February 02, 2004
The Phil Bruder Method of Hitting
As promised, this month we talk about the Phil Bruder method of hitting. Last month we discussed the Sue Enquist method of hitting. You can review that newsletter by clicking this link and then clicking on issue #006.Sue, as you know, won the NCAA national title and has coached other teams to national championships.
But her number is far short of the number of national championships Phil Bruder has won. Phil’s teams, mostly with the Raiders, have won 11 ASA national championships. He has coached 240 girls who have received full 4 year scholarships, with 98 achieving All-America status, and 7 of his students have gone on to play on the US Olympic teams. He teaches hitting full-time in Southern California.
With these credentials, I think we may want to hear what he has to say. This is a special treat for you my readers, because he has not had his techniques documented any place. He has not made a video or been written up in a book or even a magazine, but you get to hear his techniques right here. Read all the way through and I’ll let you in on how you can get even more of these techniques.
Phil’s techniques are different in 2 ways than every other coach in the country. They involve how he has the kids hold the bat and how they pivot.
His steps are the same as I’ve always shown you in my Keys to Great Hitting. What you don’t see on my web page is how to hold the bat, since I really don’t focus too much on that.
Phil believes it’s important for his hitters to hold the bat straight up (perpendicular to the ground). He especially doesn’t want his kids to wrap the bat around their head. He believes the straight up bat allows the hitters the shortest path to the ball (thus creating the quickest swing, for the fastest bat speed).
When it comes to “squishing the bug”, Mike Candrea, US Olympic coach, Ralph Weekly, former national team’s hitting coach, and I all advocate keeping a closed front toe while pivoting on the back foot. Phil Bruder has his kids twist on the balls of both of their feet. He feels that this allows them to get their hips to move freer, generating more speed, again to aid in bat speed.
Phil really feels like he wants his kids to swing as hard as they can on every swing.
Did you know that until last year, every major home run record in college and ASA was held by one of Phil’s students?
Here's how you can learn more of Phil's Techniques
If you’d like to know more about Phil’s hitting techniques and hitting philosophy, I just had the privilege of interviewing Phil and recording it on audio tape and/or CD. On it you’ll find out his actual break down of the swing he teaches his kids. He even gives the exact drills he gives them to become crushers of the ball. There is over 1 hours worth of information. I made sure to clarify any points that Phil may have gone by too quickly for you, so you have the best lesson he’s ever given, that you can listen to over and over until you master the hitting techniques of one of the world’s top hitting coaches.As I mentioned before Phil Bruder has never done anything like this before. (Search the entire Internet and you won’t find any of his techniques). This is the one source and you are the 1st to hear about it. This CD/tape just came out of the studio with all the final approvals January 25th, 2004.
Two ways to learn from Phil Bruder
So if you want to want to get all of Phil’s great information you can sign up for lessons from him for $30 for ½ hour in Long Beach, CA by calling 1-562-492-6055.Or
You can get my interview of Phil, recorded digitally in a sound studio, for only $19.95 USD (plus $3.95 s&h (out of US add $6 more.)) by sending a check to me, Andy Collins, 6801 Dove St., Ventura, CA 93003 and specifying if you’d like the tape or a CD (if none is specified, you’ll get the tape). I’ll rush it out to you as soon as I receive your order.
The season is right around the corner for the warmer climates and not too far away for everyone else. Make this the best year ever, hitting wise. Get great coaching from me or from Phil or order up this CD and get both of us!
Tell me what you want to know
Is there something you'd like to know or do you have any questions? Please e-mail me, I'd love to hear from you. Click here to write to meIf you haven't done so, sign up for my Free Hitting Lessons that will make you a better hitter. (You may have thought signing up for the newsletter was for the lessons, but it's actually two separate sign ups.) link for free hitting lessons
Welcome to the new subscribers. We're getting a lot of head coaches and league administrators. If you'd like me to write an article for your team or league, let me know.
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Talk to you next time.
Coach Andy