Name: Playbook - Jordan Verdon - Complete Swing Drills Catalog
Uploaded: 2024-01-09T21:15:23.286Z
Duration: 1 min
Description: Complete Swing Drills Catalog

Use these as a guide to add to your own routines. I’ll be adding to this overtime with new drills and feels! 💪🏼

- Thus drill is very similar to the split grip 3/4 swings but now we are taking away the help of the split grip. Be able to control the barrel of the bat from a normal grip without rolling over/slicing the ball. 
- Swing the bat and keep your palm up facing the pitcher after your swing. 
- This 3/4 swing with allow you to see if your swing path is working up the middle or you are cutting your swing across the zone or up and through the zone. 
- Focus on backspinning balls to the middle of the field while keeping your chest over the plate with good balance.

3/4 Swings

- This drill is a step further than the Knob to the Ball drill listed in the training guide already. 
- Once you have the backside move down without pushing your hands past your midline, you can start to make that move without needing to hit a ball with the knob of the bat. 
- Do three active takes and then mix in a swing with the same feeling. 
- I also recommend doing this on flips and mix in every other swing with an active take.

Active Take with Swing

- This drill is crucial for understanding the initial move of the swing. You’re firing your back arm/back leg to the ball without pushing your hands past the midline of your body. 
- THIS IS JUST WORKING ON THE FIRST MOVE/FEEL. 
- Start with the tee DIRECTLY in line with your chest in the middle of your body (no cheating and it will feel super close to you)
- Fire back arm towards the ball creating a deep barrel move behind you. 
- Knob of the bat with hit the ball off the tee. Do not push your hands past the tee once contact is made. 
- The goal of the drill isn’t to see how far the ball goes when you hit it with the knob of the bat. Just tap the ball with the knob focusing on the backside move as the most crucial thing in in the drill.

Backside Move with Knob to Ball

- Only difference between this and banded loading is now you’ll swing after you get to your launch position. Keep tension in the band after your swing as well 
- Put a resistance band just above the knees
- Keep tension in the band as you stride forward without letting slack out of the band
- Focus on keeping your knee in line with your back foot as you stride forward. 
- Feel your glutes controlling this move

Banded Swings

- Only difference between this drill and full swings with bat between the feet is you’re either doing the half swing drill (stop at contact) or the 3/4 swing where you stop at extension
- Another version of feet anchored 
- This drill is for players who land with their front foot pointed at the pitcher and get their stability from their knee joint rather than the hip joint
- Start by keeping pressure on both sides of the bat with your feet
- When you swing, don’t let your feet lose contact with the bat 
- Works in stability, anchoring of feet, and posture over the plate because I’m taking the rotational aspect of your swing away

Bat Between Legs (1/2 or 3/4 swing)

- Another version of feet anchored 
- This drill is for players who land with their front foot pointed at the pitcher and get their stability from their knee joint rather than the hip joint
- Start by keeping pressure on both sides of the bat with your feet
- When you swing, don’t let your feet lose contact with the bat 
- Works in stability, anchoring of feet, and posture over the plate because I’m taking the rotational aspect of your swing away

Bat Between Legs (Full Swing)

- Place the basketball between chest and forearm (will feel slightly uncomfortable at first)
- Focus on keeping the ball tight on the chest so the body now moves as one fused unit rather than separate pieces (pushing hands forward/cutting across zone) 
- Freeze the finish
- Can be done from tee and flips (once comfortably hitting line drives off tee)

Connected Full Swings

- Place the basketball between chest and forearm (will feel slightly uncomfortable at first)
- Focus on keeping the ball tight on the chest so the body now moves as one fused unit rather than separate pieces (pushing hands forward/cutting across zone) 
- Freeze the finish with palm up towards the sky if possible
- Can be done on tee and flips (once comfortably hitting line drives off tee)

Connected One Hand Swings

- Start with front foot crossed over the back foot 
- Using the back leg to stride forward, hold the load created in the back leg while moving forward 
- Take level swing with balance at the end

Cross over starts

- Place the cone or any object on your head. 
- While swinging, focus on keeping your head in the same spot during the swing
- The come will pop off at the very end and land directly next to you rather than behind you if you drop your head early.

Don’t drop your head

This drill is designed for guys who squish the bug. 
Drive the knee down, so that the back leg becomes unweighted when we swing. 
Squishing the bug is a power and posture killer!!!!

