⚾ Advanced Baseball & Softball Training
HITTER’S
ROAD MAP
Your Guide to Unlocking Your Best Swing
📋 What’s Inside This Guide
01
Welcome & Coach Steve’s Philosophy
02
SwingBuild™ Program Overview
03
SwingBuild™ Step-by-Step Order
04
Body Movement vs. Swing Work
05
Swing Progression Ladder
06
8-Week Hitting Plan — Weeks 1&2
07
8-Week Hitting Plan — Weeks 3&4
08
8-Week Hitting Plan — Weeks 5&6
09
8-Week Hitting Plan — Weeks 7&8
10
The Secret Tool: Mirror Work
Welcome
Coach Steve’s Message to Every Hitter
📖 Start Here
Your Map to Unlocking Your Best Swing
“Many of our new hitters are looking to build their swing from the ground up but don’t know where to start. This Road Map will be your guide to Unlocking Your Best Swing. If you are a professional hitter, don’t just skip over this — the fundamentals apply at every level.”
— Coach Steve · Coach Steve Baseball
A question Coach Steve gets asked often: “How many times should I do each drill?” The answer is different for every single hitter. An MLB player working on the Stride Drill may master it quickly. A younger hitter may need 10 minutes a day for a month. The philosophy is simple — master each movement before moving forward.
Master Before Moving On
No matter your age or skill level, hitting is never completely mastered. This program is designed for hitters dedicated to the process and willing to commit for the long term. That’s where the most significant improvements in bat speed, power, and bat path happen.
No Quick Fixes Here
If you’re looking for a quick fix, revisit your approach. Individual swing fixes that ignore the root cause of the issue may feel helpful before a tournament — but in the long term, they don’t build an elite swing. We go deeper than that.
📊 Quality Over Quantity — The Core Rule
The Right Reps Beat the Most Reps
90%
Body Movement Work — Pro Hitter Homework
10%
Actual Hitting — Pro Hitter Homework
When Coach Steve works with pro hitters, 90% of the homework is body movement work and only 10% is actual hitting. If you were to spend a day watching, you’d see more body movement work than swings. The secret to unlocking power is in the movements — not just the repetitions.
The Rule on Reps
Coach Steve would rather see a hitter take 20 quality swings a day than 200 bad swings. If those reps are reinforcing a bad swing, you’re wasting time. Every swing either builds good habits or bad ones — choose wisely.
SwingBuild™ Program
Build or Revisit Your Swing From The Ground Up
📋 Watch & Train In This Order
The SwingBuild™ Sequence
Follow this exact order. Each phase builds on the one before it. Do not skip phases — even advanced hitters benefit from revisiting foundational movements.
1
SwingBuild™: Grip
Foundation — Start Here
2
SwingBuild™: Stance
FoundationHitting With a Tee
3
SwingBuild™: Load
Rock The Baby DrillKnob to Knee Drill
4
SwingBuild™: Stride & Separation
Stride DrillHit Pause DrillSeparation Drill
5
SwingBuild™: Swing Path
Bat Path DrillHalf Turns
6
SwingBuild™: Finish
Paint Stick DrillFull Turns
🎬 Supporting Videos
Other Videos That Support SwingBuild™
Front Toss Tips
Learn how to use front toss correctly as a training tool — not just extra swings. Timing, mechanics, and focus points explained.
Contact Points
Understanding where and how to make contact on inside, middle, and outside pitches. Adjusting barrel angle to each location.
Batter’s Box Battle
Competitive drills and mindset work that prepare hitters to translate training into live at-bat performance.
Body Movement & Swing Work
The Foundation of Every Elite Swing
🔑 The Secret to Improving Your Swing
Improve Your Body Movements
One of the biggest mistakes coaches and athletes make is focusing on individual swing fixes without getting to the root of the issue. In the short term, those fixes can feel helpful. But long term, they don’t develop an elite swing. The secret is athleticism and body movement mastery.
Body Movement Work
Spend the majority of your time on the Separation Drill, Half Turns, Full Turns, and the Stride Drill. Many hitters want to skip these — don’t. The most powerful hitters in the world are built on movement mastery, not just more swings.
