Rob Benjamin- Hitting Coach, Riot Hitting (NY)

This episode is brought to you by baseballcloud and OnBaseU. iTunes  Stitcher Google Play Spotify   Summary: In this episode of Ahead of the Curve, I welcome Rob Benjamin, a highly experienced baseball hitting trainer at R.I.O.T. Hitting based in the New York City area. Rob Benjamin discusses how to help players break out of their stiff batting routines, and become more adaptable to real game situations. Rob also expresses important processes to assist hitters gaining movement solutions and degrees of freedom in their swings. Show Notes: Guest: Rob Benjamin, baseball hitting trainer at R.I.O.T. Hitting Rob Benjamin shares his upbringing in Puerto Rico and New York City playing baseball His journey towards coaching began in the early 2000s Who is the player, what is their hitting experience, and what are their parents’ concerns Video review includes dissecting major league hitting swings Recreate the unpredictability of the real game in the batter’s box Playing sound effects of loud crowd noises helps players prepare for game distractions Player assessment involves using video to help evaluate them How does Rob Benjamin help clean up player’s movement patterns Many players have been overcoached to the point that their body’s move too robotically Players need to trust you to communicate what they need How do you coach the timing of hitting The swing starts as soon as the foot lifts off of the ground What should be the focus when using videos for training Do players have too many degrees of freedom to their swing Bridge the gap between training information and the experience of movement solutions What are training drills that Rob Benjamin’s players love Watching his own children develop is an enlightening experience for Rob Look for challenges and obstacles, and embrace failure 3 Key Points:  Having a successful bat swing includes the launch, the barrell, and de-excelleration.  Techniques during hit training include: throwing screens up, ball drop drills, and two pitchers throwing at the same time.  Know what your players’ goals are.   Tweetable Quotes: “I want to see these players adapt.” - Rob Benjamin (10:21) “Being the ‘teacher king,’ I don’t want to do that. I want the environment to do that for me.” - Rob Benjamin (12:27) “Some kids have been so over-coached that a lot of the athleticism has been stripped from their bodies.” - Rob Benjamin (26:53) “It’s important that you create a foundation of trust so they can talk.” - Rob Benjamin (29:10) “I want them to make one choice...hit the baseball.” - Rob Benjamin (36:32) “Figure out how players learn with respect to stable components of their swing.” - Rob Benjamin (41:47) Resources Mentioned: Ahead of the Curve Podcast @AOTC_podcast Instagram: @RiotHitting Twitter: @riothitting Books: “Dynamics of Skill Acquisition” “The Rise of Superman” “Talent Code” “Game Changer” “Outliers” Email: rob@riothitting.com Website and Social Media sites for the show  www.aotcpodcast.com Twitter @aotc_podcast Facebook Ahead of the Curve Coaches Facebook group Instagram aotc_podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices