BVSA Teaches: How to Develop Killer Swag
On this episode of BVSA Teaches, Frank Ramppen talks about how to develop killer swag. Hey guys, today we’re going to talk about what I call swag, confidence, and presence, whatever you want to call it. We teach the mechanics and do an awesome job of getting our kids to a higher level mechanically, but then comes the different approaches and routines. That swag as a hitter carries through to all portions of the game, but I’m just talking about hitting right now. And this is almost impossible to teach. I don’t know, but I think kids get a little bit. We have to teach them how to have some type of a presence.
I know hitting smoking balls all over the field and having success will generate more of this, and I know every person, every kid is different. You can’t expect them all to be flashy and flamboyant. But just an inner presence, and I’m just talking in terms of getting into the batter’s box. When a kid gets into the batter’s box, and I use this example with all my kids, I’ll say, “So you’re pitching, and especially for the younger kids, your pitcher. When you’re on the mound and you see a guy walk up to the batter’s box and doesn’t look athletic and doesn’t look ready and looks timid versus a guy walks into the batter’s box, same kid, same size, same uniform, same thing, and smacks his bat down on the ground, and he looks at you. He’s got this waggle going on. Which kid do you rather pitch to as a pitcher? The first guy, because you’d think he’s got it.
Mentality
Now, I know that’s not always the case. I know there’s guys that don’t have that part to a T. But from what I’ve found in doing lots of lessons with these little kids, that it factor, that thing that allows them to execute in games versus in the cages or in the lessons, is such a tough thing to bring out. And I think you have to practice it. I think you have to practice some type of a routine. In another video, we talked about the whole routine and working your way to the plate. We just went through a little routine, but this one’s focused on this alone. Something that’s a little bit swaggy and a little confident, whatever it is, to make that pitcher think he knows what he’s doing. That his balance and his stance alone look athletic and like he knows what he’s doing. But he’s got some type of a routine, whatever it is. Kids like to do stuff they see on TV, whatever it is, and to look at that picture and get ready in this athletic position to compete.
And that’s the big word. We have to teach the kids to compete a little bit more. And again, it’s a tough teach, and I don’t have all the answers. But my plate presence thing is just one. You probably will have your own techniques, but we have to teach it. The point is we have to teach it. We have to teach the kids that there’s a presence and there’s a swag to good hitters. And all good hitters have it, whether it’s the flamboyant ones or the quiet confident ones. Let’s try to teach it in every way we can. Let them know it’s part of the game. Hope that helps. Hope you can do that.
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