Don’t squish the bug

- Go get yourself a farm board 
- They are great for helping hitters who jump forward and can’t control their back leg 
- The board takes the stability out of the ground so you have to create stability without letting the board slide around
- Focus in creating vertical force down into the ground and not letting the board slide around early 
- CAUTION - VERY DIFFICULT

Farm Board (back leg loading)

- Focus on landing soft onto the board and keeping your whole foot firmly into the ground while swinging 
- If you are not focusing on controlling the back leg to put you down softly this drill will become very difficult

Farm Board (front leg striding)

- Keeping the feet glued to the ground work on finding where true center is in the swing 
- Helps hitters swing from their middle (core/pelvis) rather than arms/hands pushing bc the anchoring of the feet takes the over rotational aspect of the swing out of the picture 
- Also great for working on a hitters launch position 
- Feel the swing firing from back hip/core rather than hands/shoulders trying to deliver the barrel

Feet Anchored (on ground)

- Keeping the feet glued to the ground work on finding where true center is in the swing 
- Helps hitters swing from their middle (core/pelvis) rather than arms/hands pushing bc the anchoring of the feet takes the over rotational aspect of the swing out of the picture 
- Elevating the surface you’re hitting on puts hyper focus on balance and stability 
- Also great for working on a hitters launch position

Feet anchored (on yoga blocks)

- This drill is designed to help hitters feel the upper body sequencing of the swing. 
- The front arm stays in line with the numbers or letters on your chest while the back arm starts to work down and behind the body (getting slotted) 
- While making this move, the hands stay in line with or behind the mid line of the body to avoid a push of the hands. 
- Do 2-3 reps just launching the back elbow into the slot before launching the frisbee/bucket lid forward. Keep palm up/ palm down finish and hold for 2-3 seconds.

Frisbee/Bucket Lid Sequencing

- Having the ball pitched almost feeling like it’s behind you, makes the goal of hitting a line drive up the middle extremely difficult. 
- You are forced to make a tight, connected backside move (back elbow to bellow button) and then keep good direction up the middle. 
- Think palm up to the pitcher without spinning your shoulders to hit this ball up middle.

Front Angle Toss

- Elevate your front foot on a mound or small ramp 
- Take normal swings with good balance at the end 
- Can do this on tee, flips, or live BP
- This drill is for hitters who lunge, or land their foot early and sway hips before swinging 
- The elevated front foot makes it easier to find the true balanced/coiled back hip feeling on the back leg 
- The elevated foot makes it extremely difficult to sway your hips forward before the swing 
- Also helps hitters feel swinging behind their front leg 
(ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE DRILLS)

Front Foot Elevated Swings

- This is an advanced move for hitters who have trouble keeping their front foot anchored to the ground while hitting. 
- It focuses on teaching guys how to use the ground for power rather than spinning the shoulders. 
- Also is great for teaching direction and deceleration of body segments. 
- You should feel like you’re a hockey player on ice with your back foot.

Front foot anchored (scissor kick)

- Enough messing around. 
- Blend the feels and drills you’ve been working on and backspin line drives up the middle and in the air. 
- When loading don’t stare at the tee. Envision the pitcher throwing you the ball and look up at where he’d be standing and slowly move your eyes to the ball on the tee as you load, then swing! Helps keep your posture set up the middle rather than turned towards the tee.

Game like Swings

- This drill is for guys needing to clean up their impact position. 
- You’re only allowed half a swing but need to still hit a line drive to the back of the cage. 
- Hold the angles in your arms and at contact your arms need to remain bent on pitches down the middle (changes slightly with pitch height/type). 
- Highly recommend doing this drill on tee and flips!!!

Half Swings

- This drill is great for hitters who have been told they “push their hands” at the ball. 
- The goal of this drill is to hold the angles of the arms while swinging and to stop the barrel of the ball from hitting the net in front of you. 
- Work on making a fast, tight turn with the barrel launching rearward initially rather than pushing forward.

Half swings with front constraint

- Heavy balls are amazing for checking how guys impact the baseball. 
- Do you cut across the ball, flare it to right, push the hands etc.
- With the heavy balls an improper palm up/palm down position will be exposed! 
- Focus on impacting the center of the ball in a strong contact position (arms bent and behind the front leg) and getting it all the way to the back of the cage in the air or past the pitchers mound if you’re on a field. 
- If you want to really make it hard use a short bat or choke up a lot on your full length bat to challenge the impact position even more.

