Paulo Coelho once said, “Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.”
Who’s your favorite MLB hitter?
Mine is Mookie Betts. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches tall, he is arguably the greatest offensive threat in the Major Leagues.
I’ve played professional baseball and I have coached more than 40 MLB hitters, and I can tell you that Mookie seems to play the entire MLB season in maintenance mode.
I have four phases of development that my amateur hitters navigate through in order to become Major League hitters and May through July is the maintenance phase.
It takes about three months for amateurs to do what could be done in three days to three weeks for Major Leaguers. The difference is that pros rely on skills, while amateurs rely on talent.
Talent is doing things well. A habit is doing things well repeatedly without thought. Skills is doing things well without thought while under stress.
People with skills welcome adversity while amateurs run from it. People with skills can name specific problems they are experiencing and claim responsibility for their failure, while amateurs often complain and blame.
- Do you have hitting skills?
- How did you develop them?
- What do you do to maintain them?
For more information, visit L.E.A.D. Center for Youth today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.
C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 22 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and a track record of success that can work for you.
