Hello Hitters,

It’s Brandon here giving you 5 easy ways to add more power at the plate.

It takes dedication and hours of hard work to develop a great swing. It also takes a little bit of luck at the plate sometimes to get some some hits. What doesn’t take hours of mental and physical preparation is eating well.

Food is the best way to add natural energy to your game. When you don’t eat well, it’s like putting low octane gas in a high performance sports car. Your body is the sports car! You must treat it the right way to produce the power and energy you need to perform in the game and during practice.

The easiest way to gain energy is to eat well and to eat Breakfast!! You may have had a late night game the day before and just want to sleep in the next day. That’s fine, as long as you eat right when you wake up. Eating breakfast replenishes your bodies food supply from a night of fasting (you fast when your body is at sleep). Skipping breakfast is like driving your high performance sports car on empty!

Here is an example list of energy foods that baseball players can easily add to their diets during the busy season.

Energy Foods
1. Fruit (apple’s specifically) easily carried, and found in just about every store, even truck stops on lonely highways.
2. Yogurt (low or non-fat) easy to travel with and full of vitamins. Add nuts or berries to enhance flavor.
3. Tuna- Get it in a sub, or eat it right out of the can. Tons of protein for lean muscle!
4. Sunflower seeds- a baseball player’s favorite! good source of fiber and energy.
5. Bananas- Easy to travel with and quick to eat. Provides potassium which helps maintain muscle function.

The list goes on and on and on, but these 5 foods are all readily available, can be eaten anytime of day and are cheap to buy. Add these foods into your pre-and post game meals and fuel recovery and add some energy!

Stay Focused
Brandon Smith CSCS

Stay Positive & Focused

Hello Hitters,

If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that I sign off with “Stay Focused”. I have been asked “how do I stay focused at the plate?” by parents and hitters of all levels.

The best answer I can give is the more prepared you are to play, both mentally and physically, will help you stay focused during a game.

Being prepared mentally means knowing who you are going to face as a team and what opposing pitcher you will be facing. Have you seen that pitcher before? Do you know what he likes to throw in certain counts? Does he start every hitter with the same pitch? Does he tip pitches…etc. If you are prepared to play mentally, you will be able to lock in and focus during a game. Also, have you had good practice sessions, or done some tee work or other batting drills to burn into your mind the correct swing path?

Physical readiness means, is your body in condition to play at your best? Are you in good enough condition to handle any type of climate change, like extreme heat, or cold? Are you injury free or do you have nagging injuries that are in the back of your mind? If you have trained properly and feel good, then you have a great chance to play good! My friend and professional strength coach, Brandon Smith, has the philosophy of “Move Better, Feel Better, Play Better” This means to me, that if your body is prepared you will feel better and not worry and be free mentally….leading to better performance.

Just like I say in my Ebook, Conditioned to Hit, prepare yourself everyday mentally and physically. If you can do that, you will have no problem staying focused and staying positive!

Stay Focused
Mike “The HitMan” Easler

Stability and strength at the Plate

Hello Hitters,

I hope you're all training hard and hitting ropes.

Here is a video that my good friend and Strength Coach Brandon Smith did, showing how to develop stability and strength.



All great hitters have excellent stability and never fall off balance. Try this exercise only after you have been cleared by a physician to engage in physical activity.

Building core strength and stability, while working the large muscles in your back, will help make you a dangerous hitter.

Stay Focused & Get Conditioned
Mike "The HitMan" Easler