Der Blog

July 02, 2026 02:02 PM

Building the Strength Foundation for Bat Speed:

Strength is the most important physical foundation a baseball hitter can build — and the research on what actually predicts bat swing velocity points consistently toward lean body mass, back...

High school baseball hitter in a batting cage making contact off a tee, with one coach behind him using a radar gun and another coach on the right recording results on a clipboard.

June 24, 2026 11:46 AM

What Gets Measured Gets Better:

Some baseball programs at the Legion, travel-ball, high school, and small-college level train hitters without any structured measurement — and without a baseline before a training block and a confirmation...

Batter waiting for a pitch to arrive in a baseball game.

June 19, 2026 08:49 AM

The Mechanics of a Comeback:

Most Tyler Matzek stories stop at the comeback. They tell you he lost the strike zone, found his way back, and delivered one of the most unforgettable relief appearances of...

High school batter makes solid contact with a baseball.

June 17, 2026 05:22 PM

How to Increase Bat Speed: A Strength-First System for Power and Transfer

Bat speed increases most reliably when physical development follows a specific sequence: strength, mobility, rotational power, then bat-specific work. Most development stalls not because athletes lack effort, but because they...

Athlete who de-loads and then wins a state championship

June 11, 2026 03:43 PM

The Taper and Peak Phase:

A mid-season taper and a playoff peak accomplish the same biological outcome through different approaches. The taper is reactive — something in the athlete's performance or recovery pattern signals that...

Pitcher delivers a pitch during a regular season games.

June 04, 2026 02:48 PM

The In-Season Maintenance Phase:

The in-season maintenance phase is the competitive training period where overhead athletes face the greatest cumulative physical stress of the year. The strength and stabilizer function built during general preparation...

Baseball pitcher delivering a pitch with a half cut out displaying the anatomy in that pitch.

June 02, 2026 03:23 PM

The Lag

Every few years, something happens in baseball that looks like a discovery but is actually a confirmation. The University of Waterloo's 2026 pitching simulation was one of those moments.

Athlete performing arm circles with the Shoulder Shaker to prepare the shoulder for competition.

May 28, 2026 03:18 PM

The Specific Preparation Phase:

Specific preparation is the pre-competition training block where the goal shifts from accumulation to conversion — and getting that shift right is one of the most consequential decisions in an...

May 21, 2026 01:14 PM

The General Preparation Phase:

General preparation is the heaviest block of the year — and the one where most athletes leave their biggest gains on the table. More muscle does not automatically mean better...

Athlete loading back hip tension to activate the kinetic chain with the unstable load caused by water shifting inside the KHAOS® Water Ball.

May 14, 2026 02:27 PM

The Bridge Phase (Active Recovery):

Complete rest after a competitive season feels like the right call — but the research says otherwise. Shoulder strength, rotator cuff balance, and neuromuscular timing all begin to regress when...

Baseball pitch influenced by water training.

May 07, 2026 02:57 PM

The Overhead Athlete’s Blind Spot:

The off-season strength block ends and the throwing program begins. The throwing program peaks and the season starts. The season ends and everything stops. Most overhead athletes have lived this...

Yakkeraid Blog Image featuring a Yakkeraid being displayed and wording to tell which pitches the ball is good at helping to develop.

April 30, 2026 12:06 PM

TAP® YAKKERAID: Training Off-Speed Pitch Feel Through Spin You Can See

A round baseball gives almost no visible spin feedback during a bullpen session. The seams rotate, but reading them in real time requires either a trained eye or tracking technology...