Swing Work
Swing work is a progression that reinforces body movements. Quality always beats quantity. If those swings are reinforcing a bad movement pattern, you’re building the wrong habits. Slow down. Get it right.
🪜 The Swing Progression Ladder
Progress Through the Levels
Coach Steve treats swing work as a four-level progression. Everyone moves through the levels at different speeds — and sometimes you need to step back a level to protect good movement patterns.
Level 1
Body Movements
Mirror work, drills, movement patterns — no bat required. The real foundation.
Level 2
Off the Tee
Reinforce body movements in the swing on a stationary ball. No timing pressure.
Level 3
Front Toss
Add soft timing. Keep the focus on the body movement, not getting a hit.
Level 4
Live Pitching
The final test. Only advance here once the movement holds under pressure.
The Step-Back Rule
If a hitter advances to live pitching but starts reverting to old patterns, step back a level immediately. Live pitching is a test — not a training tool for broken mechanics. Return to front toss or the tee, re-establish the movement, then try again. This discipline is what separates development from reinforcing bad habits.
Be Self-Aware
Every hitter is different and starts at a different place in their development. Create more time on areas you need and move faster through areas you’re already consistent in. Every good hitter makes adjustments — that’s what the 8-week plan is designed to help you do.
8-Week Hitting Plan
Sample Program — Weeks 1 & 2
Disclaimer — Read Before Starting
Every hitter is different and starts at a different place in their development. This 8-week sample program is based on an average hitter’s journey. Be self-aware. Spend more time on areas you need and move faster through areas where you’re already consistent. This is a great place to start — not a rigid rule.
📆 Weeks 1 & 2
Foundation — Learning the Movements
WK 1–2
WEEKS 1 & 2 — Foundation Phase
Body Movements + Core Tee Drills · 2 Rounds of Swing Work
💪 Body Movement Work
Stride Drill5 min
Separation Drill5 min
Full Turns5 min
⚾ Swing Work — 2 Rounds
Swing Away (Warm-up)10
Rock The Baby10
Crossover Drill10
Knob To Knee Drill10
Hit Pause Drill10
Bat Path Drill10
🎯 Phase Focus
What Weeks 1 & 2 Are About
The Stride
The Stride Drill builds the timing mechanism of the swing. A consistent, controlled stride is the trigger for everything that follows. Spend the full 5 minutes focused on load, rhythm, and direction.
Separation
Hip-to-shoulder separation is what creates power in the swing. The Separation Drill isolates this movement so your body can learn to create torque. This is the most important drill in the sequence.
Full Turns
Full Turns train the complete rotational sequence from hip drive to finish. These aren’t just warm-ups — they’re the blueprint of your swing. Master the feeling before adding a pitch.
8-Week Hitting Plan
Sample Program — Weeks 3 & 4
📆 Weeks 3 & 4
Building — Adding Half Turns & Plane Work
WK 3–4
WEEKS 3 & 4 — Building Phase
Adding Half Turns & Swing Plane Drills · 2 Rounds
💪 Body Movement Work
Stride Drill3 min
Separation Drill3 min
Half Turns5 min
Full Turns5 min
⚾ Swing Work — 2 Rounds
Swing Away (Warm-up)10
Knob To Knee Drill10
Hit Pause Drill10
Bat Path Drill10
Get On Plane Drill10
Paint Stick Drill10
🎯 Phase Focus
What Weeks 3 & 4 Are About
Half Turns Introduced
Half Turns isolate the lower-half drive through contact. This is where the power chain is trained — learn to fire the hips independently from the hands. This connection is everything in the swing.
Bat Plane Work
The Get On Plane and Paint Stick drills train the bat path to match the pitch plane. Staying on plane longer creates more forgiving contact and higher exit velocity — even on mishits.
Weeks 3–4 Adjustment Note
Notice that Stride Drill and Separation Drill drop from 5 to 3 minutes each. By now you should be more comfortable with those movements. If not, keep them at 5. The new time goes into Half Turns — this is the most important movement upgrade in the program. Don’t rush it.