Heavy Balls

Heavy bat regular swings

- First drill in bat speed/exit velo program. 
- Create momentum and swing FAST

Heavy bat walk throughs

- Execute the same feel as the “hit the catcher on the head” drill (Hand pivot). 
- Take the PVC overhead and all you do is the same hand pivot except now you can add in a small turn of the body. 
- Walk your hands to the bottom of the PVC so there is a lot of resistance while you make this move. 
- Keep the hands overhead while making this move so that you do not have the urge to push your hands forward. 
- If done correctly you will feel the move happening solely from your core and nothing else. This is the feeling we want when we swing the bat. 
- Not letting our hands and arms take over but connecting our swing to our big, most powerful muscles (core and back)

Helicopter

- High tee is great for mixing up your tee routine and challenge yourself to not just hitting pitches that are right down the middle. 
- This is great for guys that drop their hands and can’t make their swing right across their chest. 
- When loading, your hands should already be at the top of the zone (or top of the tee) 
- When you swing feel like your hands stay right under your chin when working on the high tee. 
- I don’t love saying this but think “swing down or swing flat” a little for this drill to over emphasize making the move across the chest and flat. 
- Great for guys that collapse their back side early and don’t load at a high pitch posture.

High Tee

- Start with feet close together for easier balance 
- Lift front foot off the ground and feel the load into the back hip 
- Emphasize a small pause (1-2 seconds) with leg off the ground 
- Control the stride forward without crashing into front leg

Hover loading

- Out a hurdle or some other object right up against your toes so that if when you start to load if your knees go over your toes it will hip the hurdle 
- The goal is to create space by getting a vertical back shin and sitting your weight in the middle to heel of your foot rather than weight in your toes 
- This allows you to hold the ground longer without jumping forward at the ball and come out of posture early 
- Can so this on tee, flips, live BP

Hurdle Constraint Loading

- Second exercise in bat speed/exit velo program
- Create momentum and swing fast!!

Light bat walk throughs

- Time to compete!! 
- Game like mentality
- Game like loading and approach
- GOAL- Hit doubles and low line drives while blending in the new swing mechanics or feels you’re working on.

Live BP/Machine

- Do what the title says 
- Pretend a pitcher is throwing and start to load/stretch out 
- Land soft keeping weight in back leg and getting to good launch position 
- Swing from launch position 
- Freeze the swing at the end for 2 seconds 
- Can be done on tee and flips

Load-stride-swing

- Low tee is great for mixing up the typical tee session with balls right down the middle. 
- Always move the tee around and challenge yourself to hit pitches that aren’t right down the middle. 
- Load as if you’re getting a high pitch and then last second adjust to the low and away tee (just like a game)

Low Tee

- Isolating the arms is a great way to clean up bat path and early connection 
- Focus on keeping your hand inside your front elbow 
- Drive front elbow up the middle to ensure proper direction 
- Imagine you’re cutting the ball in half with a sword and freezing the finish like you’re playing fruit ninja (old game) 
- Can be done off tee and flips

One Hand Swings (bottom hand)

- Isolating the arms is a great way to clean up bat path and early connection 
- Focus on keeping your palm up and freeze the finish to over exaggerated extension through the ball and posture over the plate
- “Throwing a pizza to the pitcher” 
- Can be done off tee and flips

One Hand Swings (top hand)

- Start with hips pointed all the way at the pitcher or for a beginner the same 45 degree angle as the walkthrough drill start
- Coil and load into back hip while keeping a vertical back shin (don’t let knee dump over toes) 
- Make a deep barrel turn without pushing your hands towards the tee
- Perfectly done swings with result in chest staying over the plate and backspin line drives right up the middle

Open 45’s

- This drill is designed to feed the mistake of over rotating and spinning off the ball
- With the angle set across from you it makes it very easy to cut across the zone and pull the ball with top spin
- Your job is to make a tight connected move (palm up to the pitcher, back elbow to belly button) and hit this ball on a line yo the middle
- Don’t cheat and dive across the plate to hit it. Stride as if the pitch is still coming from a normal mound

Open Angle Toss

- Swing the bat from your opposite side 
- Re wires the brain for when you step back into the box from your normal side. 
- Sounds crazy but just trust me!

