People have asked me on numerous occasions what I discuss in my hitting presentations. I have a clinic coming up this weekend, and I have decided to make the outline of my presentation public.

Most of these topics grow out of my ongoing work with...

I'm speaking to an audience of travel and high school players and coaches. Selfishly, one thing I hope to accomplish is to help them understand what I wish they were, and were NOT, teaching their hitters.

Chris O'Leary's Hitting Presentation

My hitting presentation includes, but goes beyond, the information in my...

Credentials

As I lay out in my experience with Andres Torres, literally my first client made it to the major leagues and help the Giants win the 2010 World Series.

Andres Torres 2010 World Series

Over the years, I have worked with a number of MLB hitters. I am also working with a college baseball program...

MLB hitters I've worked with include...

    • Mark Trumbo
  • Andres Torres
  • Johnny Giavotella
  • Tommy Pham

MLB hitters whose swings I've consulted on include...

  • Albert Pujols
  • Matt Holliday
  • Jhonny Peralta
  • Stephen Piscotty

Trust but Verify

  1. Compare EVERYTHING you are told to video of what the best hitters do.
  2. On their best swings.
  3. That usually means fastballs (at least to start).

Style vs. Substance

Too much emphasis is placed on things that are easy to see but, in truth, aren't that important. If at all. The stuff that really matters is hard to see.

I focus on what happens from Toe Touch to Contact.

Why Rotation?

Andres Torres said it best...

I know about training, but hitting was difficult. And then in ’08, I was working with a lot of guys. There’s a guy named Chris O’Leary (a St. Louis fan who kept online flip books breaking down Pujols’ swing). He’s online. He talks about Rotation. He's got video examples of Pujols and I watched that.

I'm seeing and hearing Rotation being coached out of more and more players.

Anti-Rotation cues can help some hitters when used as just that. As cues. Not when taken literally.

The High-Level Swing

  • Combines Linear and Rotational elements. Both IN MODERATION.
  • Ted Williams' concern with TOO Linear of a swing.
  • The problem with a purely Rotational swing (Mike Epstein).

Quick Wins

Contact

I am often asked how I have so quickly turned hitters swings around. My answer? Very often just by teaching my hitters what a good Point Of Contact looks like. That is true for...

The Power Position

Getting to Contact

The Simplest Swing

First, Do No Harm

I am spending a lot of time coaching things out of my hitters' swings that were put there by a well-intentioned butill-informed coaches.

Hitting Myths and Misconceptions

  • Get Your Front Foot Down Early

Phony Flaws

  • Flying Open
  • Diving over the Plate
  • Loop and Chicken Wing

What I'm Obsessing Over

  • Coil
  • Posture

Order of Emphasis

  • Contact
  • Posture
  • Athletic Position
  • Coil
  • Adjustability

Separation

  • What Loading Isn't and Is

Bat Drag and Leaky Back Elbows

  • Long Swings vs. Short Swings
  • The Triangle
  • Pull the Knob to the Ball
  • Open Top Hand

Flaws

  • Front Foot Down Early
  • Lunging
  • True Loop
  • Landing with the Front Foot Flat
  • Arm Bar
  • Top-Down Swings where the Hands Lead the Hips.
  • Limited Hip Rotation
  • Too Upright

Very Important Pictures