8-Week Hitting Plan
Sample Program — Weeks 5 & 6
📆 Weeks 5 & 6
Loading — Resistance & Timing Added
WK 5–6
WEEKS 5 & 6 — Loading Phase
Resistance Work + Full Turns with Timing · 2 Rounds
💪 Body Movement Work
Stride Drill3 min
Separation Drill w/ Resistance3 min
Half Turns3 min
Full Turns3 min
Full Turns with Timing5 min
⚾ Swing Work — 2 Rounds
Swing Away (Warm-up)10
Knob To Knee Drill10
Flamingo Drill10
Bat Path Drill10
Get On Plane Drill10
Changeup Drill10
🎯 Phase Focus
What Weeks 5 & 6 Are About
Resistance Added
Separation Drill now uses resistance. This builds the elastic strength needed to fire the hips aggressively while the upper body stays back — the true definition of separation and torque.
Full Turns w/ Timing
Adding a timing component to Full Turns bridges the gap between movement drills and live pitching. Your body learns to sequence correctly under the pressure of an incoming ball.
Flamingo Drill
A balance and lower-half loading drill that isolates hip drive into contact. Trains the single-leg strength and stability needed to deliver power from a controlled foundation.
8-Week Hitting Plan
Sample Program — Weeks 7 & 8
📆 Weeks 7 & 8
Peak — Full Integration & Transfer
WK 7–8
WEEKS 7 & 8 — Peak Phase
Full Integration · Changeup + Bounce Drills · 2 Rounds
💪 Body Movement Work
Separation Drill w/ Resistance3 min
Half Turns3 min
Full Turns3 min
Full Turns with Timing5 min
⚾ Swing Work — 2 Rounds
Swing Away (Warm-up)10
Flamingo Drill10
Bat Path Drill10
Get On Plane Drill10
Changeup Drill10
Bounce Drill10
🎯 Phase Focus
What Weeks 7 & 8 Are About
Changeup Drill
Trains a hitter to stay back and let the ball travel deep into the zone. A non-negotiable skill for hitting off-speed pitches. If you can hit the changeup well, every fastball becomes easier.
Bounce Drill
An advanced contact-point drill that challenges a hitter to adjust to varied pitch heights and depths at high speed. Trains the automatic adjustment response that separates good hitters from great ones.
After Week 8 — What’s Next?
Run the 8-week cycle again and compare your numbers. Add the Bat Speed Training Program to your off-season work. Move your swing work from the tee into front toss and live pitching progressively. The work never stops — it evolves. Every good hitter makes adjustments, and you now have the foundation to make the right ones.
The Secret Tool
The Most Underrated Piece of Equipment in Hitting
Coach Steve’s #1 Training Tool
THE MIRROR
People ask Coach Steve all the time which hitting tools are the best — Zepp? Ammo Bats? Something else? The answer surprises everyone. The single most powerful tool in every session is a mirror. It’s used every session, and when Coach Steve gives hitters homework — especially his pro guys — it always involves a lot of mirror work.
💡 Why Mirror Work Works
Immediate Visual Feedback
See What You’re Working On
Hitters need to see what they’re working on. When you do body movements in the mirror, you get immediate feedback every single rep. No coach needed in that moment — the mirror tells you the truth.
Whole Body Awareness
The mirror shows how the whole body moves through the phases of the swing — not just the hands or the bat. This full-body awareness is what allows hitters to connect all the SwingBuild™ phases into one fluid, powerful movement.
How to Get a Mirror for Training
Coaches: Purchase a cheap stand-up mirror (somewhat unbreakable versions exist) and use it at your facility or field. Players & Parents: Use one at home — mirrored closet doors are perfect. This is a $0–$50 investment that will have more impact on development than most expensive tools on the market.
⚾
From Coach Steve
HAPPY HITTING.
Every one of Coach Steve’s athletes is dedicated to Unlocking Their Power. You now have the map. Use it, trust the process, and don’t skip the body movement work. That’s where champions are built.
⚾ COACH STEVE BASEBALL
Long Island, NY · Hitting & Player Development · CoachSteveBaseball.com