Opposite handed Swings

- Keeping front foot anchored in the ground, try and hit the wiffel ball off the tee up the middle (do not have to swing hard) 
- Main goal is to keep your head down, while keeping your feet anchored in the ground
- This will help you check your posture over the plate
- Great to add this to any hitting routine/workout and a warmup

PVC Half Swings

- Flips and dry swings work perfectly for this drill. 
- Swing 3-5 times in a row focusing on using your core and legs to get the bat back into a strong firing position. 
- If you lunge or get out of a strong hitting position this drill with be very difficult. 
- Focus on keep your center of gravity right in the middle of your body without massive weight shifts one way of the other.

Rapid fire swings

- Last exercise of bat speed/exit velo program (for this round) 
- Create momentum and swing fast!!

Regular bat walk throughs

- Everyone needs a short bat!!
- Can be used on tee or flips. 
- I recommend this tool to every single hitter. 
- Cleans up bat path, extension through the ball (because you have less length of the bat to get away with improper swing path), posture (for the same reason as above), impact position… lost goes on and on.
- Get yourself a short bat (Birdman short bat is my favorite and what I use) or just choke up on your bat until it’s about 3-5 inches shorter than normal. 
- Put tee down and away for a crazy hard challenge!!

Short Bat

- This drill is for anyone who has been told to “stay inside the ball” and they “cast their hands” 
- The goal is to feel like if you don’t stay connected and make a tight move to the body, your barrel will hit the net to the side of you. 
- You can take this drill one step further and put a L-screen or some other form of constraint in the other batters box and hit flips/BP with the same constraint.

Side Net Constraint

- Split grip is a great way to over exaggerate the feeling of controlling your barrel. 
- When your hands are closer to the top of the bat you can feel what is happening on each swing through contact a lot easier. 
- This is for guys looking to clean up bat path, extension, and impact position.

Split Grip Full Swings

- Start by splitting your grip and moving your top hand up the handle for more barrel control and exaggerated feels of controlling the barrel. 
- Swing the bat and keep your palm up facing the pitcher after your swing. 
- This 3/4 swing with allow you to see if your swing path is working up the middle or you are cutting your swing across the zone or up and through the zone. 
- Focus on backspinning balls to the middle of the field while keeping your chest over the plate with good balance.

Split grip 3/4 Swings

- Start with top hand on the top of your bat and your bottom hand on the handle like usual 
- Punch the top hand to the pitcher while keeping your chest over the plate and your top hand palm pointing up to the sky
- Move your top hand down to the middle of the bat and repeat the same feeling
- Lastly, go all the way down the bat to a normal game like grip and take swings trying to find the same feeling you had in the previous swings

Stay Through/Posture Flow

- Start with feet close together and in line or slightly behind the tee 
- Take a controlled step backwards allowing your body to load into the rear hip 
- Redirect energy back towards the ball and take a level balanced swing

Step Backs

- This is a striding phase drill 
- Focus is on using the back leg to control your front foot over any object while landing soft and swinging the foot down as you swing rather than putting the foot down early and swaying the hips (lunging/pushing at the ball)

Step Overs

During this drill I want to see you guys hold your finish with perfect balance for 3 seconds. 
Focus on your feet staying in the ground, core staying tight, and posture over the plate.

Stick your finish

- Put a bat or PVC in line with your toes 
- When striding towards the pitcher make sure you do not touch the bat or PVC 
- This is a stride phase drill for players who close themselves off during their swing and top spin too many balls on the ground

Stride closed constraint

- Stride phase drill for players who stride opened and pull off the ball consistently 
- When making forward move do not let you foot hit the PVC or bat 
- Stride forward not opened

Stride constraint opened

- Great bat path drill 
- If you accelerate too early or spin the shoulders, the ball launches out to the side. 
- Goal is to stay connected early (back elbow to belly button) and release the launcher forward and through the zone sending the ball up the middle. 
- Also it’s just a fun drill that if you have dogs they will love you for playing with them.

