REZ Sports

FOCUS ON THE “DO” ACTION

Coach Matt talks about a simple but powerful approach to coaching and training: focus on what you SHOULD do instead of what you SHOULDN’T do.

When an athlete is constantly thinking…

❌ “Don’t drop my hands.”
❌ “Don’t pull my head.”
❌ “Don’t open up early.”

…their mind is still focused on the exact movement we’re trying to eliminate.

Instead, give the brain a DO action.

✅ “Keep your hands above the ball.”
✅ “Keep your eyes through contact.”
✅ “Stay closed and drive through the middle.”

Athletes perform better when they have a clear action to execute ... not an action they’re trying to avoid.

Don’t just tell them what NOT to do. Give them something TO DO.

STAY LOW. MOVE LOW. FIELD LOW.

Coach Jossi is working with E. Haire on staying low as she moves into position to field a groundball.

One of the biggest mistakes a defender can make is standing up while moving to the ball ... only to have to drop back down again when it’s time to field it.

Staying low allows you to:

🥎 Move efficiently into position
🥎 Keep your eyes on the ball longer
🥎 React to bad hops and changes in direction
🥎 Get your glove to the ground quicker
🥎 Maintain better balance and body control

Get low early and stay low through the play. The less unnecessary movement we create, the more time we give ourselves to react.

SEE IT DEEP. USE THE WHOLE FIELD.

Coach Matt is working with E. Kirkpatrick on seeing the ball deep in the zone and driving it with authority to the middle and opposite field.

In this drill, the ball is delivered from the pull side of the hitter, forcing E. Kirkpatrick to stay disciplined and let the ball travel. The goal? Drive it toward one of two targets on the middle-to-oppo side ... a tire and a second L-screen.

Being able to see the ball deep is a huge part of becoming a complete hitter. When hitters trust their eyes and allow the ball to travel, they give themselves more time to recognize the pitch, stay through the ball, maintain direction and use the entire field.

The goal isn’t just to hit it the other way ... it’s learning that you don’t have to rush your decision or your swing.

BUILD IT. FEEL IT. PUT IT TOGETHER.

Coach Adam has W. Sonntag, C. Harp, and C. Malhi working through a series of pitching stations designed with one major purpose in mind ... using the lower half and creating explosiveness.

Each station isolates a piece of the movement, giving our athletes a chance to slow things down, focus on the details, and understand how their legs and hips contribute to the pitching motion.

Because when the lower half isn't doing its job, we're leaving a lot on the table.

⚡ Create force from the ground
⚡ Drive with intent
⚡ Use the hips explosively
⚡ Transfer that energy through the body
⚡ Maintain balance and posture while doing it

But we don't want athletes to just get good at drills.

That's why after breaking the movement down throughout the small-group session, we bring everything back together at the end and let them PITCH.

TWO BALL BURST

Coach Matt is working with M. Alarcon on a drill we call “Two Ball Burst”—designed to shorten up the swing while creating explosive movement through the hips.

This drill doesn’t leave much room for wasted movement. To be successful, she has to:

🧠 Be intentional with every move
💥 Be explosive through the hips
🥎 Stay short to the ball
⚖️ Maintain balance and posture

Those aren’t just traits that make you successful in a drill ... they’re traits that translate directly to the box in a game.

A hitter can generate all the power in the world, but if the swing gets long, posture breaks down, or the body loses balance, that power becomes harder to deliver consistently.

MORE TOOLS = BETTER DEFENDER

Coach Adam is working with S. Porterfield on his backhand movement, while mixing in some forehand work to keep developing a complete defender.

Great fielders don’t rely on one way to field the baseball.

There are going to be plays where getting two hands to the ball simply isn’t realistic. That’s why we want our athletes comfortable and confident fielding with the glove hand only and learning how to make plays from different positions.

The goal isn’t to make every ground ball look exactly the same. The goal is to give athletes multiple tools in their toolbox so they can find the right one when the game demands it.

CONSISTENCY STARTS AT THE RELEASE

Coach Karsen is working with S. Merritt on creating a more consistent release point in the circle.

When the release point changes, everything after it can change with it ... spin, direction, height, and ultimately the path of the ball.

The goal isn’t just to throw strikes. It’s developing a repeatable delivery that allows the ball to come off the hand the way you intended, pitch after pitch.

Small adjustments. Repeatable movements. Better command.

THE ARM DOESN’T THROW ALONE!

Coach Jossi is working with K. Jackson on learning how to use her entire body to throw instead of relying on just her arm.

A strong, efficient throw starts from the ground up.

When we learn to use the lower half, we create momentum and energy that can transfer up through the body and eventually into the ball. From there, we want to get the chest down and through the finish instead of staying tall and making the arm do all the work.

For Jackson, we’re building it one piece at a time:

🔥 Use the legs and lower half
🔥 Transfer energy through the body
🔥 Get the chest down through the finish
🔥 Let the arm work WITH the body ... not by itself

Next up: developing a more natural arm slot so the elbow doesn’t lead the way and we can create a cleaner, more efficient throwing pattern.

Development isn’t about fixing everything at once.

CREATE SEPARATION. KEEP THE HANDS BACK. STAY ADJUSTABLE.

Coach Kelsey is working with J. Sursa on feeling that separation between the hands/back shoulder and the front-side hip.

That separation matters.

As we load, land, and begin our launch, we want the lower half to start working while the hands stay back. When the hands race forward with the body, we lose valuable time and adjustability.

Keeping the hands back gives hitters the ability to:

🥎 Let the ball travel deeper into the zone
🥎 Recognize location longer
🥎 See spin more clearly
🥎 Adjust to different velocities
🥎 Make better swing decisions
🥎 Use hand-eye coordination later in the pitch

The goal isn't just to be quick to the ball ... it's to give yourself more time to gather information before committing the barrel.