they get it, you have them hold the bat up in their stance, maybe have them look at the pitcher and just get the feel of their head being over their bellybutton and their weight being in here.

It’s a simple little drill, again, for the BAP’s, maybe it’s a station at the very beginning. Also, when you’re rotating through and the kids are doing their tee work and their front toss, you can have them standing on the balance beam. For private clients, maybe every lesson starts with this until they get that good stance that is comfortable for them. 

BVSA Teaches: Balance Beam Drill

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: Foot Print Drill

BVSA Teaches: Foot Print Drill

For this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about the foot print drill.  A really simple drill or practice for a young kid and his balance is the rubber foot print we have here. We have them downstairs and upstairs in the facility. These you can just put down at the proper distance based on the height of the kid. This will be a little bit wider than shoulder length. Have them stand on there and hold the bat and get an understanding of where their feet should be.

Next you can talk about the pyramid there and getting their weight in to the inner part of their leg. Keep it really simple so that they have an understanding. Sometimes kids have to see it over and over again, so for the BAP’s maybe this is a station. For a private lesson, you start with this every lesson just to get your client to understand that’s where they need to be each time they step into the batter’s box.

BVSA Teaches: Foot Print Drill

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: Balance Disk Drill for Load

BVSA Teaches: Balance Disc Drill for Load

On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about the balance disc drill for load. Getting on these discs really makes you lock in, engage your legs, engage your core, and get into a balanced position. So now you’re here, you’re in that nice balanced position. Now you’ve got to work on that load, and this is even harder than the balance beam. So you work on that load here. Again, you’ve got to be doing it with a nice rhythm, keeping that head over the center of your body. You should be showing the bottom of your shoe to the pitcher, whether it’s small or big. 

Some kids can do this more easily than others, making sure you’re not rocking back out here; you’ll fall. Head gets too far out front, you’ll fall over here. Your head gets too far back; you’ll fall over there. So it forces you to stay in balance throughout that move, making sure you’re getting that weight into this back hip so you’re ready.

And that’s going to happen, and guys, make this fun. The kids love this. Make it fun, but keep them going. Fun lessons are good lessons. They’re going to want to repeat them, but keep going and keep them on track to keep working it until they really get it. And this drill, like a lot of the drills for stance, for balance, for load, for transfer which we’re going to get to, if you put the mirror right in front of them out here so they can look at themselves, and when you are telling them when you’re giving them that positive reinforcement that yes, that’s how it should feel, now they know how it feels. The mirror in front of them is going to show them how it looks, so any positive reinforcement that you can give, do it.

BVSA Teaches: Balance Disc Drill for Load

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com 

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BVSA Teaches: Proper vs. Improper Loads

BVSA Teaches: Proper vs. Improper Loads

For this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about Proper vs. Improper loads. Alright, so we talked about the load and how we want it to look. It is a very crucial part of what happens for the rest of the swing. Obviously, we have to have that right stance, but we have to have that right load, the proper load. When so many kids get so confused with it, you have to take your time to get through this portion of the swing to move forward.

I mean, some of the kids just want to lift their leg up in the air and fall down, and they get their weight way too far. Some of them load very far back, some of them turn way too much, some of them lift and bend. There are plenty of things that go wrong when you teach younger kids the load. Especially if they don’t have the best athleticism and balance yet. So make sure you take your time and go through some of these drills that you’ll see on our channel.

BVSA Teaches: Proper vs. Improper Loads

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. We teach a proven curriculum that has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. We’re have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Parties for all ages, we do those too! There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email info@bvacademy.com