Tennis Ball Launcher (Full Swing)

- Isolating each arm with the launcher is a great precursor to full one handed swings with an actual bat. 
- Throw the ball up the middle and freeze your swing at the end. 
- Drive the elbow towards the pitcher while keeping the lead hand inside the elbow to stay connected and hold swing direction. 
- I use this to work on bat path and extension through the zone as it teaches guys when and how to release or snap the barrel through the zone (staying middle of the field with good direction)

Tennis Ball Launcher (bottom hand)

- Isolating each arm with the launcher is a great precursor to full one handed swings with an actual bat. 
- Throw the ball up the middle and freeze with your palm up towards the sky at the end. 
- I use this to work on bat path and extension through the zone as it teaches guys when and how to release or snap the barrel through the zone (staying middle of the field with good direction) 
- I also use it for guys who have trouble connecting their backside in a swing as the launcher is very light and we can easily make changes with instant feedback of then all going up the middle or not.

Tennis Ball Launcher (top hand)

- Controlled underhand flips are a great tool to add movement to the pitch in a controlled environment while working on new swing changes and feels. 
- At this point of the workout, I want you to try a couple (or all if you’re feeling up for it) of the tee drills you were working on on the first few round or two of flips. 
- After the feels and mechanics round, go to closer to your game swing and set up/load while keeping in mind the feels you just created in previous drills. 
- REMEMBER- the goal is to get better at game like swings. Don’t get too caught up on the drills and try and use them to blend into your game swing! 💪🏼

Underhand Flips

- Start with hips pointed 45 degrees at the tee 
- Step with back foot first towards the tee
- Pick up front foot allowing body to load/coil into back hip 
- Keep chest over the plate with a balanced swing

Walk Throughs

- Start with front foot elevated in yoga block (or anything that elevates the front foot) 
- Pre set the load into the back hip
- Control the load forward without falling into the front leg

Yoga block loading

Get to your Launch Position
Learn how to fire instantly behind the front leg
If you shift and push your hands… good luck 
Turn behind the ball and shorten up your swing

Drop Drill

Get to your Launch Position
Learn how to fire instantly behind the front leg
If you shift and push your hands… good luck 
Turn behind the ball and shorten up your swing
(Easy version of drop drill bc you have more time to react-still hard though)

Mini Toss

Let the ball travel, clean up bat path/ direction and don’t allow your body to spin out of the zone. One hand work is hard. That’s why we do it

Closed Angle (Bottom Hand Only)

Let the ball travel, clean up bat path/ direction and don’t allow your body to spin out of the zone. Angle toss is hard. That’s why we do it

Closed Angle (Regular swing)

Closed Angle (Top Hand Only)

Open Angle (Bottom Hand Only)

Let the ball travel, clean up bat path and don’t allow your body to spin out of the zone. One hand work is hard. That’s why we do it

Open Angle (Top Hand only)

Let the ball travel and clean up bat path with angle toss. SO great. Mix it into your routine.

Open Angle (regular swing)

This drill requires coach to stand about 10 feet from you. 
He fires a firm underhand toss at your front hip/middle of body 
If you rely on spinning your shoulders and cutting your bat across the zone to make contact, you’ll probably get hit by the ball (lol)
Learn to stay short and direct with minimal rotation! (Warning- very hard drill)

Direct and long side toss

Don’t always do underhand for flips. Mix in darts to challenge the vertical angle of the pitch and match a more similar bat path to a game. You’ll thank me later!

Overhand Darts

For players who have poor barrel angles before swinging and lose spacing in launch position. 

Keep the ball between middle of bat and front part of shoulder. 

Ball will stay in (connected) during initial swinging and forcing the connected feeling you need to have elite power/consistency. 

It will fly out at the end

Connection Ball Swings

Feel the coiling around rear hip and keep the coil during forward move

Forward Facing Coil and Swing

Feet and hands close together forces you to feel how to create separation and tension during load. 

Feel the tension and flow that into your swing

Separation Loading (no pause)

Feet and hands close together forces you to feel how to create separation and tension during load. 

Pause at launch position and then swing.

Separation Loading (pause at launch)

Feet and hands close together forces you to feel how to create separation and tension during load. 

Just isolating the top hand. 

Great for barrel angle awareness, top hand strength, direction, and overall coordination 

Flow your stretch into swing without pausing

Separation Loading (single arm) (no pause)

Feet and hands close together forces you to feel how to create separation and tension during load. 

Just isolating the top hand. 

Great for barrel angle awareness, top hand strength, direction, and overall coordination 

Pause at launch position, then swing!

Separation Loading (single arm) (pause at launch)

When loading with just top hand, you can truly feel improper barrel angles, weak top hand control and not loading into back muscles properly. 

Fix that but loading with just top hand, then grab the bat with bottom hand and swing.